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Another mixed jobs report… The economy lost 125,000 jobs in June (but that was mostly due to the loss of 225,000 Census jobs); the private sector added 83,000 jobs; and the unemployment rate fell to 9.5%... Obama to talk about the economy at 9:35 am ET before heading to Robert Byrd’s memorial in West Virginia… Senate Dems appear to have their 60 votes on financial reform… It seems Kagan will be confirmed, but with fewer GOP votes than Sotomayor received… A political reality check on Palin… RNC Chairman Steele channels his inner Cindy Sheehan?… First Read’s Top 10 TV ads… Mark Kirk’s big fundraising haul… And happy July 4!
From Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** Another mixed jobs report: On Monday, we wrote that today’s jobs report would signal whether last week’s good news for the Obama White House -- the progress on financial reform, the replacement of Stanley McChrystal with David Petraeus -- was a turnaround or a mirage of one. Well, here’s the answer and it’s, well, mixed: According to the AP, the economy lost jobs (125,000) for the first time in six months (although that was due mostly to the loss of 225,000 Census jobs); private businesses added 83,000 jobs, which is an improvement from May but below projections; the job numbers for April and last month were revised upward; and the unemployment rate fell to 9.5%. Translation: One step forward, one step back. President Obama will talk about the job numbers at 9:35 am ET, as well as make an announcement about the administration’s recovery act. At 11:30 am, he and Vice President Biden will deliver remarks at Robert Byrd’s memorial service in West Virginia.
*** Dems appear to have their 60 votes on financial reform: The good news for the White House is that financial reform should pass the Senate after its July 4 recess. Yesterday, per NBC’s Ken Strickland, Dem Sen. Maria Cantwell -- who previously voted against cloture on the legislation in May -- now says she’ll support it after the fixes made to the bill, essentially replacing Byrd’s 58th vote. GOP Sen. Susan Collins is pretty much a yes (59); GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe is almost a yes (60); and GOP Sen. Scott Brown is a “maybe” right now (61). That should be enough to break a GOP filibuster after recess, and that assumes Dem Sen. Russ Feingold and GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley are no’s.
*** Will Kagan get fewer GOP votes than Sotomayor did? Elena Kagan seemingly aced her confirmation hearings (though often by dodging questions as past SCOTUS nominees have done), didn’t attract much national attention, and wasn’t the center of a huge controversy (outside the Harvard military recruitment story). Ironically, however, it appears she’s going to get fewer GOP votes than Sonia Sotomayor did -- despite Sotomayor’s more highly publicized “wise Latina” comment and that New Haven firefighter controversy. Sotomayor ended up getting nine GOP votes, but the Washington Post writes that Kagan’s support will probably be less than that, and it also signals that Dem Sen. Arlen Specter (who voted against her nomination for solicitor general) might oppose her.
*** Palin reality check: Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of Sarah Palin’s announcement that she was quitting her first term as Alaska governor. Since that time, however, she hasn’t stayed away from the news -- she wrote a book, signed a contract with FOX, has given numerous paid speeches, and has blasted the Obama administration via Twitter and Facebook. The AP says “she's evolved into an enduring political personality writ large -- and now the talk, growing louder, is of her own run for the White House in 2012.” But here’s the political reality: Outside of Republicans, she’s not popular at all. According to our NBC/WSJ poll, just 29% view her favorably, compared with 43% who view her unfavorably (not far from George W. Bush’s 29%-50% score). In addition, the poll shows that 52% have problems with a candidate who has been endorsed by Palin, versus only 25% who are comfortable with that attribute. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Palin is more of a political celebrity than a political figure.
*** Steele on Afghanistan: Does RNC Chairman Michael Steele not believe that the U.S. should be waging war in Afghanistan (putting him at odds with most Republicans)? It sure seems that way, according to this video the DNC has of Steele at a GOP fundraiser in Connecticut. Said Steele: "Keep in mind again … this was a war of Obama's choosing. This was not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in.” More: “Well, if [Obama] is such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that's the one thing you don't do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan?”
*** More midterm news: In Connecticut, it appears that GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley’s 1994 divorce is about to become a campaign issue… In Illinois, GOP Senate nominee Mark Kirk raised an impressive $2.3 million in the 2nd quarter… In Kentucky, Rand Paul raised $1 million in the quarter… And also in Kentucky, “[i]n a troubling move for Democrats, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo refused Wednesday to say if he would endorse his party's candidate in Kentucky's U.S. Senate race,” the AP writes.
*** Happy July 4: Finally, a note that our next morning note won’t be published until Tuesday, July 6, although we’ll update the Web site as news warrants. Have a happy and safe July 4. And we’ll see you bright and early on Tuesday…
Countdown to AL run-off: 11 days
Countdown to GA primary: 18 days
Countdown to OK primary: 25 days
Countdown to KS and MO primaries: 32 days
Countdown to CO and CT primaries: 39 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 123 days
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Lindsey Graham:
The New York Times magazine section did a piece on Lindsey Graham (R) from South Carolina. Now the first thing I noticed is that he doesn’t come up for reelection until 2014, so he has plenty of time to mend fences.
In this article he did rip a few holes in some fences by saying the Tea Party is unsustainable, it has no coherent vision, and will die out. Wow, that is saying a lot! On the one hand he may have a point that in order for organizations to survive or flourish, they need to have two things: leadership and a vision. Just being angry at the government is not good enough.
It is a mystery who is really leading the Tea Party. My sense is that Palin is the front person, but senators Vitter, and/or Kyl are the persons behind the throne. Plus organizations such as Fox News and Freedom Works are likely bankrolling the Tea Party’s expenses. For now it is safe to say that Palin is too dumb to organize, and the Senators have not yet expressed a clear vision of where the Tea Party train is headed.
“The vision thing” as Bush 41 said, will not be known until after the 2010 elections. In short, how well will the Tea Party candidates do? Graham may be right. Candidates like Rand Paul, Sharron Angle and Marco Rubio may be smacked down like a bug on the windshield. That information will shape the Tea Party’s strategy.
Where Graham is incorrect is his statement that the Tea Party will die out. I don’t believe the Tea Party will die. This country has had a militant right wing since before the Joe McCarthy era. The numbers have ebbed and flowed over the years and one could see signs of their strength when Bush 43’s poll ratings were in the mid-to-high twenties. Those are the conservatives who have been, and will continue to be, among us.
What seemed to shock most Republicans was Graham’s comment that Ronald Reagan would have a hard time getting elected as a Republican in today’s environment. That is a true statement. If you doubt it, ask Charlie Crist, and Arlen Specter.
I’m guessing FR will be off Monday so everyone (friends and foes alike) have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July.
Ron,
I agree for the most part with this exception - Sarah Palin is not dumb.
She has masterfully played the cards she was dealt, and is making the most of our shallow, media driven culture.
She is a symptom of what our politics has become, not the actual problem.
Whenever I balance my checkbook, I always wish I could figure out how to be "dumb" like Sarah Palin . . . the market for being "smart" is not so lucrative!
lol
Tell us Ron, where is the documentation to support your inflammatory assertion that FOX news is likely bankrolling Tea Party expenses? Whatever happened to the leftist mantra on this board that folks should stick to FACTS. If someone from the right posted a thought that MSNBC was bankrolling leftist organizations, the lefties around here would come out of the woodwork challenging that outrageous assertion. But somehow it's OK for folks on the left to ignore that 'rule' in order to support a more sinister narrative. Sloppy work Ron, very sloppy indeed.
