Are we heading for Armageddon – a Double Dip Recession?

Since I first starting posting over a year ago I have been saying things were going to get worse before it gets better. Well the Dow drops 513 points in one day. Right now we have wiped out all gains for 2011. We still have a lousy job market and the economy is slowing down to a dead stop and may even go into reverse. We have the most toxic political environment I have ever seen and I have been on this planet for a long time.

This recent mess points out that in my opinion there are three things at play here and they all are working against us.

1. European Economy

2. US Economy and Job Market

3. Dysfunctional Government (Political System)

European Economy: We cannot control what happens in Europe (we are not even doing a good job here). Yesterday the market responded to continued economic problems with Italy and Spain. Two countries that are looking more and more like Greece every day and will need to be bailed out. They market opened down on that news and kept declining until we bottomed out at 513 points down.

US Economy and Job Market: People there no jobs and without jobs there is no economy. Major US Companies are sitting on $2.5 Trillion Dollars in cash and any jobs they are creating are being farmed overseas. They claim there is no demand here. Well there is a demand someplace or why would they be creating jobs. Why not manufacture those products here instead of making them in China and then bringing them back here to sell? This is a point President Obama is trying to address with new Trade Agreements which does have a job creation component. When we have jobs people have money in their pocket to spend. They go out and by goods and services (your demand). Businesses need to keep up with the increase in demand so they hire more people and unemployment goes down, the claims for UI, food stamps, Medicaid etc go down. These lower the deficit – a good thing.

Also with a strong job market comes increases in revenues in the form or more income tax dollars coming into the Government coffers, more payroll taxes, every time you buy a gallon of gas – more income to the feds. These revenues effect BOTH the Federal Government and the States as well. This is a win/win scenario. But no, the GOP/TP will not do this because President Obama may get the credit – BS - both parties would share in the credit of moving this country forward.

President Obama has proposed a $50 Billion Dollar Infrastructure Bill that the pundits claim creates 35,000 jobs for each Billion invested. You do the math 35,000 times 50. The GOP/TP blocked this bill in the Senate – why, because the last thing on this planet that they want is to create jobs and stimulate the economy, period. President Obama has been talking from the beginning about how the government can create an environment to create green jobs, high tech jobs. He talked about bringing High Bandwidth communications and High Speed Rail to this country. All good job creating proposals.

Dysfunctional Political System: From the day that President Obama was sworn into office the GOP/TP vowed to make him fail and to never compromise one inch. The GOP/TP has opposed virtually every bill that had anything to do with creating jobs and stimulating the economy. They have opposed every bill that had a revenue generating component. For them it is all about gutting the American Government with DRACONAIN spending cuts only and putting the costs on the backs of Middle America. Look I agree we have a spending problem and everything needs to be on the table from the DOD to Entitlements and Discretionary Spending. Everybody needs to sacrifice something. I have no problem with that.

Virtually every leading economist in this country and out of this country says we need “Spending Cuts” and Increased Revenues. The best revenue creation tool is a targeted Jobs Bill with rules and penalties so that the money is NOT misused as it was during the Stimulus Bill where governors like Perry and T-Paw stole the money from their citizens to shore up their failed budgets trying to make themselves look “Fiscal Responsible” when in fact the opposite is true.

Without re-hashing this over and over the bottom line is that both parties have now had their wake up call. As Chef Ramsey says “wipe the slate clean” and get to work.

While this contrived “Debt Ceiling” may or may not have contributed to this mess it has pointed out that the system is broken.

Taking ”Hostages” is not a viable political agenda – it is a terrorist Agenda and has no place in our political system – period. Until we fix a broken “political system” we are not going to even come close to fixing the job market and economy. It just will not happen. Even the American people know the government is going in the wrong direction (spending cuts only model) at least 75% - 80% do. I wonder who the other 20% are.

Sen. Reid yesterday brokered a deal to end the FAA “Hostage” situation and the people should be going back to work later today. Once again the Senate (not the House) gets the job done. Thank you Senator Reid for being the adult in the room.

8:30 AM – Private sector jobs added 154,000 – Public Sector jobs loss 37,000 Net Gain = 117,000

Unemployment drops to 9.1 %

This time it didn’t take you but eight months.

