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Subscribe to RSSSpeaking in the Rose Garden today, President Obama said working out a debt deal would help stabilize the economy, even as he characterized the debt ceiling debate as an inside-the-Beltway distraction from the high unemployment rate.
"Over the last couple of days, the debate here in Washington has been dominated by issues of debt limit," the president said, adding that what matters most to him is getting the economy "on a sounder footing."
But he went on to link a deal on the debt ceiling to the prospect of a lower unemployment rate.
"The sooner we get this done, the sooner that the markets know that the debt limit ceiling will have been raised and that we have a serious plan to deal with our debt and deficit, the sooner that we give our businesses the certainty that they will need in order to make additional investments to grow and hire," Obama said.
He also attributed the 9.2% unemployment rate and slow job growth to factors like natural disasters, high gas prices, and austerity measures around the United States and in Europe, all of which he said have made businesses "hesitant to invest more aggressively."
The president reiterated his desire, first expressed in a spirited press conference last week, for Congress to pass legislation that he said would help create jobs, like free trade deals with several countries and a bill that would spur infrastructure investment.
"All of them have bipartisan support. All of them could pass immediately. And I urge Congress not to wait," Obama said.
In her weekly press briefing, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi echoed President Obama's frustration that Congress hasn't passed those bills. On the debt ceiling negotiations, however, she dug in her heels that her caucus would not accept cuts to Medicare and Social Security, although she did say there was "some level of optimism" when it comes to forging a deal with Republicans.
White House press secretary Jay Carney also said today that Democrats' "cautious optimism hasn't changed in the last 24 hours," even as House Speaker John Boehner said that Democrats and Republicans remained far apart on a deal.
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Bev, were you aware of this??
Looks like Dem Senator Patty Murray is what YOU would call a Koch-sucker.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DSCC asking Kochs for cash
The Kochs have become a major target of Democratic ire recently -- but that hasn't stopped the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from asking their company for money. A Koch company executive fires back in a letter to DSCC chairwoman Sen. Patty Murray:
For many months now, your colleagues in the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee leadership have engaged in a series of disparagements and ad hominem attacks about us, apparently as part of a concerted political and fundraising strategy. Just recently, Senator Reid wrote in a DSCC fundraising letter that Republicans are trying to “force through their extreme agenda faster than you can say ‘Koch Brothers.’”
So you can imagine my chagrin when I got a letter from you on June 17 asking us to make five-figure contributions to the DSCC. You followed that up with a voicemail* indicating that, if we contributed heavily enough, we would garner an invitation to join you and other Democratic leaders at a retreat in Kiawah Island this September.
I’m hoping you can help me understand the intent of your request because it’s hard not to conclude that DSCC politics have become so cynical that you actually expect people whom you routinely denounce to give DSCC money.
The Kochs have also posted the audio of a voicemail of Murray soliciting funds.
Let’s say the CEO of the largest corp in the world aka the US Govnt decided one day to loan the largest banking industry in the world $700 billion dollars to help the economy recover and hire more people. Then the next day this CEO jumps on a his private 767 jet dubbed Air Force one and proceeds to bitch about that industry for the next 2.5 years straight. Surprisingly the economy hasn’t recovered and unemployment is higher……
VOTE FOR A NEW CEO IN 2012!
Koch Industries Contributions to Federal Candidates in 2010
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgot.php?cmte=C00236489&cycle=2010
House
Total to Democrats: $87,500
Total to Republicans: $912,000
Senate
Total to Democrats: $25,000
Total to Republicans: $232,500
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@Joe in Albany - Gee where is that voicemail? PAGE NOT FOUND HAHAAAHAHAHAHAH! Sen. Murray may be more clever than you think. If I was a KOCK Brother....in regards to the Hawaii invitation... I would exclaim...ITS A TRAP! CIRCLE THE WAGONS!
CORRECTION:
...in regards to the Charleston SC invitation...
Well, good, then. The Koch Bros are ON RECORD now, saying 'to thell with the Dems'.
Obama links debt ceiling to unemployment. The man continues to be a joke. So Obama, just what has been the problem with job creation when the debt ceiling wasn't an issue until now?
Obama, continually grasping at straws, blaming others, and looking for excuses as to why the implementation of his Keynesian economic plans have been such and absolute and a complete failure.
I think Bev is a little busy today Joe she can't here you.
The master of excuses lashes out:
He also attributed the 9.2% unemployment rate and slow job growth to factors like natural disasters, high gas prices, and austerity measures around the United States and in Europe, all of which he said have made businesses "hesitant to invest more aggressively." From the article.
What the worshipful master fails to say is just as relevent as the natural disasters. He fails to say that it's his policies that have hampered the growth of businesses. I guess any excuse is better than none. I'm glad he's doing this... it only shows more people how incompetent he is holding one of the most important jobs in this country.
You do realize that in the last few months we have had fires that destroyed and caused millions of dollars in damage, tornadoes that destroyed neighborhoods and business alike, floods that even here in New York we are trying to rebuild from to mention just a few. The downtown of where I work has laid off due to state workers being laid off or in fear of layoffs so they stopped spending.
Both sides need to work together. We need to do something with Senior the 10 trillion dollar bomb of Bush w, we need to correct tax loopholes. I see republicans screaming how GE didn't pay taxes and yet they don't want to do anything about it. I also don't think that those who do not pay taxes due to the low amount of their income should NOT be getting refunds.
Republican keep yelling that Government needs to get out of their lives and then start yelling about Government not doing enough. Make up your minds.