Bill: For an Elephant, you have a short memory indeed. For starters last fall Fox News paid for busing in tea baggers to the many town hall meetings. The list goes on, but I don't have time now to spell them out for you. Happy 4th Bill.
Hi Nash: You are right, she may be smart in some ways like how to dress cute, but with regard to policy...I'm not sure she knows how to read. Recall the Couric interviews.
Bill- regarding the Fox and bankroll comment: he said 'likely', not 'is'.
Sloppy accusation, BIll. Very sloppy indeed.
Anyone who has watched a real interview by Palin know she is not informed. Soft ball questions by FOX that are prepared are not interviews. As a female she is an embarresment not because of her party but lack of ability to think or have original ideas.
Thanks Drive-by: I owe you one.
Oh Bill, Fox documents it every day that their bankrolling you teabaggers. How many teabagging rallies have they paid for? They give them free advertisement daily, they hire people to go to townhall meetings and try to shout over every one, I could keep on going but there wouldn't be time for other posters if I did. You do know if the teabaggers go down so does Fox, it's their only viewers. So you stupid teabaggers just keep giving Fox your hard earned money so they can keep paying O'reilly, Hannity, Beck and all the other haters those million dollars wages. Have a good 4th Bill.
Ron,
I agree that Sarah Palin had not demonstrated the willingness to know what she is talking about before she speaks! lol
She is a perfect example of the "gut feeling" governing style that has led us to our current decline.
Somewhere along the way, thinking became a bad thing to many in our society.
Of course, sadly, she is not the only one - just the loudest and most unapologetically uninformed.
I agree. Lindsay Graham is a smart republican who dared voice his opinion. The Tea Party won't die completely but seems to be disjointed and losing steam. From what I have read, there are two factions of the Tea Party and they fight each other. The polls show the more people see of the Tea Party, the more they dislike it. It closely resembles the John Birch Society. It is telling that the GOP welcomed the previously banned Birchers back to their convention this spring.
Ezra Klein had an interesting take on what happens to GOP legislators when they try to compromise on legislation. Mitch McConnell does not allow GOPers to have democratic friends; when they do try, they end up backing off forging legislation for the good of the country. The Tea Party has them so fearful that they can no longer function.
My thinking is--republican legislators would be better off to ignore the extreme right base of the party because that base is moving the GOP backwards; do what they think is best for the country and help solve our problems. Saying NO may appease the far right but it angers the rest of the people. Compromise is meeting in the middle with neither side getting everything it wants. If GOPers can't stand up to McConnell or the Tea Party extremists, they cannot succeed. The Tea Party may win some elections this fall but it will be a short-lived win.
Very well stated Jody: I can't help but smile when I watch Boehner and Cantor as they are careful not to offend Limbaugh and the far right. As stated many times, the Tea Party can influence a primary to get the most conservative person elected, but winning in the general election is a whole different story. Have a great 4th Jody. Sweet corn and green beans are now ready in southern Indiana.
You are right. Lindsey is the first to stand up to the extreme right wing and I admire him for that. Most of us are not radical but some of these candidates are very scary. It does appear that some are led aroung by misinformation which is a shame.
Well said Jody. ALL of Glenn Beck's rantings come directly from the playbook of the John Birch Society of the 60s and 70s. I know this for fact, I had a family member and friends in the JBS and read quite a bit of their literature. Crazy stuff, that.
"My thinking is--republican legislators would be better off to ignore the extreme right base of the party because that base is moving the GOP backwards; do what they think is best for the country and help solve our problems..."
Jody: Ssshh.........
Of course all of you Liberals know what is best for Republicans. Seems to me some of you watch Fox more than Republicans since you claim to know what they are doing. I can talk about MSNBC in the same way but I don't watch either because I already know what will come out of each and everyone's mouth. I stay away from political T.V. shows. No useful information, just talking points and preaching to the choir. Just like this board 99% Liberal, 1% Conservative.
If you are a Liberal I understand you will see just the opposite of what 50% of the country sees.
Sarah Palin is not running nor does she hold any office. Why do she put so much fear in Liberals? Yes you MF's fear that lady. Don't hate the player, hate the game. She is just doing what a lot of politicians wish they could do. She is laughing at all of you hater's everyday while standing in line at the bank.
If I was stacking that kind of paper, do you think I woud give a damn who liked me?.....
Is it OK to lie to the American people, distorting the knowledge that they use to select our representatives, just to make a buck?
Good Afternoon ITM: Glad to see you have survived the windy, rainy weather. It's smart not to waste time watiching cable, political T.V. shows. Probably the most unbiased political news comes from the BBC. If you have a dish, you may want to check it out.
As for Palin, seriously I wish she would run. You guessed it, I think she would be the easiest to beat. I think she will run in 2012. I've said it all along. She just loves to be in front of a cheering crowd.
Have a Happy 4th ITM.
Good to hear the better than expected news on the unemployment number this morning!
We still have a rough road ahead but I’ll take a touch of goods news over the constant drum of negative anytime!
I’m still in disbelief that Congress went home without extending unemployment benefits! All it does is remind me that the Republicans are void of a heart & conscience.
Having said that since this the Fourth of July weekend we should all take a moment to donate to a food pantry – drop off some bar-b-que for a friend or neighbor who may have fallen on tough times – visit a nursing home and spend some time with a vet or two.
Remember change starts from the bottom up & having opened up my home last Thanksgiving for people who are less fortunate than I was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done!
Happy 4th Everyone! Mark Domenico & Ali kick back & have a couple of cold ones this weekend you’ve deserve it! ;0)
According to the independent Bureau of Labor Statistics this recovery is following all past recoveries although due to the severity of the downturn and almost death of the financial industry this is a pretty good outcome. We can spend excessive money on wars but can't help the unemployed during this recovery. People should be ashamed. This was the worst downturn since the Depression and frankly we are lucky that it was not worse. I do give credit to Bush for rescuing the banks only because loss would have affected us all. What is obnoxious is the Senate including Republicans and one Democrate ought to be voted out of office.
"Good to hear the better than expected news on the unemployment number this morning!"
Would you care to enlighten us with what you consider "the better than expected news"? It looked like very poor news to me.
"I’m still in disbelief that Congress went home without extending unemployment benefits! All it does is remind me that the Republicans are void of a heart & conscience."
Parroting the WH talking points doesn't make them true. The ball is firmly in the Dems side of the court. All they have to do to get the unemployment extension bill passed is pay for it rather than running up the deficit yet again. All it would take is finding cuts amounting to 1% of the current years federal budget. Apparently the Dems don't care enough about the long-term unemployed to do that little bit of work. Gee, do you think the Dems would be so heartless as to make these people suffer just so they have a talking point for the fall election?
Oh aren't you so perfect. Go to the ghetto once in a while, pull a couple of those families up. Yeah that is what I thought with your fake azz generosity.
Hiya there GI JOE!
You KNOW nothing about what I do or where I help others so your comment is nothing more than ignorant and as usual asinine!
Quick question for ya? Does your wife have the local battered woman's shelter on her speed dial?
"Hiya there GI JOE!
You KNOW nothing about what I do or where I help others so your comment is nothing more than ignorant and as usual asinine!
Quick question for ya? Does your wife have the local battered woman's shelter on her speed dial?"
_____________________
HUH!?!?!? Feisty, you really need to put down the crack pipe. The crack pipe sure does go a long way towards explaining how you saw "better than expected news on the unemployment number this morning!"
Seriously, get some help.
Hey dumb azz,
I was talking to Fiesty but since you jumped in...F'u too.
Quick question for you:
Tell me what that crusty stuff in the corner of your mother's mouth smell like. It is a shame she could not contain it within.