Practice makes perfect! ;o)

What's your old saying again about the Cheerio go-cart crowd?

Fact Friday:

Maybe not a fact: Maybe the stock market is not a good replacement for Social Security.

A fact: Here's a link to a calculator so you can compute your returns had you invested on your own. Plug in any numbers you like, and see if you could have beaten Social Security. For instance, had you invested $100.00 per month for 45 years at 6% compounding monthly, your nest egg would be less than $300,000. Once upon a time that sounded like a lot. (Remember, 45 years ago $100.00 per month was a lot of money. As a G.I., my starting pay was $67.00 monthly.) http://www.moneychimp.com/calculator/compound_interest_calculator.htm

A fact: Most people lose money in the stock market.

A fact: According to a new survey, the vast majority of Americans are religious. http://religions.pewforum.org/reports

Maybe a fact: According to many Christians, prayer is forbidden in schools and they are grievously oppressed. Maybe atheists are way, way, way powerful.

A fact: Atheists don't kill in the name of God.

A fact: John Boehner got 98% of what he wanted. That's according to The Speaker himself. You can always take him at his word. (OK, maybe that part is not a fact.)

Maybe a fact: The 2% that the President got is what is tanking the world markets.

A fact: The post I paste here was put on the Vine within the last 24 hours. This intellectual gem comes courtesy of Dave - 2664536: "Thank God, Boehner is getting something done unlike the libs, because all you idiots like it or not will be with this terroist regime in the the White House sizeing up your new rag for your head. muslim scum."

Maybe a fact: Maybe some people don't like President Obama for reasons other than his policies. Maybe there is an element of bigotry. Maybe!

A fact: The economy was shrinking at 9% when Bush left office. It was heading into a ditch for sure - very fast AND in reverse.

A fact: There are actually people who believe that making rich people richer will get us out of that ditch.

IR:

Very true. Maybe now the GOP/TP will wake up and understand that they are dragging this country into the toilet, unless of course, that is their agenda.

Lets see if the GOP/TP now gets with the program to move this country forward or just blame President Obama and continue the "Obstructionism" and "Hostage" taking.

GOP/TP are you guys going to accept the responsibility for what you are doing to this country or are you going to cower in your corner and blame President Obama for your obstructionist agenda??

Concerned people want to know.

The people are watching to see what youdo. Almost 80% of the American people are saying you guys are going the wrong way. TP Party has an approval rating of 20% now. Good Job, what was President Obama's?? I was higher than 20%

It’s Not A “Hoax. Rather Malcontented Words & Actions to Destroy the American Economy.

With all the intransigence and corruption the T-bagger hostage takers have done, you’d think by now they’d realize how completely out of touch with reality as most of Americans have. The most that can be said about these T-bagger hobbits is they are a species set in intransigent ways and generally not prone to elaborate. Unfortunately T-bagger hobbits posses the badly conceived notion that they are heroes in times of crisis.

There is a 82% disapproval of Americans disapprove of Congress. The disapproval rating for Congress was the highest in the 34 years the question has been asked in the poll and up from the previous high of 77 per cent set in May 2010.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/approval-rating-for-us-congress-hits-record-low-after-debt-deal/article2120264/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=2120264">http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/approval-rating-for-us-congress-hits-record-low-after-debt-deal/article2120264/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=2120264http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/approval-rating-for-us-congress-hits-record-low-after-debt-deal/article2120264/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Home&utm_content=2120264

T-bagger hobbits hate President Obama because he is a successful African American. They think he is "incompetent" so he can't successfully pursue winnig goals. Of course this is not only my opinion. Their thinking of him as "incompetent” is a by product of this tought procss since the inception of slavery that Black people are inferior to whites; Hence he can't be successful or successfully pursue a winning agenda. Just ask a Pat Buchanan type. They think President Obama is a Cabin boy. Of course this is not only my opinion many, many other Americans see it; but some chose to sweep it under the rug.

People never really see what accomplishments and leadership skills President Obama has done despite the intransience of the T-bagger hobbits and republicans.

President Obama will end two wars, ended DADT, created the CFPA, got $20b from BP in the face of strong opposition, saved Detroit, signed New START, and enacted universal healthcare – the defining goal of the liberal movement.