JS1, mark it on your calendar because I was taken back that it was President Obama saying unemployment is linked to the debt ceiling, or creating "uncertainty" which is the Republican's favorite excuse for everything (though when put in context of everything the president said, unemployment is a distant link).
What is true, whether threatening shut down of the government or now threatening default, Republican "strategery" is to create crisis DISTRACTION from the real issues of jobs or balancing the budget, and feeding their simplistic base with the usual simplistic sound bites, currently "tax cuts."
Brianb, you NEVER provide case in point for your claims, certainly not backed up with a link to a credible source. Provide a list of all the ways President Obama has "hampered the growth of businesses." Don't just parrot. Here's an example of what Republicans are doing to hamper the growth of businesses:
"GOP spending cuts would hit economy hard" -- http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/23/news/economy/spending_cuts_economic_growth/index.htm
"Republicans Block Bill to Aid Small Business" -- http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/republicans-block-bill-to-aid-small-business/
"Senate GOP blocks bill [to discourage outsourcing]" -- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/28/AR2010092802768.html
I could do this all day.
Even so-called right-wing experts swoop and poop in effect. I just read an article in Forbes in which the author admits President Obama inherited a downturn (which is glossing over what has been the greatest recession since the Depression), but fails to specify anything. In fact, his criticism includes "gateway" speculation that taxes are likely to increase and that we are becoming a European-style welfare state. All of this is subjective opinion, not objective fact.
Please, do the research and critical thinking on your own. If something doesn't sound right, like how thousands of scientists are concerned about climate change, than maybe it's not a hoax. Apply yourself.
Joe,
A Koch executive received a request for money from the DNC and he's boiling over with moral outrage?
The Koch Brothers are financing attempts to repeal environmental laws, dismantle public worker unions and change voter registration laws to favor Republican puppets and he's outraged by a form letter? I'm outraged by his slimy right-wing agenda, and you should be too.
I would say the DNC has some serious nuts to ask the Koch Bros for cash! I like it! We need to get more Dems like that in to the House! I wonder if the RNC has the nads to ask Soros for some cash! Now whoever it was over at DNC is what I want to know. They must be made of brass!
.esaesid daerps ot evol serohw hcoK
"He (Obama) also attributed the 9.2% unemployment rate and slow job growth to factors like natural disasters, high gas prices, and austerity measures around the United States and in Europe, all of which he said have made businesses "hesitant to invest more aggressively." "
Weak leaders always make excuses.
I wonder if those high gas prices have something to do with the drilling moratorium in the Gulf and Alaska?
The "Excuse in Chief" has to be nearing a breakdown as nothing is working. None of his hair-brained liberal theories work, his big pile of debt is stinking up the yard, and his opponents can use his 2008 campaign motto "Hope & Change" with the added "No, really!" at the end.
Obama knew what he was "inheriting". He claimed to have the solutions. He claimed to have the most open admin in history. He fed his sheep all the talking points that they wanted to hear.
And then he expanded the war in Afghanistan, agreed to Bush's Iraq withdrawal, he did not close Gitmo after he discovered he was an idiot, he did not keep unemployment below 8 or 8.5%, his stimulus helped rich people and government jobs, and now that has run out.
What kills me is to see the libs that post that he has kept 137 promises, or 400 promises, or whatever the number. Seems to me the bigger the number, the more reasons we have to vote him out of office.
I'm 51 and I cannot remember a worse President in our nations history.
hey roy wilson i wonder if exxon or any f@#@!ng oil company is going to spend any of those huge profits to create a f#@!@ng better clean up process other then paper towels you assh**e republicans are scumbags who don`t give a s**t about anyone or anything thats all you scumbags know is profit and you don`t care what or who gets destroyed in the process i just hope that people like you are the first to die when thier done poisoning your water and food because they cut all the funding for the FDA & EPA people like you make me sick heres a company thats the richest company on the f#@!@ng planet and they hire 20 people & 20 f@#!@ng roles of paper towels to clean up this nations park. last year it was our gulf and they still use the same shutoff valve and all you can say is drill baby drill you and your party are nothing but scumbags period.
"Worst President"? Doubt it. First off, he is not the reason our economy is like this. The June before he was elected, the market was acting as erratic as it did before the crash of '29. Second, the September before he was elected, Newt Gingrich spoke at Oberlin and told students that whoever gets elected, is going to have to deal with a crash, and high unemployment. The only reason that Obama's ideas have failed, is because Republicans in the House thwart his efforts at every turn to make a REAL difference. BTW, with unemployment as bad as it is, with some places with unemployment as high at 20%, taxes need to be raised. Get a clue.
True Patriot 445959, you claim the GOP creating distractions. I wonder if you realize that obummer and "Fast & Furious" Holder are "under-the-radar" planning gun control, big time. And the debt talk is a big coverup.
Probably not since the Domestic Oil and Gas Drilling and Production were in decline all 8 years of the Bush administration, but they have increase over 11% during the first two years of the Obama Administration. Talking Points do not equal Facts.
How Conservative Ideology Is Destroying Middle Class America
Grover Norquist infamously said he wanted to shrink the size of government till it could be drowned in a bathtub. That is, remember, the American government, the revolutionary democratic republic set up by George Washinton, Thomas Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and company. Not an enemy government, but the government that protects and serves the interests of a free, democratic people.
In 2001, George W. Bush faithfully carried out the first phase of that war on American democracy: following the extremist ideology which holds that all taxation is tyrannical theft —the American revolutionaries resisted taxation without representation, not taxation itself—, Bush looted the treasury and gave a projeced $1.7 trillion surplus to the riches of the rich.