You're barking up the wrong tree..junior flip
Don't bother asking Joe. The Rockhead is the local court jester who has undying love for anything liberal, but just not quite enough brain cells to explain why. You'll get the usual personal attack from the Rockhead for even asking.
Isn't that special?
'ITM got a little buddy'... just goes to show misery truly does loves company!
Play 'nice' now boyz!! Look like JoAnna wants to join in! ;0)
So, Feisty, I guess you've got no answers to the question:
"Good to hear the better than expected news on the unemployment number this morning!"
Would you care to enlighten us with what you consider "the better than expected news"? It looked like very poor news to me.
Why am I not surprised?? Liberalism is an incurable mental illness. It's not your fault, Feisty, it's those defective genes you were born with (your parents probably did a lot of acid). And, given our current "everyone is a victim" liberal govt, you probably qualify for a disability payment jackpot out of my income tax bill.
Joe - I have plenty of answers to my comments NONE of which you want to hear - so what's your point again exactly?
And to be brutally honest... YOU simply aren't worth my time or energy...
Do have a wonderful 4th!
"Joe - I have plenty of answers to my comments NONE of which you want to hear - so what's your point again exactly?"
My point is that you've got NOTHING to support your ridiculous statement:
"Good to hear the better than expected news on the unemployment number this morning!"
As I said, liberalism is an incurable mental illness. You have a wonderful 4th also.
So, Nashville_fan, those unemployment numbers fall in the "margin of error" for you?
Maybe in time you'll figure out that Barack Obama is the "margin of error" for the country.
Good morning to you too JoAnna! lol
And Happy Fourth of July!
So, once again, folks, how do you lose 125,000 jobs, and still manage to drop the unemploymet rate tw tenths of a per cent?
You remove 650,000 workers from the ranks of those seeking employment.
The BLS is getting really ambitious in this administration-however, the doubt on the numbers is growing. Think the Daily Kos/R2K soap opera is interesting? Give it a little while. There is talk now among economists of doing a separate survey, because no one believes that there are that many disaffected workers; nor do people truly believe that none of the college graduates this year are even seeking employment, which is what the BLS numbers would have you believe.
Somehow, I think that if this were a republican administration,we'd have some media scrutiny of these numbers. Hey, guys-want to win a Pulitzer? How about exposing the shenanigans going on with these numbers.
Why do I think you will take a pass?
No Joe, No Bo, NJ:
Did BLS become untrustworthy since Barack Obama became President?
If you are making that claim then perhaps you know something the rest of us do not (.i.e. the President has a direct line and tells the BLS what the numbers should be).
Did this President get to pick the members of the BLS?
If a President has that kind of sway then are we to believe the low unemployment numbers during the Bush adminstration before the bottom fell out of the economy in 2007?
no joe says: “Somehow, I think that if this were a republican administration, we'd have some media scrutiny of these numbers. Hey, guys-want to win a Pulitzer? How about exposing the shenanigans going on with these numbers.”
I have heard this tired old story about every administration as long as I can remember. The fact is the numbers always move in strange ways as people drop in and out of the unemployment lines.
When I was unemployed in 1992 I was in and out several times as I took temporary jobs until I found a permanent position.
no jo no bo, you might need to put your tinfoil hat back on. you are pretty much off your rocker half the time. you really lack any type of perspective. your hatred of everything not republican makes you look kind of silly.
just remember, all republicans also hated clinton. as it turns out, he is the last president to run a surplus. that's right, a surplus. let me say it one more time. a surplus!!!!!!!!
I wonder which of the conservative charmers on this board would venture to offer an opinion as to who of the possible candidates running for President in '08 would now be doing a better job not only on the economy but consider all the other happenings in the past 18 months?
Sheila: you do know what BLS stands for, do you not? Bureau of Labor Statistics. And, yes, the president gets his pick-he chooses the Labor Secretary.
Do you know how the numbers are garnered? It is done by household survey. BLS surveys 20,000 households, asking questions such as: are you employed? If so, how many hours do you work, what is your pay per hour; have either of these changed in the last month? Are there members of the household between the ages of 16 and 65 actively seeking employment? In what field? what is their education level; experience?
It is on the basis of these and other questions that the raw numbers are compiled, and then seasonally adjusted. To say that there is room for finagling is putting it mildly.
so no jo no bo, should i say no job? you are on here all of the time, do you actually have a job? i am hoping you do not fall into the selfish redhead category.
are you saying that the labor sec is fudging the numbers? can you send the link?
you once stated that 80% of wall street is made up of liberal democrats. i asked for the link a few times. you never sent it. i guess we are back to just making things up. when all else fails, lie. lair liar your whining pants are on fire.
So, once again, folks, how do you lose 125,000 jobs, and still manage to drop the unemploymet rate tw tenths of a per cent?
----------------------------------------------------------------
If you REMOVE 125K Government jobs and add MORE Private industry jobs..... Econ 101, SloJo
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The BLS is getting really ambitious in this administration-however, the doubt on the numbers is growing.
-----------------------------------------------------------
CITE EXAMPLES .... WHO'S QUESTIONING their Figures ?? Sharron Angle ???
You're Talking trhough you HAT !!
Is THAT what they teach you at the 'Close Cover Befor Striking School of Economics and Hair Styling' ??
WHO IS QUESTIONING THEIR FIGURES ?? WHO IS ACCUSING THE BLS of POLITICS ???
ANY Answers SloJo ?? You're Making things Up !! Cite Specifics of people questioning BLS figures !!
As to whether or not the numbers are fudge, well, you be the judge:
one of the checks on the numbers is the Local Area Unemployment Statistic, or Laus numbers. These WERE issued timely-within ten days of the monthly unemplyment/employment numbers. Beginning early this year, the LAUS were on delay-we now don't get those numbers for MONTHS after the monthly statistics are announced.
There has been NO good explanation for this change.
Glen, that's all no joe all blow and all of the teabaggers know how to do. They learn how to lie from Fox.
MSierra-go to the BLS website. There was a NET DECLINE of 125,000 jobs last month. That takes into account the increase in private sector, and the decrease in public sector. Thus, 125,000 FEWER jobs.
Hey No Joe do you read beyond the headlines, every article in the press stated that these number did not include the people who stopped looking for work. Maybe you should try the fox network, they are fair and unbiased reporting. PS have you learned nothing for 8 years of Republican rule. happy Fourth...
Not a bad result considering the huge number of temporary Census workers who lost their gigs. From my perch in the transportation industry I've been watching the slowdown in growth with great interest. Last night I heard a piece on the radio on that very subject, since Alan Greenspan professed it to be normal at this stage of recovery. Alan isn't the omniscient high priest that everyone assumed him to be, but the the Economists consulted for the piece were in agreement that the current "pause" is in the midrange of such events over the last several decades. That's quite an accomplishment considering that the recession itself has been one for the record books, and gaining 125,000 jobs to offset the 225,000 Census takers lost is a big deal.
Good to hear the better than expected news on the unemployment number this morning!
We still have a rough road ahead but I’ll take a touch of goods news over the constant drum of negative anytime!
I’m still in disbelief that Congress went home without extending unemployment benefits! All it does is remind me that the Republicans are void of a heart & conscience. Ask yourself... what has the Republicans done to enhance your life lately? NOTHING! There too caught up waging war on the middle class!
Having said that since this the Fourth of July weekend we should all take a moment to donate to a food pantry – drop off some bar-b-que for a friend or neighbor who may have fallen on tough times – visit a nursing home and spend some time with a vet or two.