…. he spearheaded the most successful education initiative since WWII with Race-to-the-Top, ended too big to fail with Dodd-Frank, boosted exports with free-trade agreements, advocated and done more for infrastructure than anybody since Ike, increased technological funding…

… He sacrificed the public option to pass universal health care as a whole. Think of him as Bobby Fischer – he sacrificed the queen to win the greatest game.

Tea Party’s fav/unfav is now 20%-40%, compared with 26%-29% back in April;

How's that hostage taking 'thingy' working out for you now? lol

Come back for another 'bite at the apple' and we'll see those numbers drop to 5%--95% lol

This is seriously great news. One month does not make a trend, but what is clear is that the 98 percent solution didn't cause this uptick in jobs.

Dow futures are up. Also great news.

But that just shows that Italy isn't really the main issue on investors' minds, is it?

That would be " If brains were gasoline they wouldn't have enough to drive a go-kart around a Cheerio" Can't take that much money out of a struggling economy. Don't make no sense to anybody but a Yahoo.

Perfectly said, IR--This time it didn't take you but eight months. They've now entered their Hoover-nomics stage.

Navy, terrific explanation of what's going on. Congress is at an all-time low approval rating of 14%. Voters are not pleased with gridlock and dysfunction.

David Walker, well said.

Bev:

Glad to see you back in the saddle. Your vacation from the board has not diminished your posts one bit. So glad to have you back.

I really want to applaud gov. Chris Christie for standing on principal. H did the right thing in denouncing the hobbits in the T-party and pointing out how crazy T-baggers are about Muslims.

Good on the gov; now it's back to business. Enjoy your trip to the donut shop Gov. Chris Christie.

I see that MSNBC's longstanding bigot, Pat Buchanan, is coming out with a new book entitled "Suicide of a Superpower" with the final chapter being "The End of White America". This says a lot about Buchanan's way of thinking, and indeed, he is a racist.

I do not believe America's decline has anything to do with an increase in minority populations. In fact, America has always been a melting pot and has accepted people of all races and beliefs. It is those new talents that have made US great.

A decline in America can be attributed to giving tax breaks to big business and millionaires. Instead Americans should be working to strengthen our infrastructure, improving education, helping small businesses thrive, providing health care to all, thus improving our standard of living.

My only questions is when will MSNBC take a bigot off their payroll as Pat Buchanan does nothing to improve our social dialogue. In fact Buchanan continues to damage who we are as a nation.

Lets hope when Obama speaks at 11:00am that he isn't too hungover from his big birthday bash last night. Nothing like having a little hardy-party on a day when the stock market crashes because of your economic polices Barack.

And where was the HOUSE??

Senator Reid saved the FAA jobs and the Construction Jobs that the GOP/TP was holding "Hostage" and then book out of town for a month.

You really are one misguided hateful sole. You let your hate for President Obama cloud everything you write.

It is the failed GOP/TP Party that has caused this mess, Your constant Obstructionism is dragging us down into the toilet, but you already know that - It was the AINOS agenda all along from the day that President Obama was sworn in.

YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED - NOW LIVE WITH IT.

You guys are exposed for the Anti American group you are. You truly are the "AINOS" Party.

AINOS => "Americans in NAME ONLY"

Speaking of "The Cheerio Go Kart Racing Society" I see that one of the candidates for Driver of the Year JoAnna Smiff is with us today.

I couldn't agree with you more Independent. The worst congress ever, you're damn right. That is what happens when you give a bunch of low intelligence teatards the opportunity to have a say in government. The tea party will be utterly crushed in 2012 and very few will miss them. Take your theological government for the rich and privileged and GTFO!

It is a testament to just how bad the conservatives have gotten that a president who has been ho-hum at best will win re-election because the alternatives are so much worse.

Bev:

I saw that on Larry O - His crew gave him a standing ovation, too cool. Now Christie has just trashed his chances for running for president as long as the right wing radicals (TP) and Koch, Rove etc call the shots.