The result of this was the demand for more money. In 2003, the cuts were expanded, and the federal government was plunged into a long-term debt crisis the likes of which it had never seen. With no surplus in good times, the government was then fiscally unprepared for the desperate needs of hard times, when the entire banking sector, and the countries biggest industrial corporations, were suddenly at risk of total collapse.
The Republican solution? Once again, to give unprecedented sums of taxpayer wealth to the richest of the rich. Between his tax cuts, his unfunded wars and the TARP bailout, George W. Bush oversaw the single most massive deliberate transfer of wealth in the history of humanity. And every time, it was free money for those who don’t need it.
Nevermind that this runs totally contrary to the Darwinian market theory the Republicans constantly profess to uphold: that private business is best able to fend for itself, more efficient than government, and knows better what to do with money. If there is a way to get hundreds of billions of dollars in free taxpayer money, we’ll take that too.
The hypocrisy is obvious, and shabby and should be recognized. But what is more important is the manner in which this whole transfer of wealth derailed the US economy. If we are honest, we can stop expressing surprise about the Great Recession, stop pretending the jobs recovery has been slower than expected, and stop pretending any of this has to do with Barack Obama.
The policies George W. Bush enacted were designed to undermine the American economy. Not designed with the explicit intent of ruining the American economy, but yes with the explicit intent of undermining the fundamental role reserved for the middle class, as the beating heart of our economy. And so, by extension, the economy had to come crashing down.
When the “supply side” of the economic equation —because this view of supply and demand is a nostalgic way to get back into the us vs. them feudal way of thinking so beloved by certain segments of the antidemocratic movement— is given money for nothing, history has consistently shown they will give nothing in return.
Why would they spend their money creating jobs for ordinary people, risking their holdings in real-world investments, when doing so is not a condition of getting the money and they can invest in wealth-to-wealth investment schemes? The pervasive financial deregulation that took place between 1998 and 2008, provided this opportunity: give your money to bankers who will invest in their own banking “instruments”, which will instantly inflate your wealth, so you can tell other bankers to give you more money.
With that formula firmly in place, it was possible to turn the entire financial system into a giant gambling den, in which investors were no longer looking at whether their investments were secure because they were creating real market value through real enterprises actually providing some good or service, and requiring human beings to work, and to be well paid for it.
Now, you could “make a market” unique to one single financial product, and that product could be a bundle of mortgages that will never appreciate in real value beyond a certain number, no matter how many times they are resold. No jobs were being created, unless the grand illusion that this was not fiction were to hold and the mysterious flow of unfounded capital were to new mega-enterprises, and no one notice.
But of course, it was more convenient to keep that kind of unfounded capital swirling around in a vortex of unfounded capital generating systems, also known as complex “financial instruments” based on “derivatives”, or investment products based oh other investment products, where the relationship in pricing need not make sense if subjected to common arithmetic.
More convenient, because in that universe, it was more difficult to show the house of cards for a house of cards. So the house of cards incentivized, indeed required, a shift away from investments that improve the real quality of the economic landscape, away from the generation of good, stable jobs that pay well, and better and better over time, and allow the middle class to accumulate wealth.
The middle class accumulating wealth was anathema to the engineers of the Bush-era ultra-Reaganomics —an upgraded, scorched-earth rendition of what George W.’s father called “voodoo economics—, because an expanding middle class would necessarily accumulate wealth and power that was supposed to go only to specific segments of the so-called supply side.
Between 2001 and 2008, median household incomes fell by $2,000, across the United States. That means Bush’s pro-wealth policies left most people significantly worse off. Tis was visible throughout his presidency, and led directly to the collapse of the housing boom, of consumer spending, and to the unprecedented rash of bankruptcies we have seen since late 2007.
And that has come with the Republicans’ careful re-engineering of bankruptcy law, which made it harder for individuals to escape deep, impossible-to-pay debt, and easier for corporations to do so. This could almost be viewed as a prudent intervention in economic policy, designed to make sure the financial system would not totally unravel in the coming, and foreseeable maelstrom of fiscal decay.
So Grover Norquist proposed radical tax cuts to put an end to the American revolution, and George W. Bush carried out the assault. And they did so by calling their actions patriotic, just as any extremist destroys the human aspirations of a revolution if given the chance—Napoleon, Mao, Castro, to name a few.
In 2010, the Republicans did what they’ve done so well since the birth of voodoo economics—they used economic hardship spawned by their own policies to persuade voters to turn on the Democrats. Blaming Obama and Pelosi for a protracted process of recovery —which in fact was moving along better than could be expected, considering the basic supports for economic prosperity had been demolished in the preceding 8 years and the crisis— and took control of the House, pledging to continue their dismantling of the American revolutionary system.
It’s important to take that view of things because the vibrant middle class is. An outgrowth of the logic of the American revolution, which dictated that the people should be more important than the powerful and real human liberty should be more important than the whims of the superrich. The Norquist-Bush assault on all things government is an assault on the principle that the government is really of the people, by the people and for the people.
The Norquist-Bush axis of nakedly ideological capitalism holds that government is for the supply side, which they define according to feudal prejudice: only the top 1% is really fit to lead, and so they must provide the levers of economic growth and prosperity, and they while benefit from them more than anyone else. Any schoolchild studying basic arithmetic can see that over time, that will concentrate wealth and undermine democracy, but they hold to the lie anyway.
In fact, among the first responses to the resulting shortfall in government revenues is the aggressive, even depraved, slashing of funds for public education. Why, after all, should children of the non-wealthy be educated if they cannot drive economic growth and prosperity? Again, the common logic is that of feudalism and aristocracy, not of democracy.