Remember change starts from the bottom up & having opened up my home last Thanksgiving for people who are less fortunate than I was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done!
Happy 4th Everyone! Mark Domenico & Ali kick back & have a couple of cold ones this weekend you’ve deserve it! ;0)
Sorry for the double post - for some reason the 'cancel' button doesn't seem to work! :0)
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
"Good to hear the better than expected news on the unemployment number this morning!"....
What was that news?
I did the same thing yesterday...can't figure out how to delete a post, so I just edited it with an "x".
I wondered if you had taken up diagraming football plays or what there yesterday "Grimey". Have a good holiday.
Find it interesting the article rationalizes the drop is due to temporary census workers being removed. But, last month, they used those same people to tout the growth in employment. A large portion of job growth has been in governmental jobs. That type of job doesn't grow the economy; it needs somebody to have a job to support their job! And, please, Nancy Pelosi, get a different piece of logic. We just can buy that paying unemployment is the very best economic boost. The time that is when there is no other growth in the economy, which by the way Nancy is where are now. Your doublespeak just doesn't fly this time Nancy
IR...LOL.
And here IR I thought it was a 'kiss' without the'hug'! XO
Do you guys always have football on the brain? lol
Dirt,
Why is it you say that Guberment jobs don't grow the economy? Do government jobs pay peanuts? Doest the checks the government writes not get deposited into a bank account, and spent in the government employees local community, subsequently growing that economy?
some of you guys just slay me.
Ask a man out of work about government jobs; I'd wager they'd take it!
Frank, I wondered what you were trying to say yesterday.
Always makes me feel better to know others on FR have similar posting troubles. That first week of the new format, I wrote a couple posts then realized I hadn't logged on, and in that process deleted my comment.
Red I thought about the Kiss thing myself but since I'm a guy and I like old 'Grimey" so danged much I figured it was proably a viewpoint I shouldn't bring up least someone mistake his intentions
Good Point IR... Good Point! ;0)
Note to self...when deleting a post, never use "x" again. I'll just use "q"...no one ever uses those!
dirt, every one of the stories I saw or heard about the Census takers was "this is good news for now, but it's just going to decimate the June numbers." The best news is that excluding the census employees the trend continues to be in the right direction.
Fourth of July. Independence Day. That’s just about the definition of America right up there with Mom, Apple Pie and Baseball.
Weather finally broke up on the Hill and I was setting on the back porch last evening contemplating past wonderful Pyrotechnical displays that I have seen back in the day when I traveled a lot and had the opportunity. I’ll probably slide down the road a little piece and support the local community and buy myself and the wife a good old barbecued chicken and yes Mr. Boehner potato salad dinner. Visit a little with old friends and neighbors and watch the kids play on the ball fields till it gets dark and the fireworks start. I’ll bet that describes a lot of folks Fourth.
Then I got to wondering how many of the communities down on the Gulf are going to have to cancel their displays because their afraid they are going to set the water and atmosphere above it on fire. So I guess my celebration this year is going to be tempered a little by a prayer that one day in the future that my friends and neighbors on the Gulf will be able to return to enjoying that simple time with their friends and neighbors and watching the kids play in the twilight.
You’ll keep yourselves well and safe till we can get back together first of the week.
Happy July 4th to you, too. My reply ended up as a separate comment.
"........The economy lost 125,000 jobs in June (but that was mostly due to the loss of 225,000 Census jobs);.." But the census jobs don't count, remember? At least, that's what the right-wingers have been saying.
Mixed..."Employment fell in June for the first time this year, reflecting a drop in federal census workers and a smaller-than-forecast gain in private hiring."
Mixed..."The decline in June reflected a 652,000 decrease in the size of the labor force."
mixed...Need almost 200,00 new jobs per month to keep pace with the population..
"The decrease in census workers left 339,000 temporary employees still working on the survey, indicating more cuts to come that will keep distorting the employment figures for months.
For that reason, economists say private payrolls, which exclude government jobs, will be a better gauge of the state of the labor market for much of 2010."
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-02/payrolls-in-u-s-fell-125-000-in-june-jobless-rate-at-9-5-.html
It's official now; The unemployment rate will be above 9 percent in October, and the republicans will take the house. All else is BS, "It's the economy stupid", and the news is bad.
Wasting a year on health care legislation at the expense of the economy and jobs, jobs, jobs, has cost this administration their momentum, their mandate and soon many of their allies in congress. A miscalculation of historic proportions.
I wish the entire federal government were capable of doing more than one thing at a time, so that "wasting" a year on health care reform wouldn't have stopped every other function of the government from moving forward. Somehow, in spite of that the government went from losing 750,000 loads/mo to gaining 125,000, once you factor out the lost Census jobs.
In any case what was the Republican plan? All I heard was "leave it alone, economies are self-correcting." How'd that work out in 1930?
Another 4th Of July is upon us. Once again, I am proud to be an American and am proud of this nations's history and acheivements. Warts and all. I would like to welcome all the hard-core libs who will mark their 2nd July 4th in a row of feeling proud of their country. Savor this year's 4th and the next two because after that you will go back to spouting off about what a horrible country this is when Obama isn't Prez for July 4th, 2013.
fat chance there chuck. everyone loves the backup QB. there is a reason they are backup QB's. if obama is going to get beat, you need a candidate (who?). right now, there is nothing. zilch. nada.
Wow CU, I thought for once you were going to say something inspiring, then you just turned it into your usual empty slam on the Left. I'll never get those moments back.
BTW, I've been proud of my country all my life. I've not always been proud of my government but that's a different subject.
Barack Obama was elected primarily to reverse the decline in the economy...but weakening economic data continues to raise the possibility of a double-dip recession.
Today's jobs report shows that manufacturing and construction job numbers are down. Similarly, earnings and hours worked were lower. Fewer private sector jobs were created than forecast by economists. The unemployment rate fell from 9.7% to 9.5% in part because many job seekers simply stopped looking for for work in an increasingly adverse job market.
There is not much good news here if what you're seeking is any evidence whatsoever of a modest, let alone robust, economic recovery. Quite the opposite, actually.
Frankly, I have no idea of how the Administration's spin-doctors will attempt to frame the economic data for the last two months in a positive light.
I'm sure the comments here at First Read will give some indication of that.
Most likely a series of variations on the "it's Bush's fault" theme.
President Obama has made some decisions that I do not agree with but he was elected primarily to move this country forward with various progressive policies including but not limited to HCR, ending the policing actions in Iraq and Afghnaistan, to attempt to establish a more cooperative atmosphere in Washington, repealing don't ask don't tell, to re-establish numerous damaged international relations through the use of diplomacy versus knee-jerk invasions of the same, etc. etc. He was not "primarly" elected to reverse a declining economy that he was hit in the face with when taking office. Unfortunately, the Republicans do not like progression. They prefer stagnation. They did not want a cooperative atmosphere in Washington. They prefer confrontation and obstructionism . And every attempt that Obama has made to move this country forward has been watered down or damaged by the power and strength of special interests who still control our elected officals on both the right and the left.
This economy was going to tank because of bad decisions and poor management by previous administrations and the irresponsible behavior of both wall street, money hungry lenders and some in the general public who took on way more debt than they could afford. And whether a Dem was elected or a Republican the results of the economic crises, the long term effects of the same and the limited power and authority any president or Administration has to change the course of this decline would have been the same.
The election turned on the economy.
Sept. 24, 2008The day John McCain lost the election.