More evidence that global markets are not what investors in the US are worried about. Our futures are up while global markets tumbled after our little to-do yesterday.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/05/markets/world_markets/index.htm?iid=HP_LN

But here's some evidence that we should be a little cautious about the jobs numbers:

http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/05/news/economy/july_jobs_report_unemployment/index.htm?iid=Lead

Businesses were busy hiring, adding 154,000 workers in the month, topping forecasts of 100,000 new jobs. But those gains were tempered by a loss of 37,000 government jobs, mostly from state and local governments, where budget shortfalls led to layoffs in July, especially in Minnesota where the government was briefly shut down.

The unemployment rate ticked down to 9.1%. The Labor Department said the improvement was mostly due to people leaving the labor force.

(emphasis added)

So the net gain looks to be about 117,000 jobs, while a lot of people have given up looking.

But what's funniest to me is what John Boehner said about the whole thing in a statement issued BEFORE the jobs report:

http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2011/08/05/boehner-blows-it-on-jobs-report/?iid=HP_Highlight

"Today's unemployment report is more proof that all of the Washington spending, taxing, and regulating is devastating our economy. While the American people are asking 'where are the jobs?' the Democrats running Washington are determined to punish small businesses with higher taxes and more red tape – including hundreds of new regulations last month alone – and to keep their spending binge going at all costs. Instead of more jobs, they're creating more fear, more uncertainty, and more debt.

Whatsamatta, Johnny? I thought you got 98 percent of what you wanted.

How could that possibly be "creating more fear, more uncertainty, and more debt"?

Poor Johnny. Must have had a VERY bad day yesterday.

You own this now, Tea Partiers. Let's see you take it out for a spin.

Navy, you pretty much covered the points. The looming crisis in Spain and Italy is indeed unsettling.

It seems that economist Joseph Stiglitz is more of a gloomy prophet than we realized. In mid-Summer 2010 he wrote about the problems of Greece and spain. Greece, he observed, was dragged under by major banks short-selling the country's bonds, thus in fact forcing the value of the bonds down and causing a leap in interest rates. It's amazing to realize how unscrupulous speculators were able to literally drag that country down.

His comments about Spain were even more interesting. Stiglitz points to "Hooverite" policies in the eurozone as a key problem - the same kinds of policies, we should note, that the ultra-right advocates. "If only Europe had been tougher, countries would have been forced to cut their deficits and debt (according to the Hooverite fundamentalists)," he wrote on p. 326 in the "Afterword" of his book, Freefall (paperback edition). He continued, "To me, such an approach is sheer nonsense. Spain had a surplus before the crisis, and if it were forced to quickly cut its deficit now, its unemployment rate would soar and is deficits may even increase.

"....Spain's problems were caused by market fundamentalist ideologies which said that governments should sit idly by as a bubble forms, even a bubble that puts an entire economy at risk."

And that, in a nutshell, is what happened in the United States, as well. When Congress decides that the country needs some serious attention to economic issues and goes back to semi-work (remember, Boehner's schedule is four days for three weeks, and then one week off), the Congressional Progressive Caucus' budget proposal should be waiting on the desks of every member. it is the only proposal that actually does address deficits and debt in serious terms while also providing for programs that would sustain the economy and support job growth.

In addition, the President's plan to be announced today for employer tax credits upon hiring veterans should virtually sail through both houses.

Serious intiatives to stabilize communities and work forces have been advanced over the past two years, but few of them ever advanced. A more robust version of those proposals should be added to the Progressive budget plans, with revenue adjustments to account for the added costs.

As the economic turmoil around the world shows, reverting to the financial fundamentalism advocated by the right is a path to disaster.

IR:

I was wondering what that odor was. I thought the farm across the road was spreading fertilizer again, oh wait it is fertilizer it just did not come from the farm.

JAS1:

Yikes! That's two pokes so far from you, and...

...nothing...

...your stick must be broken...or you might want to stop taking your que from Schpanky.

Try FoxNation or The Blaze, where you can wallow in your own crapulence with the rest of the moonbats.

Ijs: I couldn't agree with you more Independent. The worst congress ever, you're damn right. That is what happens when you give a bunch of low intelligence teatards the opportunity to have a say in government. The tea party will be utterly crushed in 2012 and very few will miss them.

Yeah, things are just so peachy with Obama. And that would be Worst Senate ever Ijs. Have Harry and the boys done any real work lately?