Now, good American patriots, who have sacrificed for their country and who believe firmly in their own virtue and sanctity, but who nevertheless support this economic wrecking machine, will tell you they have no intention of destroying American democracy, t hat they love it and are shocked by what has taken place. And that is probably true.
But one doesn’t have to be plotting the destruction of a democratic system rooted in a vibrant middle class and the right to universal education to participate in it. One only has to side with the logic of feudalism over the logic of democracy. One only has to view the aristocrat as more worthy and disparage the common folk who aspire to take on a share of his power.
Now, enter Paul Ryan. Paul Ryan is the budget-cutting zealot who is perfectly suited for the slash education funding segment of the process. He views “bloated” education budgets, Social Security and Medicare as evil socialist schemes that will corrupt and ultimately destroy purely capitalist democracy.
His policy proposals suggest he is one of two things: either a shockingly corrupt rainmaker for megaconglomerates, willing to sell out his country to enrich billionaires and multinationals, or a conservative confused by the logic of his own economic philosophy, who believes that by taking money away from the middle class, you can make the middle class stronger.
He now proposes drastic, even inhuman cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, public education, and all of the levers of government at give ordinary people a chance at some dignity in our intensely competitive society. And if we are charitable, we can say he does so because he misunderstands the nature of our system: it’s capitalism in service of democracy, not laissez-faire non-government in service of capitalist wealth hoarders.
Paul Ryan may not understand his role in this process but he clearly playing a defined and crucial role in the dismantling of the American middle class, and so of our democracy. We can rely on him not to see this and not to fight back when his own party proposes changes to the electoral map that take power from the voters and give it to his party or its backers.
But if he were the man of the people, the people’s accountant, as he wants us to believe, he might look into the long-term economic value of public sector investments. He has refused to do so, saying only that cuts are more constructive than investment, in fact promoting the patently absurd “cut-to-grow” policy meant to undermine any serious economist who points out that all of this was foreseeable, and was foreseen and is the direct result of flagrantly irresponsible and undemocratic economic policies.
http://www.casavaria.com/cafesentido/2011/04/03/8020/norquist-bush-ryan-how-conservative-ideology-is-destroying-middle-class-america/
Republicans can't govern. They can't anything.
They can only destroy us -
while they get richer.
Wake up America.
Very nice, seamless cut and paste job. Bravo.
Pat in Boston,
What you and so many Americans (left, right or straight down the middle) fail to understand is that our current government in no way, shape or form even remotely resembles what our founding fathers envisioned. They built this country on one simple concept: Freedom. We have all been lulled into a false sense of freedom over the past several generations as our liberties are slowly, but surely stripped away one by one. You talk about "taxpayer wealth" being taken from middle income Americans and given to the wealthy. Again, you are mistaken in your basic premise. It is, in fact, our very own federal government that is taking away taxpayer wealth (not to mention state and local governments as well). Our government has no money except what it takes from us as taxpayers. Some level of taxation is needed to fund the necessary functions of the government. The problem is the definition of the "necessary functions" of government, which should be strictly limited to national defense (and that does not include our blundering around in Iraq and other such places) and the defense of the liberties of American citizens. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. That is what our founding fathers envisioned. If government were limited to that, all of us would be keeping about 90% of what we make. Imagine that! Hundreds of billions of dollars in OUR pocket every year to spent as we please. Unemployment solved! This is where the concept of "starving our government" comes from. It's not an attack on our goverment. It's attack on the bloated bureaucracy that our government has become. Our leaders have failed us for the last 70 years - Republicans and Democrats alike. It is, indeed, time to Wake Up America!!!
Obama has done everything possible to destroy this country. If government were the true answer to all the economy's problems , communist china, communist Russia North Korea , Zimbabwe would all be success stories today. They are not . They are Abject failures. Obama care, medicare, social security , public education and many other government programs are anchors on the economy's back. There should be a separation of government and the economy just as there is a separation of church and state. Government created the recession by subsidizing the housing market and creating too many houses. They alone are to blame . The governments answer to the recession was to print money which in turn drove up the price of commodities and other factors of production. Now businesses cannot afford to hire workers. Government created the problem. They own the problem. When they get out of the way. the economy will self correct.
Freedom!! The founding fathers owned slaves, they didn't believe the lower class and less educated had a right to vote, choose, or make decisions. Only land owners should be able to decide. The believed the rich ruled all and should make and run government - so I guess to Republicans nothing has changed.
Wow Pat, great post!
Over the holiday weekend I was in a discussion about creating wealth with goods and services versus using zero-interest money from the government (tax payers) to get rich by betting against your country (speculators), though I recall the "junk bond" controversy years ago so this is nothing new.
Alan Greenspan says he supported tax cuts when there was a surplus, but not when there is debt. You point out so well that even this is NOT fiscally responsible, because we should SAVE the surplus during good times to be prepared for bad times. How basic is this? And the bad times came soon from 9-11 to Katrina to economic collapse due to toxic mortgage securities (due to relaxed regulations starting with the Glass Steagall Act passed by the Republican congress at the end of Clinton's term).
And the bad times don't even take into account military expenditures in Afghanistan and Iraq or Bush's prescription drug plan, etc. Conservatives, particularly Teabaggers won't understand your post (assuming they would read it), otherwise "saving for a rainy day" would be their mantra instead of "starving the beast." I don't like saying this, but neither would Dubya, a 'C' average student of history who came from the oil industry (think Koch), who unlike his father Bush Sr., lacked the analytical skills or focus to realize the impact or unintended consequences of policies per his self-serving advisers that surrounded him.