By Daniel GrossPosted Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, at 10:05 PM ET
For Bill Clinton in 1992, it was the economy, stupid. For John McCain in 2008, it was the stupid economy. Exit polls showed that 62 percent of the electorate said the economy was the most important issue.
http://www.slate.com/id/2203763
mixed bag, i guess the old "it was clinton's fault" never came out before from the republicans? the second coming Ronnie and crew used "it was carter's fault" for 8 years. thanks for paying attention though. your attention to detail is underwhelming.
Low blow, Dangerfield...
Citing a Slate article to make your point.
Couldn't you have posted something from Fox News for First Readers to sink their teeth into?
dangerfield:
Daniel Gross is wrong. When the economy became an issue towards the end of the general election campaign the election was already over. McCain had already lost and Obama was going to be elected. He was going to be elected because rather than speak of doom all the time Obama was able to uplift people's spirits. No one at that time knew just how serious and deep the recession was going to be therefore no one could have selected Obama over McCain because Obama had more and better specific steps outlined to attend to the seriousness of the economic problem.
Sure, the economy was on people's minds at the time of the election, but McaCain lost the election due to several factors and not primarily because Obama had answers at the time to the economic crises as Mixed Bag would have you believe. MccCain lost the election because of his age, he was the Washington establishment candidate, he selected Palin as his running mate, he seemed confused and out of touch during the majority of the campaign, he did not have solid backing from those on the right, he performed poorly during the debates, he ran on an attack campaign that people got tired of, etc., etc. Those are the reasons Mccain lost the election and why Obama was elected.
"Daniel Gross is wrong. When the economy became an issue towards the end of the general election campaign the election was already over."
strike two...
Global financial crisis in September 2008
The subprime mortgage crisis reached a critical stage during the first week of September 2008, characterized by severely contracted liquidity in the global credit markets[1] and insolvency threats to investment banks and other institutions.
September 9, 2008
Gallup Daily: McCain Maintains 5-Point Lead
Support among registered voters steady at 49%
September 16, 2008
Gallup Daily: Presidential Contest Remains a Dead Heat
McCain 47%, Obama 46%
September 19, 2008
Gallup Daily: Obama Now Leads McCain by 5 Points
At 49%, support for Obama is near his record high for the year
http://www.gallup.com/poll/110533/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Now-Leads-McCain-Points.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationwide_opinion_polling_for_the_United_States_presidential_election,_2008#Two-way_contest:_Barack_Obama_vs_John_McCain
Your request is being processed...
Sam Stein
stein@huffingtonpost.com | HuffPost Reporting
First Posted: 09-24-08 11:18 PM
McCain's Financial Crisis Timeline
When John McCain held an unexpected news conference mid-Wednesday afternoon he addressed the current economic crisis with direness previously unseen. His campaign would be suspended, he told reporters, in order to work on the bailout legislation in Congress. The debate scheduled with Barack Obama on Friday night, he added, could be postponed.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/24/mccains-financial-crisis_n_129118.html
There is absolutely no question that the election turned on the economy and the financial crisis. Period.
So, you're thinking it's a plus on the GOP resume that they screwed up the world economy so desperately that it was the final push to swing the election to Obama?
Good luck with that. Deregulation got us into this mess, it won't get us out of it.
If having "conversations" with the "opposition" at First Read is any indication of what "negotiations" are like in the Congress, then heaven help us. Seriously.
I would really love it if we could all evolve to the point where we could LISTEN to what the other side is saying and not just instinctively reject it out of hand.
I do listen when folks post opposing viewpoints. And usually I will ask them a question about something that I do not think fits neatly into the scenario they are presenting.
And then, I usually get called a name or the person just repeats what they typed before without any acknowledgement of the question at all.
So basically, I have wasted my time trying to converse with a talking points robot. lol
Thanks to all who actually take the time to read, think, and respond as one human talking to another human - it is rare but appreciated.
Really, Nashville?
Honest and for true.
That wasn't my experience in trying to have a civil discussion on a serious topic with you. What I got was unrelenting hostility and accusations, coupled with the playing of the race card.
I'm sure that instance was the exception...not the rule.
Hmmmm . . . playing the race card?
Now that is funny.
If someone is discussing why a group that includes me does something, and I disagree strongly with the analysis, I will express it.
Sorry if that made you uncomfortable - but for me it is not a "card" to be "played", it is my actual life. I am not "wondering" about something "theoretical", so forgive me if I have little patience for being lectured about "black voters" by folks who talk as if we are pink elephants running in a herd who cannot figure out what is in our "best interest".
Thanks for your thoughts, Nashville. he name-calling and hate here needs to stop. To me, if that's all they can do, it just shows ignorance and really disrespect for themselves.
"Now that is funny."
Glad I could give you a laugh, Nashville. Unfortunately, I believe that any impartial review of our earlier discussion reveals that you almost immediately established a nasty tenor that belies your conciliatory earlier post this morning. That's really all I'm trying to say. I'm OK that you disagree with my impression.
I'll stand by what I said...that hasn't been my experience in chatting with you.
As I stated...I'm sure that experience was an exception.
I certainly don't see any value in an encore.
Mixed Bag,
We can agree to disagree . . . although I will concede that I may have used a "nuclear weopon" on the "ant" that you posted that day!
lol
Happy Independence day, peace, and blessings to you and yours.
Best wishes to you and your family as well, Nashville.
Actually, Nashville, I'm afraid it's even worse than on this board. I think they lie right to each other's face...especially the Republicans. Dem asks, "If I do so-and-so to my bill, will you support it?". Repub says, "You bet, just add a few million for an exit closer to my house, another $10m or so for a naval base in blank county that's 3,000 miles from water, and you will have my vote." Mitch McConnell sees Repub talking to Dem and says, "If you go alone, you'll be committing political suicide..." Vote comes up - Repub votes no.
I was watching someone on TV last night talking about the Republican strategy as put into play by McConnell. No Repub will go over alone on a vote for a Dem sponsered bill, so he tries to pull a couple of friends over with him. However, (if I recall the conversation correctly) McConnell won't let any Repubs talk to Dems in groups. They can talk individually, but never more than one at a time. Then they promise to back a bill and figure out they will be alone so they pull out. That way, the Dems end up passing a watered down bill, or one full of pork for the Repub they were trying to schmooze, and the Repub gets what they wanted if it passes without looking like they broke ranks. If it doesn't pass, even better. That was the gist of it anyway. The Republicans are jacking the Democrats and the country around, basically. If someone else saw the same conversation correct me - I was a little drowsy when I watched it, but remembered thinking that they finally got around to putting into words what I knew I had been seeing for the past year and a half.
I saw it too on Rachel and yes Tired you got the gist of it...disgusting isn't it? They really are working at keeping the country wrecked and will continue to do so if they get back in, all that interests them is the power that comes with the job...not the job and helping the country.
The golden rule, silver line, no better words than these three.......I've got mine.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Palin is more of a political celebrity than a political figure.
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Paris Hilton is Prettier and she's smarter too !!
The Goopers should get Brittney Spears to replace Silly Sarah
Just make sure Brittney always wears her panties
Sarah Palin has all the depth of an evaporating puddle.
LOL Auntie....She always reminds me of Jello that's sat in the sun a bit too long!
And yet, Auntie-
In all it's permutations, MSNBC gives overwhelming, wall-to-wall, 24-7, blanket coverage of her every utterance.
Especially Tweety and Ed, Auntie. It's actually hilarious that they manage to, on the one hand, tell us how insignificant Palin is...while still being unable to shut up about her on the other.
Go figure.
With all that, Bag only 22% of REPUBLICANS think she's presidential material. Which indicates that they ain't COMPLETELY hopeless!