The DOW is up around 140 right now. Should be interesting to see what happens for the day.

I see that one of the candidates for Driver of the Year JoAnna Smiff is with us today.

Nah IR - lady JoAnna sounds like she's running on half a tank today with a couple of flat tires!

RNC was late again getting her the daily squawking points...

Poor dear! lol

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood thanked President Obama, Harry Reid, Max Baucus, Kay Bailey-Hutcheson and one other senator for their efforts to get the FAA back to doing America's business. We need more republicans like Ms Bailey-Hutcheson, those who prefer to do what is right instead of standing on ideological quick sand.

Kalimera….that's Greek for Good Morning.

The economists say we are in recovery.

But..the housing market is in recession.

The GDP is anemic...last at 1.3%...recession

Consumer spending...lowest in 30 years....recession

Demand...non existent...recession.

I could go on by you get the point.

We may not have met all the criteria for declaring a recession but we clearly are in or about to be in a double dip recession.

Yesterday, the Eurozonne got blamed for the fall in the market. Yep, that bastion of Capitalism, Italy, may default on it's bonds. Spain and Portugal and Greece in financial trouble. Did it effect the US markets, a little. But the world doesn't look to Italy or Greece for financial guidance. The US economy is the bellwether, the gold standard.

What pushes the market up is confidence.

There is no confidence in the fundamentals of the market or the economy of the US.

I have said, repeatedly, that there is no demand....consumer spending.

If people don't buy, companies don't expand, why would they.

How do spur an economy with no spending, with taking money out of the system via spending cuts of $2.8 trillion.

You need to put money back into the system to spur growth.

We are doing the exact opposite. We are taking money out. Shooting ourselves in the foot, every day.

Everyone is so concerned about spending. Interest rates are at historical lows. Countries are begging us to allow them to loan them money via Treasury obligations and we are refusing. Insane.

If we borrow $25 trillion it expands the debt but if we use that borrowing for things like infrastructure repair, and we have people that are experts at it it grows jobs, stabilizing State governments so they don't lay off workers grows jobs, tax cuts to the middle class and employers like Payroll Tax cuts spurs demand, Incentives to companies that do hire created jobs and spending and demand. That's a great use of borrowing. I guess I'm saying we need a second stimulus directed only at JOB CREATION. We borrow and pay $25 billion in interest or we let people sit unemployed and lose ten times that much in lost revenues....forever. That's a 10 to 1 return...I'd take that any day. Yeah, Government can't create jobs..so I've been told. But they can create an environment where jobs can be created.

Yanking money out of an economy in recession is insane. We keep on doing that and look, back to double dip, no hope and continued pain.

US Navy Disabled Veteran - Retired

Bev:

Glad to see you back in the saddle. Your vacation from the board has not diminished your posts one bit. So glad to have you back.

Navy, I've been paying attention; especially during the contentious manufactured debt ceiling debacle. Although, I had formed many opinions I couldn't participate in the discussions since I had no access to the internet.

Today, as I have stated about the accomplishments of the President, the FAA stopgap is anothr example of our President not getting credit in trying to look out for welfare of people.

". Don't make no sense to anybody but a Yahoo...."

Or, that perrenial malcontent, Smiff.

We need more republicans like Ms Bailey-Hutcheson, those who prefer to do what is right instead of standing on ideology's quick sand.

Amen to that Jody!

Yeah, things are just so peachy with Obama. And that would be Worst Senate ever Ijs. Have Harry and the boys done any real work lately?

Yeah - Senator Reid just saved the FAA that you guys were holding "Hostage". You really need to retire with Buchannan and Peggy Noodles.

Once again the Senate is cleaning up the poop from the House. And the facts are that President Obama did get a lot of bills passed not because the GOP/TP helped in any way. He did it in spite of the "Obstructionism" from right.

Can you imagine how much better things would have been if the AINOS got off their fat butts and sid yes just once in awhile

Show us what the GOP/TP has done to move this country forward in the last 2+ years. Come on show us one thing they have done - JUST ONE.

You are just so impotent.

Independent Redneck Va.

Speaking of "The Cheerio Go Kart Racing Society" I see that one of the candidates for Driver of the Year JoAnna Smiff is with us today.