Ultimately, the new mistakes are 1) Paul Ryan's plan doesn't even cut spending as it should to balance the budget, and 2) Republicans are saying they will agree to revenues from closing loopholes, but only if equal tax cuts are agreed to elsewhere, once again doing NOTHING to balance the budget.
These machinations are at the minimum irresponsible, but more likely are politics of destruction. Does the GOP/TP (especially the Teabag minority in the House) have a grasp on the damage they propose? Many don't--like Dubya they operate based on irrational emotions because they lack financial and economic understanding.
Yea... So do you have a comment on the facts and conclusions within the piece, RC, or are you such a DFing hippocrit that all you can do is say, "Waa! You cut and paste! Waa!". Grow up, idiot. You're the type who would complain if the person didn't include references for their facts and the complain again when they did with your empty cut and paste blabber...
and here i thought i was the only one with those thoughts and have been saying that for years to deaf ears and being told that i was nuts. like you said any first grader could do the math, and ya know the sad part is its still falling on deaf ears.
Dear Boston Pat.....it ain't the Republicans that are destroying America. It's people like you who don't get what America is about. It's not about government telling everyone what to do. It's not about the government paying people not to work. It's not about giving taxpayer monies to politicians through union dues that keep the wheel greased with the same year after year. It's not about more debt to make it work. IT's about having the balss to stop the BS, and do what's right for the country to develop more jobs with less government intervention and, less debt.
Then PLEASE stop spreading the RNC BS and learn what America is really about -
"...all men are created equal."
Some of you - teabaggers/wingnuts, etc. - insist that you are more equal than the rest of us common people (e.g. have some right to tax breaks/reductions/substities, to prevent legislation & bring our government to a standstill, force our nation into default and bankruptcy, take our natural resources for personal profit with "drill, baby, drill" etc. etc.)
The lessons of what America is about needs to be taught to the greedy, cut-throat, wealthy hoarders of money who insist on more simply for the sake of profits while disregarding the less fortunate and the needs of this nation. Study history and learn about the founding of this country, e.g. the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and their pledge to each other (NOT Norquist!)
It may be amazing to you...
Let’s say the CEO of the largest corp in the world aka the US Govnt decided one day to loan the largest banking industry in the world $700 billion dollars to help the economy recover and hire more people. Then the next day this CEO jumps on a his private 767 jet dubbed Air Force one and proceeds to bitch about that industry for the next 2.5 years straight. Surprisingly the economy hasn’t recovered and unemployment is higher……
VOTE FOR A NEW CEO IN 2012!
GOP FAIL
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1039475329001/is-this-the-least-productive-congress-ever/
its not a congress itsa recking ball designed to do just that reck the economy you can`t see that
. . ."and a bill to spur infrastructure development".
We had one of those, remember? Almost a trillion dollars? Wasted money?
Does he actually think we will give him MORE?
Either Obama is an idiot, or he thinks Americans are idiots.
Good lord.
"...or he thinks Americans are idiots."
I think that last one. And, it seems the Americans proved it last November.
American are idiots and the continue to vote in direct opposition of what is best for them.
its people like you who are the idiots
Oh man, the Republicans in the House better not obstruct the passage of raising the debt ceiling, or, as Warren Buffett said, they need to quit playing Russian Roulette with the American economy.
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_18436053
So during the Bush administration were you this upset about the democrats who voted against raising the debt ceiling. Reid and Obama voted against it if your memory needs refreshing.
janet-489369
If we hadn't raised the ceiling then, we wouldn't be in this situation now would we?
Amy, remember Obama saying that the need to raise the debt ceiling showed a lack of leadership in the White House as he voted against raising the debt ceiling. Now it's coming back to bit him in the rear end. I personally hope we don't raise the debt ceiling and the cards fall when they may.
janet -- the Democrats who voted against raising the debt ceiling did not form a united front to extract consessions per their narrow agenda. The budget was treated separately from the debt ceiling as it should now. Beyond tax spending (loopholes), full tax code reform (i.e. rates) was addressed seperately as it should now. Entitlement reform most of all should NOT be decided like the rush to invade Iraq.
And of course, where was the Republican outrage when the debt ceiling was raised multiple times in the past? Most Americans realize the GOP/TP only know how to use underhanded tactics and bully their way to anything.
Speaking of which, it is really interesting that cost savings in Medicare (and even Social Security though it is not a part of the debt) has been floated if not actually placed on the table by President Obama. And even with that, the GOP/TP still refuses to raise revenue.
I suspect the "sacred cow" offering was done precisely so the American people would know with certainty that the Republicans are not sincere about balancing the budget, and have become nothing but radical far-right crazies.
Come on.....
Big difference between raising the ceiling to allow a President to wage a personal war against a sovereign he and his family were arguing with over oil & weapons - an illegal, immoral war not supported by UN or the world in general without a lot of arm twisting/bullying/threatening,
and raising the ceiling to be able to continue to endeavor to correct the problems and debts incured between 2000 and 2009 by keeping America solvent.
Why can't wingnuts understand that simple premise? Why do they continue to spout the rhetoric long and loud and often - same talking points over and over and over and over and over.... and can not present relevant points, ideas or soltions germane to the issues. Ridiculous. Attempting to equate the situation before with the current state of affairs seems very dense to me; yet they do, and want voters to believe it. Same type untruths which convinced us to search for WMD's in Iraq - guess they think that since we went for it then, we will believe their lies again if they say them often enough.
FLASH!!! Not this time.