So...
Why all the fuss, Auntie?
I mean...who's REALLY keeping Sarah Palin in the news?
The news is keeping Sarah Palin in the news. It's like watching all the other train wrecks on TMZ. Sarah Palin is what the Kardashian sisters will be when they grow (?) up!
Keep telling yourself Dangerfield that the teabaggers are going to take control of the house, if you say it long enough you will start believing it, but you will be disappointed come November. I love the way you teabaggers keep saying wait till November and holding on to a false dream.
Sorry about the post above it was meant for another post.
And for your information Mixed bag MSNBC is just like other news casts, it needs some comedy to break up the seriousness of the news and Palin gives us the most comedy available.
Paris Hilton...LOL......with her anorexic azz. OOPs I forgot you like flat assed, anorexic, long nosed women.
Hilton has money....thats it...
Mixed, there needs to be SOME comic relief to give us a break from watching our country's natural resources be decimated. She provides plenty of it...Palin is cheap and readily available, might as well put her to some good use. When I need a break from the dead and dying dolphins, gooey marshlands and beaches I just turn on some Palin...listening to her is better than smoking a joint...just as disconnected from reality and, unfortunately, she's legal.
Auntie and tired-
OK...but I'm on the watch for complaints about her high profile from you guys.
She's high priority with MSNBC...second only to Barack Obama.
I'm good with it if you are.
I'm cool, Bag. Happy 4th!
Back at 'ya, Auntie!
Nice post I.R. as usual. Your 4th sounds like mine. Staying home and help pump up our local economy. Going to a baseball game followed by fireworks, beforehand, good things to eat and drink, what more can you ask for, it is the little things in life that make us happy.
As to the Gulf, it wont be much of a holiday down there for those folks. It is heartsickening to see the destruction of our precious resources grow daily in scope. Looking at the devastation, it is hard be optimistic of there being any kind of recovery for any future generations.
So now on to duties at home and a few hours of relaxation, I wish you and all a very happy and safe 4th of July.
Thanks GBM sometimes simplest is best isn't it. You have a good one and we'll get back to gether soon.
The economy is bad, no two ways about it.
The President is doing what he can to reverse it. . . when he was sworn in an economic panic was sweeping the globe.
The situation as stabilized but of course, there is still much to do. There are no short term, stop gap fixes this time - there is need for a long term, domestic policy agenda. . . the domestic policy that has taken a back seat for so long as our country continued to feel the reverberations of 9-11 through our national psyche and economy.
So yes, in the short term, there will be pain.
But if we don't do the hard work of laying a foundation for the future now - as in retooling our economy for the realities of the new world economy instead of just trying to prop up the last remnants from the old economy - the current stagnation could morph into a slow but steady decline.
Now while many want to score political points on this issue - it is in everyone's interest to establish what our national economic priorities are going forward and work together towards that end.
It would help if the Republican Party would identify which infrastructure projects meet their liking so we could go ahead and move forward with them . . . surely there is SOMETHING that needs to be built in America that we can all agree on.
Country First, remember?
How is the jobs report a mixed bag for Obama? The 83,000 jobs created is less than expected, and the unemployment rate dropped only 0.2% (probably from the lack of unemployed actively seeking employment). These are not good results when it's been about a year and a half since the $787 billion stimulus package.
I know Obama isn't the cause of this recession (Bush is to blame for a lot of the problems Obama is facing), but I just can't help to think that someone with a little more experience and someone who doesn't just speak, but acts, would have a better control on things right now.
Yet Reagan had an unemployment rate at 10.8% 23 months after he took office, in a time when the recession was less severe than this one.
Cult:
At this point even your most talented, experienced and studied economic experts cannot agree on what would reverse the current economic decline. But one thing they all agree on, it will take some time to achieve. This expectation that Obama can somehow make everything better, create millions of jobs and get us back to where we were before the recession occurred is ludicrous. The experts, those from both sides of the poltiical spectrum, stated that unemployment would not see any improvements to speak of for at least two to three years, yet here we have right wing know-it-alls criticzing Obama because the unemployment rate has not declined from its current level to what it was prior to the recession every 30 or so days.
The fact is that Obama cannot create jobs. The private sector must create jobs. And that requires that banks start lending again in order for new businesses to start up and for current businesses to expand. There also has to be demand for such businesses to begin hiring again. There is no lending, there is no demand, and there is not a d**m thing Obama can do to force these instituions to lend or for demand to increase on the global level that it will require. What Obama has done with the stimulus to to keep the unemployment rate from increasing to 15% - 20% and that is all he can do at this point.
Dennis:
Your point being......
That was 27 years ago. I'm talking about today. I never said I liked Reagan, and I never compared Obama to Reagan.
CA:
You are correct. Businesses do have to start hiring again, but with all these financial reforms and the government borrowing money, it is getting harder to get loans, and there is no money left to lend since ourt gov't is taking it all. There is not enough left for the business, unless we want to print more money and open the can of worms that is inflation and god forbid hyperflation
CA, I heard somebody recommend a payroll tax break for an employer who hires an unemployed person and keeps them on payroll for a year. The worker earns an income he can put out into the economy. The businessman gets a little bit of a break to get business going again. May be things in there I don't see or understand about the economy, but anything's worth a try now. What has been happening isn't doing it.
Cult, you said "someone with a little more experience and someone who doesn't just speak, but acts, would have a better control on things right now."
I made the comparison because Reagan had much more experience than Obama and still couldn't fix unemployment quickly. It should have been easier to fix 27 years ago since our manufacturing base was much larger and exports were greater (as a % of GDP) than they have been in recent years.
dirt:
With everyone looking to suggest something, anything, that we can try to get this country back on its feet economically just goes to prove how difficult a problem it is and how there are many more powerful forces out there having a negative impact on the economy than what one President can do to correct it. Our economy is tied to those of other countries and if Greece continues to have problems as well as the Europeon countries and now China is having difficulties just what do people expect the Presidnet of the U.S. to do to correct these economies in addition to that of the U.S. economy.
There are various tax breaks that have been in place for years for employers who will hire workers. Especially those from disadvantaged areas. Those in economic development zones have had this opportunity for some time. They do not seem to work. I don't know the answer. Even those who are experts on economics don't have the answer. They argue among themselves.
Dennis,
If you want to make the connection with Reagan (although Reagan was a little before my time, I was 10 when he left office), correct me if I'm wrong but, he also didn't have a $787 billion stimulus package either.
Cult - You should study what Reagan did and understand the impact on the debt and deficit. His spending would make Obama's look like a bedtime snack.
CA and Dirt
I think the hire act was signed by President Obama in March of this year. I remember mostly because I was thinking there is only one reason that a businessman will hire. He will have to NEED a new employee. Most people don't run a business to help mankind, they do it to make money. Sad but true.
I'm assuming you mean McCain and Palin when you say with a little more experience and someone who doesn't just speak. Have you listened to McCain the last year, he's all over the map. Is that what you want for a President? And for Palin, all she does is speak and doesn't make any sense when she does.
"That was 27 years ago. I'm talking about today. I never said I liked Reagan, and I never compared Obama to Reagan."
It's significant because those who fail to learn from the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them. We're teetering right now on the brink of repeating the mistakes of 1937, when budget hawks withdrew economic stimulus before the economy was strong enough to survive without it.
I'm sure that, 27 years from now, plenty of folks will recollect:
"I never voted for Obama."
Actually...it'll probably happen far sooner than that.
Heck...it's already happening.