A regular one-woman Party of No. Hey, Joanna. Notice that 82% of the public is now rejecting the fun-loving GOP's Congressional tactics?

Maybe the rest of us are tiring of tearing down.

And where was the HOUSE??

Don't you know? It's NEVER the fault of Congress. Besides, this is what the GOP wants...they WANT failure...but more importantly, they just want to be able to point to President Obama and say, "He did it!"

When Speaker Boehner presented the final Debt Ceiling deal to the House Republicans do you know what he called the PowerPoint presentation?

"Two Step Approach to Hold President Obama Accountable"

Never mind that this is the deal to which THEY agreed or that this is the deal THEY approved in Congress...they just want to nail it entirely to President Obama and hope that we, the voters, will not hold them accountable.

navy Boy: Yeah - Senator Reid just saved the FAA that you guys were holding "Hostage". You really need to retire with Buchannan and Peggy Noodles

If there was ever a walking talking ventrilquest dummy talking point for the Left, it would be you NB.

Peggy "Noodles" - wow. Genius work on your part NB.

David walker

A great post.

The job report is a great news and a sign of hope for the biggest economy in the world. It shows that the artificial uncertainty created by the rowdy group, GOP/TB, has not worked.

I strongly belief the economy is not going to tank for this very reason, over $2 trillion the corporation are sitting on shows that they're solvent and healthy hence, most company are not performing to their full capacity because of this. Only if responsible and timely legislations could come out of the legislative chambers and not what is perceived to be the best by some barons e.g Norquist and the rest.

The notion that when your shrink government by limiting government spending/activities is just a complete nonsense and self centered economics from GOP.

This economy need more, revenue, a balanced spending/cuts, from our government.

If there was ever a walking talking ventrilquest dummy talking point for the Left, it would be you NB.

No further evidence necessary, that this is the result of NOT wearing a helmet when competing on the Cheerio go-cart circuit!

You're left a crash test dummy!

BTW...the markets are up cause there's a giant sale out there today and the short sellers need to cover.

Did the problems in the Euroxone go away...nope...same as yesterday.'

Did the US economy get better overnight....nope.

It's confidence in the fundamentals that drive this market and economy.

As I have been saying for a while...the markets will be the final arbiters in this economic mess cause money talks and always has. Middle class folks are tired of seeing their 401K's and retirement savings disappear. They yell loud enough...with their votes...maybe this divided, dysfunctional government will heal itself.

Oh.. I heard that on the Super Committee that the GOP will have 6 members...3 House and 3 Senate.

All signed the Norquist pledge.

Does anyone expect to see tax reform or new revenues from these guys.

The Bush era tax cuts are not going away so fast.

Disabled Navy,

Major US Companies are sitting on $2.5 Trillion Dollars in cash and any jobs they are creating are being farmed overseas. They claim there is no demand here.

No they don't, that is the liberal mantra to counter / obfuscate what business is really saying ..... that they are being crippled by rising costs - the new health care cost of ObamaCare, the cost of soaring energy prices due to Obama's deliberate destruction of the energy industry, the rising commodity prices that raise the cost of everything due to Obama's destruction to the value of the dollar with QE2, the uncertain cost due to asinine overspending / threat to a ratings drop, being threatened everyday with new taxes ....

Why not manufacture those products here instead of making them in China and then bringing them back here to sell?

Even Obama's job czar is moving his companies to China - because even communist China understands jobs better than Obama - even communist China is friendlier to American business than Obama ....... SEE ALL THE ABOVE REASONS.

This is a point President Obama is trying to address with new Trade Agreements which does have a job creation component.

Some/most of which were agreements were negotiated by Bush and Obama has been sitting on until he gets relief for his union hemorrhoids.

When we have jobs people have money in their pocket to spend. They go out and by goods and services (your demand). Businesses need to keep up with the increase in demand so they hire more people and unemployment goes down, the claims for UI, food stamps, Medicaid etc go down. These lower the deficit – a good thing.

Wow - you finally understand something ....... what have you been doing, listening to the e*trade baby commercials instead of thinkprogress?