How disingenuous. Your moniker is in doubt. If the wars are "illegal, immoral war not supported by the UN or the world in general" (complete bs) then Obama should have ended them on Jan. 22, 2009. His sole discretion. Instead he accelerates them. He enacts his own "surge". He invades Libya and Somalia and lies about our participation.
He spreads class warfare like a pissed off prostitute spreads a STD. Not raising the debt ceiling does not automatically equal not meeting our debt obligation. It almost certainly means our govt will have to be more frugal. Which has been demonstrated many times there is plenty of room for.
Remove the statists.
The invasion of Iraq was based on lies (immoral) and not supported by the UN (illegal). Once we were in the war, we could not just leave immediately. Also, unlike his predecessor, President Obama is the president of all the nation. He didn't just cater to the left. He decided to give the surge a chance.
Class warfare started long ago, and is being waged by folks like the Koch brothers and Rupert Murdoch as well as Republicans who depend on campaign contributions and support from them. Added to that is the GOP/TP wedge issues of abortion, unions, gays, Sharia Law, etc. that divides our country.
Look it up and ponder that.
Well put True. Thank you.
Why do they refuse to "get it"?
And please explain in this public forum for the world to see Doug:
Why did our administration - W & Cheney - decide to ignore the mission of getting Bin Laden - which is the basis for our presence in Afghanistan - to concentrate instead on the Bush family's enemy Saddam instead -which is the reason for our presence in Iraq? Can you explain this rationally and logically? Talk about "disingenuous"!!! We see and know the truth regardless of the right-wing spin, rationalizations and ineffective justifications.
Dear Mr President,
May I suggest...
http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/news/cochairs-proposal
It also has bi-partisan support...
"Obama Links Debt Ceiling to Unemployment"
While, we, the American people, LINK Unemployment........let's see............ to a government who goes after Boeing for trying to create jobs !! There were suppose to be 1000 new jobs in So.Carolina until Obama and Holder went after Boeing for trying to bring jobs to a State where the Unions were not in control!
WE need a new President who believes in J O B S.
He couldn't allow private business to create jobs they have to be government jobs. And if they are not government jobs they have to be saddled with union bs that forces the company to go bankrupt so the Feds can take over the business and give it to the unions. That's the way Obama rolls!!!
So we should build things we don't need and can't use, in order to create jobs? And have a government agency (defense) spend our tax money to buy these things we don't need and can't use. If we're going to spend our tax money anyway, it seems to me we should be looking at investing in building things we do need and will actually make a difference (infrastructure for example) to create the same number of jobs and have something to show for spending the money.
When is o'bama going to link everything to his ineptitude?
Never,I guess, because he's probably basking in the glory of the sycophantic, liberal comments right here!
Members are further advised that the House is expected to consider H.J.Res. 1, a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, during the week of July 18 - one week earlier than originally scheduled. All Members are encouraged to support this important legislation to ensure that we begin to get our fiscal house in order.
ITS ABOUT TIME!!!!! The House will be voting on a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution in the next week or so. Lets see how many Dems vote for it and whether or not Obama will support it. This needs to get done to keep the spending in check in Washington. Anybody that opposes a Balanced Budget Amendment is a fool and will be committing political suicide.
Out of all the legislation coming out of Washington in the past 15 years, this is the single most important legislation (possibly ever). We need to stop the spending addiction in Washington and forcing them to control spending by mandating a balanced budget is the only way to do it.
Why was this not proposed by the Dems/Obama!!!!????
If Mr. Obama wants to be a leader he should be telling every member of his party to support the Balanced Budget Amendment. That's real leadership and that's what the country needs once and for all. I look forward to Mr Obama coming on television in an address to the nation urging everyone to support the Balanced Budget Amendment. Time for leadership Mr Obama!!! Are your actions going to meet your rhetoric???
LOL you think the concept of a balanced budget amendment is new? Do some research on the key words you are ranting and raving about, "Balanced Budget Amendment" and you will see that it has been proposed since before 1980!
Snyder was the Maryland State Senate majority leader from 1971-1974. He has expressed his admiration for the Tea Party within recent blog comments (March 2nd, 2011).
http://lonelyconservative.com/2011/02/charles-koch-speaks-out/
What's your point? I know its not a new idea, but it is an idea that should have been put into action a long time ago. And the present fiscal crisis makes it painfully obvious why we need a Balanced Budget Amendment. The clowns in Washington, on both sides of the aisle, are not able to restrain themselves from spending money the government does not have. So we have to force restraint on them via the Constitution. The Repubs are on board now, so I suggest you get busy telling the Dems/"Progessives" to get behind it too. That way we won't have to continue dealing with the non-sense that is going on in Washington right now.
If President Obama gets behind it, then the GOP will block it.
Seriously, Snowe is sponsoring this with Demint to protect her seat from Teabaggers, and likewise Collins is joiningin too. It's another shiny object to distract from real solutions, and attempt to restore faith from people like Kevin, who knows the GOP/TP have done NOTHING since the 2010 election.
This video will decide your vote in 2012. Watch it !!
#43677921
Folks...
I'm confused (which is not unusual) about many of the posts on this vine!
First, a great many of you have wondered where the GOP plan for additional jobs is - well, I would guess that it is in the same place as plans the dems have submitted. When the Obama Admin submitted a proposed budget back in January, it was a joke! 24% increase in the spending (debt)! Wow, that really showed a lot of leadership! No, they only wanted to wait until the GOP submitted something so they could jump on it with both feet and denounce it as something which would "throw granny off the cliff". Did they, hell yes and have yet to come up with anything which can pass the house. The bills which are in the house does nothing to decrease the deficit or accrued debt, or for that matter, do anything to create JOBS. All they (dems) want to do is to bad-mouth everyone as do-nothings. Well, from someone who has a brother-in-law who owns a small business, the additional useless and un-needed regs and rules do nothing more than demand that he will not hire any more employees. And don't get me started on the waste, fraud, abuse and duplicative programs in the current federal budget.