Happy 4th of July Weekend to all! Thanks so much Awesome First Read crew for posting so many great articles this week. Thanks also to all the Democrats who post their witty intelligent comments here to defend Truth, Justice and the True Blue American Way! Also thanks to the dimwitted Braindead Beckerheads who post here after they discovered how to switch from NewsWhine at Fox and Freaks to NewsVine here at MSNBC for providing us with so many laughs at just how ignorant you are.
Looks like another losing week for the repugnant ones as Ignor-Ant Crybaby Boehner had the soundbite gaffe of the week with his clueless assertion that the Clueless George Bush's massive financial crisis was a mere "Ant" that President Obama and the Democrats were trying to kill with a nuclear weapon. Nothing could have been more clueless and unconnected to reality than that Great Right Lie.
I especially wish the 2 million who will have lost their unemployment benefits because the repugnant ones hate you a happy 4th of July and hopefully the Democrats can shame the dopes of nope into doing what's right by restoring and extending the unemployment benefits that keep you from becoming homeless. Ofcourse we all know that the Homeless are the true legacy of Ronny Raygunz.
Will Chuck Todd please ditch his wicked witch Savannah Guthrie! Nothing says clueless airhead like Savannah Guthrie. Chuck should get Mark Murray or Domenico Montanaro as his new sidekick for the Daily Rundown because all Savannah Guthrie does is run down the quality of the show.
So funny that the repugnant ones are going down to defeat yet again on major legislation as the Democrats are going to pass financial reform despite the Wall Street Criminals setting forth their horde of lobbyist locusts to stop it. A real shame that financial reform has been watered down so much by the dopes of nope who want to protect their Wall Street Criminal pals. Pink Leather Shorts Brown certainly earned his bribes from his Wall Street Criminal pals by killing the $19 billion bank fee that would have forced big banking to pay for their mistakes but nope Pink Leather Shorts Brown made sure to stick us taxpayers with that $19 billion tab.
Well, Nash, we've had exchanges-I guess that both of us wind up frustrated because we don't seem to be able to change each others minds, but that is the nature of political debate.
I'd like to point out, though, on this Independence Day weekend, what a wonderful thing we have in the country-the ability to take part in forums such as this. We can criticize the government, the president, the parties, and have no fear of repercussions.
Three of the last five presidents,(reagan, Clinton, Obama),came from humble beginnings and less than "Father Knows Best" type families. That,too,says something about the promise of America.
And, as I pointed out to Diogenes a few days ago-while I am someone who has taken quite a bit of heat for my views on Obama, when the pretty princess was born, I had all of the support I could hope for from the regulars, including those who disagree with me most vehemently. That,too, says something about this great country of ours.
It is important-nay, vital-that we remember all of the good in this country, and in the hearts of our fellow countrymen and women. If we do not, we risk losing that which is most precious.
so, thank you Mark, Domenico, Chuck, et als. Thank you posters, on both sides, for our debates, our disagreements, and, most of all, your support and kindness.
Happy Birthday, America!
Could not agree more no joe . . . we don't always see eye to eye . . . but I do respect your right to share your opinions as you see fit . . . and agree or disagreee . . . you certainly do have PASSION to spare!
Happy Independence Day to you and yours.
No joe...couldn't agree more. Have a great weekend my friend!
No Jo I doubt that we could get together and see eye to eye on much past the importance of Pretty Princess' and what you have put up here but I will agree with your sentiments and thank you for a fine thought today
NoJo - You had me at 'Maine Coon' lol
No joe - Nicely put. While we come on here day after day debating the words and actions of a select few people who happen to be in a position to seemingly run the country, it's as you say "the hearts of our fellow countrymen and women" who do the real work day in and day out to keep this the great country it's always been. Stay involved, and enjoy your holiday!
Fiesty-until last week, I didn't know you shared my love for the most beautiful, loving cats in creation! However, there must have been something there, since it was your shoulder I 'cried' on after one of the, most challenging, days I've had in a long time!
Happy Independence Day!
Agreed NoJo! And I really DID feel your pain last week (although I have to admit to a tee hee or two) just cause we've been there and done that at one time!
Mines a 'she' and a senior citizen (19 & counting)...
Happy 4th to you as well!
Enjoy your day, too.
Fiesty: I have a 'he' and a 'she'. My big guy is a mama's boy-follows me EVERYWHERE, and I swear he's smarter than a lot of people. My little girl is more retiring, but at night, you sit down, she's in your lap, purring up a storm. (They're six and five, by the way) They have the same dad, but different moms.
I lost a Maine Coon mix seven years ago to cancer. When he died, I thought my heart was so broken it would never mend. After four months of grief, my husband brought my baby home, and I found out that, while he could not take the place of my 'first love', his kitten antics certainly filled up the empty place in my heart. By the way, what they say is true: if you have two maine coon kittens, no matter how many people live in your house, you are outnumbered. They are like toddlers.
I got two she's... the Maine Coon and a Grey Tabby whose 8 and is still a kitten at heart (she still runs sideways lol). Of course their both 'DemoCats' lol
You're right about the Maine Coon, they are attention hogs. If she's not in your lap she's pulling your hand over with a paw for you to pet her! Very vocal as well!
I just wish mine loved water as bath time is always good for a couple of well placed scratches!
PS: I lost my little guy to kidney failure about 5 years ago and it was heart wrenching :0(!
So tough to assess the new employment numbers. Unfortunately, the politicians are going to spin the numbers according to their needs. Dems will point to the drop in unemployment and rise in private sector hiring. GOPers will point to the drop in overall employment and the fact that more people have given up trying to find employment.
Nash...I agree with your post above. It's a shame we can't have more open dialogue and compromise. It just seems like all that the politicians in Congress are interested in is making themselves look good and the other side look bad. Look at the extension of unemployment benefits. OK...I'm making up a number, but say it costs $40B. Dems want it paid with deficit spending, while the GOP wants it paid for without deficit spending. This is an important bill to a lot of people...but because both sides are trying to score points, everyone loses. Would it really be that hard to get together and say, "OK...how about we pay for $20B through deficit spending and $20B through spending cuts elsewhere." That's the problem these days...there just isn't any compromise. Perhaps that is a problem of the 24 hour news cycle and the fact that campaigning for elections starts a year before the election (maybe 2 years for Presidential elections). We need more people in government who are willing to work on compromises that benefit us all.
Ok...enough...I'm gonna climb down from my soapbox. I hope that everyone enjoys there 4th of July weekend. I certainly plan on it. FR Crew...I hope you take the weekend off...it's well deserved.
Gingerbread Momma - Are you taking in a Jupiter Hammerheads game? Great place for a game!
Well stated as always Frank! Hope you have a great holiday!
Hi Frank,
Yes I am, they are playing the Ft. Myers Miracles. Starts @ 4 with fun things for kids and grownups, followed by the game @ 6pm. I live but 3 miles from the Stadium. How about you? Will you be there?
Have a great holiday whatever you do. Be safe.
You got it right. It is frustrating to watch. It is my understanding the most of the unemployment extension and the legislation with it was paid for; only .00043 was deficit spending. Too bad you can't vote in the Senate.
GM...
I live just south of West Palm, so I'm about 30 minutes from the stadium. I try to get the family up there for a few games each year. Nothing beats minor league baseball. The 4th sounds like fun at the stadium but we are partying with our neighbors and won't be able to make it. Have a great time.
A civics lesson (No I don't have a solution)
The party in power (the majority) tries to implement their ideas, their agenda, call it what you will.