Not that it matters to voters that Mitt Romney made his ill-gotten fortune as a job destroyer, rather than the mythical "job creator" he'd like you to believe, but I think Rick Perry is the more likely Republican nominee because the big money boys like him and he actually did add jobs to the Texas economy. So, since I think there's a good chance Rick Perry is going to be our next president, you might want to get a taste of the sort of corporate paradise that our governor will bestow on the rest of America based on what he's done in Texas. (Hint, if you don't like flipping burgers at minimum wage, don't worry. Rick will get rid of the minimum wage so you can flip burgers for even less pay).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/03/governor-perrys-texas-economy_n_917460.html

With Texas' minimal regulation and low taxes -- and Perry's cheerleading -- a spike in job growth during the past few years became known as the Texas Miracle. The rise in oil and gas prices, as well as a long-time state law protecting homeowners, helped stave off the recession for a while. And as a result, a miracle myth was created, with little exploration as to what impact Perry's policies actually had on the economic picture. The miracle is that anyone would call minimum-wage jobs a miracle. Of the all the jobs in Texas created last year, 37 percent paid at or below minimum wage -- and the state leads the nation in total minimum wage workers, according to a recent New York Times report.

"The important thing to do is not to just count jobs but to look at what kinds of jobs are being created in Texas," explained Dick Lavine, a Senior Fiscal Analyst with the Center for Public Policy Priorities. "Texas is tied for last with Mississippi for the highest percentage of minimum wage jobs and Texas is by far the leader of residents who don't have health insurance. It's low wage jobs without any benefits."

Dow now heading south down 40

Ira:

BTW...the markets are up cause there's a giant sale out there today and the short sellers need to cover.

Well, that was short-lived. Notice that NASDAQ seems to be taking a HUGE hit.

What's up with that?

While the job report was a rare piece of good news, I would not go celebrating that one tenth of a point drop in the unemployment rate just yet-

BLS just removed another 193,000 people out of the labor force.

The participation rate of those eligible to be in the labor force is the lowest it's been since 1983. Simply bizarre. While the Dow initially jumped on the news, it's now dropping as analysts have a closer look at the numbers and supporting data.

Despite the delusions of the Obama worshippers in this site, this economy IS completely the fault of this administration. Want to know why businesses are not hiring?

Here's one reason

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/4/obamas-discretionary-jobs-crisis/

There's more- manufacturers of medical devices are looking down the barrel of increased costs- that is, taxes- on their goods in 2013 thanks to Obama's HCR going into effect. Therefore, they are cutting costs by downscaling plants and workers here, in favor of building plants and hiring in China. I did mention that most of Obama's policies created millions of jobs in China, did I not?

Goldman Sachs Democrats and Baggers have brought us to this ridiculous and stupid place. Funny thing is we do a lot that is right in this country. However, leave it to the RepublicanDemocratTerroristExtremists to make sure we never work on the one item voters say they are most concerned about: The Economy.

Well, how would you ever get past your primaries if you didn't get down and put your lips between the legs of the pyschotic radicals in your party? And then you get elected, and somehow you still feel stupidly loyal to them.

First read is the perfect example of the emotionally damaged yelling at each other every day. And just like Congress, they make no difference other than every post made seems as mentally inept. But that won't stop them, or any radical, from digging the grave in the name of The One Party. Pick either party in this case, it matters not.

Obama has screwed up in one critical area: Picking his Treasury Secretary. Geitner should have been fired at latest by the end of November 2010. Now that he is about to leave, the rumor is another massive failure is in line for the job, John Corzine.

Of all the able Democrats and Republicans who could do the job, even just thinking of picking the one shining example of ties to Goldman Sachs, the part of the political establishment everybody hates, AND a massive addict to spending makes the eyes roll to the back of the head. Try to remember, New Jersey, a typically Democratic stronghold, KICKED HIM OUT. And other than your stupid radicals, Christie's popularity is secure. It isn't that Christie is the best thing since sliced bread (though any non-mouth foamer thinks he is pretty good), it is that John Corzine SUCKED so much. So here's to hoping that stupidity does not reign in the decision. Just because the Tea Baggers are pure idiots, does not mean that you should lower your standards to just above idiot. We shall see. we shall....