As much as it scares me, I am beginning to think that NOT raising the debt ceiling may not be a bad thing. If it does nothing else, maybe it will finally get the progressive/socialist to wake up and do something that is not just for the redistributing wealth to those who do not earn anything.
Just Saying...
I get a kick out of how the republicans are blaming the democrats for the recent jobs data or lack there of!! Republicans have been touting tax breaks for the weathy for years and continue to push it, saying that those cuts are the "ones that create jobs"! Then where are these jobs???? Obama and congressional democrates agreed to the extenstion of Bush era tax cuts, where are the jobs that those tax cuts are producing. The fact is that the only thing that those tax cuts are doing for the weathy is making them more weathy!! CEO's and money managers are making more money than before "The Great Recession" that they all created to start with because of their greed and power!!
Marvin,
Spoken like a true "progressive" drone.
If it wasn't for Bush's tax cuts, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE WOULD BE MUCH, MUCH HIGHER ! As it is, the T-R-U-E unemployment rate is closer to 17% ! But (as usual), I don't expect ANY of your "socialist/Marxist" leaders in OUR White House and in Washington to tell America the truth,.....not with this "leftist-controlled" media.
If you Dems only knew HOW TRULY STUPID YOU ALL SOUND in STILL BLAMING BUSH FOR OBAMA'S DISASTROUS HANDILING OF AMERICA'S struggling economy. ANY other "FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE" president would have figured out by now that SPENDING IS NOT THE ANSWER ! Hell, ANYONE who is NOT hell-bent on destroying our economy would understand that more taxation, MORE REGULATION AND RED-TAPE PREVENTS economic growth.
I know, I know, you silly Dems STILL DON'T GET IT ! Well, I'm starting to get bored in trying to educate (or should I say edumacate), you Obamites, SMELL YA'LL LATER !
 Pelosi said "If we pass this healthcare plan it will creat 8 million job, 400,000 imediatley."
Biden said "Welcome to the recovery summer we will be creating 500,000 jobs a month."
Obama I am laser focused on jobs.
Over 400,000 new unemployment claims a week for 15 weeks in a row.
WHAT recovery.. This has to be done on purpose there is no way an administration is this inept.
Suprising he didn't talkabout fast and furious operation in which he authorized the selling of automatic weapons to mexican drug cartels... $10,000,000 of stimulus money went to this operation..
IMPEACHABLE!!!
Anyone who calls Democrats socialists or suggests President Obama should be impeached are not credible and discourages people from reading your posts. Just Saying...
what if you just think obama and dems are inept and the country would be better off if they werent in office?
Yes I agree...
kind of like labelling your opponents with crude sexual references like "teabaggers" or "Koch suckers".
The intellectual leader "Feisty" of the moonbat brigade here does little but engage in such juvenile name calling, and is called a genius ....
TruePatriot, (how original)
First of all, WHAT'S UP WITH YOUR NAME,....."TRUE PATRIOT"? Are WE all supposed to infer that all of the rest of US "patriots" are "UN"-true towards our patriotism ? And what EXACTLY makes YOU think that YOU are a "true" patriot ?
And as far as your ridiculous post regarding those of us who believe that there are NOT ONLY SOCIALISTS, BUT STRAIGHT OUT MARXIST/COMMUNISTS LIKE OBAMA AND HIS RADICAL AND EXTREME LEFTIST "CZARS" IN THIS REGIME OF AN ADMINISTRATION IN the Democratic Party, have infiltrated YOUR party under the guise of "PROGRESSIVE" Democraps.
As far as I'm concerned, Obama AND HIS BAND OF KOMRADES, should not only be impeached, but placed under arrest and LOCKED-UP "UNDER" THE PRISON for ACTIONS that directly CONTRADICT THE US CONSTITUTION, for aiding in and ADVOCATING ANTI-AMERICAN "TERRORISTS RIGHTS" with his DOJ's NON-SENSICLE POLICIES !
I don't think OUR founding forefathers would take kindly to SHARIA LAW in America ! As a matter of fact,....I am in the belief that if Obama, and his evil little minions, TRIED TO PULL THIS CRAP BACK IN THEIR DAY? GOD only knows what they would do to this soft-tyrannical regime. "Impeachment" would be the last thing that Obama would have to worry about !
So, "true patriot",....if you ask me, I think that it is "sheople" like all of you Obamites that lack ANY credability whatsoever . Oh and by the way "true patriot", I welcome and encourage you to read my posts, and that all the rest of you Obamites to do the same, that is IF you truly LOVE AMERICA FOR WHO SHE IS, AND NOT FOR SOME BONE-HEADED AND BRAINWASHED NOTION OR TWISTED IDEA OF WHO SHE CAN BE !
True Patriot,
Actually I think Obama is just a outright idiot. It is good, bitter, medicine to keep him in the White House for the rest of his sorry term. This is a major learning opportunity for Americans. We will never again repeat this stupid, costly social experiment in our lifetimes.
Once, even the most ill-informed Americans, see for themselves that socialism will never work in the United States, It will be considered an insult to even be called a Democrat. Like calling someone an idiot.
If Obama blinked, the dam right would say he used the wrong eye. Its all about them and most of us get it.