The party not in power (the minority) uses every parliamentary procedure available under the by-lays to prevent or slow down that attempted implementation. The party in power accuses the minority of "Obstructionism", and being the party of "no", while the minority accuses the majority of trying to ram their agenda "down the throats" of an unwilling populace. If the minority is successful in thwarting the majority party in their their promises and attempts to implement their ideas, they are seen as failing to fulfill their "mandate" the majority party loses their majority, trading status with their opponents, reversing their fortunes, and their tactics. And then we go around again...
William Windom's character, schooling newly minted senator Eddie Murphy in the "The Distinguished Gentleman", informs him that there is big money from the two competing sides of EVERY issue for his campaign coffers, whatever his views. Environment; "If you're for it I have money from the Sierra Club, Greens, etc. if you're against, from the oil, logging, mining industries"
Murphy: But with all of this money on both sides, how does anything ever get done?"
Windom: It doesn't! That's the beauty of the system!"
Happy 4th!
dangerfield - we finally see eye to eye! :o)
Point well made, dangerfield. In point of fact a lobbyist in the IA legislature once told me (as member of a small group) that the newspapers complain about the "do nothing" legislature. This lobbyist was quite proud that a "do nothing" legislature was his never-ending goal.
dangerfield and John B.-
We should be so lucky!
Good news about the drop in unemployment percentage. If I understand it correctly, most of the lost jobs were temporary census jobs. Although 85,000 private sector jobs created doesn't sound great, it is another month of growth in the private sector. The glass is half full. No doubt this will be a long, slow climb from the bottom. President Obama warned us we would need patience.
Whether it is polls or double dip recession, the media coverage drives our views. For weeks it has been nothing but negative news from Greece, Europe nervousness, to the Gulf oil disaster--it is bound to impact thinking by people and companies. Wall Street is nervous, they might not make billions because of probable regulation; investors are nervous because they see the bad news and react. It's like a snowball rolling down hill. The more people hear and see the negatives nationwide, the more they pull back on spending or buying homes which then impacts business and makes companies nervous which makes Wall Street nervous which makes investors nervous which makes people nervous.....
Surprisingly, Iowa has weathered this monster recession satisfactorily and far better than most states have. Yes, there is unemployment in my town which is slightly higher than the state average but still far less than so many other states. GOP Gov candidate Branstad has an anti-Culver ad talking about the high unemployment and need to create jobs yet when Branstad was governor, the unemployment number was 8.5% which is higher than it ever got the past 2 years. The ad that bugs me is one that sounds like a movie preview with symphony music and a loud voiced announcer telling us how wonderful 4-term-er Brandstad is and the end--"Change is Coming". Care to guess where he got that. I wouldn't consider a former 4-term Governor "change" in any way, shape or form.
I.R., VA. Got your e-mail and responded, at least I think I did. Thanks. Still trying to find that message on my Newsvine site. I found where I could send myself one so it must be there. Short of that, I'll hit the Libs group.
Iowa weather. This week has been top notch, super spectacular, drop dead gorgeous weather. No air conditioning, no storm sirens every few hours, no rain, little humidity. It is to get hotter tomorrow but the sunshine is predicted to hold through July 4th celebrations. We are having our annual celebration at the cabin on the Mississippi--can't think of any place I'd rather be than with family, good food, and sitting watching the occasional river traffic from barges to pleasure craft.
Morning Joe was quite pleasant with good discussion this morning. No Joe to interrupt and shake his finger.
Happy July 4th everyone. FR hosts, another good week--enjoy your holiday.
I hear you Jody Look all the way down on the bottom of your page and you should see your comments section with some kind of thing for you to approve so it will come up. Hoping you and I can stick with this thing and get it figured out cause I sure miss my ace. Meanwhile I'm hoping that your holiday is going to be a good one full of the joy that friends and family bring BTW if you can get on over to the group there's several IT wizards over there that can help a whole lot better than I can
Excellent points, Jody. The part of the Branstad campaign that irks me the most is his list of promises. Added jobs, increased incomes, improved education, blah blah blah. The reason it bothers me is that all of the things he talks about got WORSE under his stewardship. How will that "experience" help him make it better now?
Yes indeed, it is all about November. If you care about the future of this country, then I don't see why on earth anyone would vote for a republican in November. They don't give a **** about this country.
Here we are in a deep recession and all this party can do is say No. And people want them to win in November? Why? It's almost beyond words this little game they're playing with people's lives. No to stimulus, no to health care reform, no to financial regulations, no to unemployment compensation.
We get it. You don't like President Obama. But it's more than that. You don't give a damn about the American people. The GOP - the biggest welfare recipients in this country.
The ultimate do nothing Congress. They can't even see the challenge before them to set this country towards recovery. A challenge they continue to ignore. This is a moment in time when the greatness of America should shine, where we all come together to help each other in a time of need. It requires hard work, ideas, commitment. And all the GOP can do is say no. They take the easy road time and time again. That's not how this country was built.
The GOP just doesn't get it. Don't want to get it.
Sadly, Pat, I don't think any of them see beyond keeping their position in the Congress or the next position to which they aspire. I think this applies to Democrats as well as Republicans--why else would they put up with the "threat of a filibuster" nonsense that has tied them up since the 2008 election and let them squander the majority they had.
Happy 4th--you're in a great place to celebrate it!
Happy 4th to you as well Steeler Fan and to everyone. It's such a fun celebratory day, especially for the children - all kinds of fun red, white & blue clothing, swimming, cook outs, parades, concerts, fireworks.
What are you guys and gal smoking there at First Read that you'd put that most disgusting Pammy Get Your Gun ad as the top ad? Hey I want some too if it zonks you guys and gal out that much. Machine Gun Scam Pam Gorman only proves that any coward, criminal or moron can pull a trigger. This NRA Painted Strumpet has a nose as large as Mount Rushmore, a wonder she didn't have Ronny Raygunz's face carved into it. With a Schnoz that large she could make a career being a Jimmy Durante impersonator, no wonder she goes for the front facial shot to hide her humongous Mount Rushmore nose. I guess she makes the limpwristed conservative old geezers get all hot and bothered and all lathered up when they see her shooting her guns, as they say simple things amuse simple minds - especially when those simple minds are all hopped up on Viagra.
Great political cartoon this week as Walt Handelsman showed us just how despicable the NRA crowd is. He had one panel showing "Microstamping - tiny mark on bullet shell casing to help police catch bad guys" and then the next panel shows "Microleading - tiny politicians afraid to vote for it". The NRA is a criminal's best friend as the NRA crowd always votes to help allow criminals too easy access to guns while hating police and stopping the police from having the tools they need to catch the gun criminals. A shame that the dopes of nope hate police so much and love gun toting criminals so much that they'd keep Microstamping from being made law as a helpful tool for police.
The NRA are now terrorist's best friends as they fight to keep people on the terror watch list from being prevented from buying guns. The people on the terror watch list can't fly on planes but no problem for terrorists on the terror watch list to buy all the guns and unmicrostamped ammo they want. The NRA is a criminal and terrorist hugging organization bent upon destroying our Secular Democracy by allowing every criminal and terrorist all the guns and ammo they could want and need. Only criminals and cowards need to carry guns in public.
Real Men Don't Carry Guns!
Happy Independence Day everyone. I can't believe that drunkard John Boenher had the nerve to say to the American public he works hard for the public. How hard is it to just say "NO"?
I watched the evening news anchored by Ann Curry last night. She made it sound like the job news was going to be dire today. She looked like Cassandra, warning of an economic catastrophe. So now its a mixed bag? Please tell Ann Curry to lighten up. I'm sick of the drama media, why can't we have "just the facts, ma'am" reporting?