When Obama blinked it would be equal to about $2million in interest for that amount of time on the debt.
yes just about everything obama does is wrong; but if he resigned i would give him credit for doing the right thing.
He went on to say,"The sooner we have a cure for cancer, the sooner the blind can see, the crippled walk, a chicken in every pot, and love in every heart. No longer will the poor want, or children cry, or the old grow older. Because, verily, I have decreed it so."
Obama is destroying the incentive for business to grow in this country. Welcome to "fundamental transformation of the country".
A good analogy is 50 thousand monkeys banging on typewriters to produce the great American novel.
Leave it to Obama The Great,.....DECIEVER to TRY and link unemployment to the debt ceiling. It takes a true COMMUNIST-SYMPATHIZING MORON to not see the obvious. Unemployment is where its at because,......
Obama's lack of knowledge and experience in (ANYTHING) scares the living hell out of EVERYONE in the business sector, INCLUDING THE SMALL ENTREPENUER ALL ACROSS AMERICA!
Obama NEVER HAS AND NEVER WILL HAVE A CLUE TO "FIXING" AMERICA'S ECONOMY BECAUSE IT IS CONTRARY TO HIS EVIL LITTLE AGENDA OF "FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORMING AMERICA" FROM THE MOST BLESSED POWERFUL AND PROSPEROUS NATION ON THE PLANET, (giving ALL thanks to GOD, OUR FOUNDING FOREFATHERS AND CAPITALISM),.......to some horrible 3rd world nation by the time he's done.
Creating an environment with higher unemployment accelerates the chances of more riots and chaos, which in turn, will lead more "useful idiots" to depend on government cheese ! (LOOK AT GREECE----YES, ALL OF THOSE "USEFUL IDIOTS" ARE FEDERAL, STATE GOVT WORKERS who were promised EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN when they retire ! Yes America, if you re-elect your "MESS-iaha" Obama, you'll be bringing GREECE into YOUR neighborhood as well.
After Obama's election,.....it was discovered that for the first time in America's history,....LESS THAN 10% of his "Czarist" administration had ANY financial or economic experience WHATSOEVER ! Which makes perfect sense,........FOR A MARXIST-TYPE OF REGIME !
When are silly Dems going to realize that YOU ARE DESTROYING AMERICA WITH YOUR RIDICULOUS VOTING HABITS ? OBAMA ? PELOSI & REID ? It is no wonder that we're 14.3 Trillion dollars in debt,.....YOU DEMOCRAPS SPEND LIKE DRUNKEN,...........
COMMUNISTS !
How are companies supposed to hire, when Obama's policies,.......PUT THEIR BOOTS ON THE THROATS OF AMERICA'S ECONOMY ? With all of Obama's attacks on Las Vegas, "the big bad oil companies",.....you know, the ones that AMERICA is heavily invested in though all of YOUR 401 K PLANS; America's coal industry,.....YA, THE SAME INDUSTRY THAT PROVIDES 50% OF AMERICA'S ELECTRICITY; the healthcare industry, etc, etc.
MEMO TO OBAMA, AND ALL OBAMITES! If "my" America is "fundamentally transformed" into something UNAMERICAN in nature,........if Obama and his MONSTEROUS minions figure out a way to CIRCUMVENT OUR CONSTITUTION to eliminate YOUR rights, just as he has circumvented YOUR CONGRESS WITH OBAMACARE AND LIBYA AND GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE,
THERE WILL BE NOONE ELSE TO BLAME BUT YOU STUPID, STUPID DEMOCRATS!
I STILL hope you are all the first ones to recieve Obama's idea of UNIVERSAL DEATHCARE !
see you on the front line of the upcoming war between our parties! It will be Americas next bloody battle between our nation......are you ready Gunnie? Hoo Rahhhh
This guy just does not get it. The president can't vilify private business then beg them to spend their resources because he asks them to.
The president has offered business the inability to plan for the future.
And he expects us business people to bail him out. Sorry aint gonna work.
Of course why didn't I think of that, we need to have more debt on money we don't have that we'll borrow from China. Brilliant idea. Gosh, that Obama is just a master at economics isn't he.
As I posted previously, the Republicans need to call Obama out on this crap. So Obama's new "claim to blame", is the debt ceiling debate is killing jobs, CALL him out on it. So Mr. President, since you are just now dealing with the debt YOU ran up, and Congress trying to lower it because no amount of "tax the RICH" is going to fix it. So call him on it, ALL OF IT. Make him PROVE what he says, just don't let him throw liberal mantra, call him on it. Make him prove where stimulus was spent, TO THE PENNY. Make him prove, the SO CALLED savings of Healthcare Reform, to the penny. When he spouts his, " tax breaks to Corporations" ask him WHY it doesn't APPLY to his buddies at GE. The TRUTH will bring down this regime..........
CORRECTION: we had a balanced budget and surplus going toward debt reduction until 2001, so history proves you are talking about W Bush's debts, including his tax reductions for the wealthy, Iraq wars (including 5000 American lives lost besides the money) and his veep's company's no-bid military contracts that we continue to pay for.
Don't try to re-write history.
Why is this happening? could it be that as long as we have republicans. democrats ect... we the people can't unite in a real way to bring about REAL change. The political parties are really about Govermental survival. The theory is if you keep the people divided you can't be over thrown.
truePatriot445959
Thank You!! Please continue to use you intelligence, knowledge and expertise to to shut down these Fox Robotic, Lockstep comments! I however,would just like to express to these GOP, Teabaggers, a bunch of Great Depression 2 wanting to happen, rich protecting, low-life scum......STFU! You Punk Bitches! Thank You