Does ANYBODY believe Government "Reports" anymore obviously manipulated by the Bureaucrats under White House orders?

Go President Obama, he is going to announce a JOBS FOR VETERANS Program later today.

The GOP/TP is going to announce they are going to hold it "HOSTAGE".

Ira Lapin:

Did the problems in the Euroxone go away...nope...same as yesterday.'

Did the US economy get better overnight....nope.

The economy is clearly getting worse. Obama of course will read his regular script on the economy at 11am. Lets see how many times he says "jobs" during his latest speech.

Oh.. I heard that on the Super Committee that the GOP will have 6 members...3 House and 3 Senate. All signed the Norquist pledge.

Got some names? The best thing any/all members of this committee can do is agree to the Presidents Debt Commission plan.

Does anyone expect to see tax reform or new revenues from these guys.

Nope. The committee will fail to agree, and the triggers will be implemented.

NB: Go President Obama, he is going to announce a JOBS FOR VETERANS Program later today

Hooray! When's he going to announce a JOBS FOR AMERICANS Program? Oh, he already did that. How'd that work out, and what did it cost?

Anna Molly

Kalimera….that's Greek for Good Morning....lol!

I think it's a residual selloff from yesterday and I'm also guessing tech stock earnings are NOT to be that great.

I really don't see another huge selloff today.

FR:

Per the AP, 117,000 jobs were added in July (including 154,000 private-sector jobs), and the unemployment rate dropped from 9.2% to 9.1%.

The difference between 117,000 and 154,000 is 37,000. Presumably that means that 37,000 public sector jobs were lost during the budget cutting frenzy, helping the Republicans achieve their goal of killing the economic recovery. The same thing happened in June, too, although the private sector job growth was about half of what it was in July.

Does ANYBODY believe Government "Reports" anymore obviously manipulated by the Bureaucrats under White House orders?

Really?! You'd think they'd do it better, wouldn't you?

Maybe give themselves 4 percent unemployment instead of 9.1 percent.

Look at that IR - the other crash test dummy finally showed up!

We got ourselves a genuine race today! ;o)

Start the engines...

Well it seems the markets aren't buying the liberal spin. When it takes 250,000 new jobs to keep up with the population growth, 117,000 falls way short of that. You gotta hand it to the media, they are trying to keep Obama's stature up, but they are failing miserably just like Obama is. Markets have fallen into negative territory as of this posting.

I love the way the liberals take the negative approval rating of congress all one way. They seem to think the public is against the republicans... never considering that it may be the Senate with the way Reid holds up all the house sends them. But what else is new in libbie land? The usual bunch of mindless dribble is nothing new.

JoAnnaSmith1..

Today we agree.

As i wrote in my post the economy is getting worse and I gave some specifics why and some possible solutions....not that I'm smarter than anyone else.

Super Committee..almost every GOPer has signed the Norquist pledge so it's pretty hard not to have them on the Committee.

...and yes...they will fail and the triggers will be implemented and Medicare and Defense take a huge hit.

See.. we can agree on somethings.

Kalimera….that's Greek for Good Morning....lol!

That's music to my ears, Ira. I absolutely love the sound of that.

And Kalimera to you, too.

We'll see about another selloff. I certainly hope there's not.

JoAnnaSmith1:

The economy is clearly getting worse. Obama of course will read his regular script on the economy at 11am. Lets see how many times he says "jobs" during his latest speech.

Maybe he'll put a number before the word "jobs", like the154,000 PRIVATE sector jobs added last month. Strange, isn't it, how Obama gets smeared as some sort of business-hating socialist tyrant by JoAnnaSmith and her ilk, but during his administration the private sector keeps on growing and corporations keep making record profits, while the shrinking of public sector continues to be the real drag on the economy.

Feisty: You're left a crash test dummy!

Retorts someone who is more dense than a crash test steel barrier.

The housing crisis was due to the democrats (Clinton admin) mandating banks give home loans to unqualified buyers. Overspending and spending because it makes you "feel" good, but doesn't make good economic sense is what put us in this mess. Obama's 5000 new regulations--Obamacare, the EPA, Dodd Frank are what have choked job growth.

Brianb:

Well it seems the markets aren't buying the liberal spin. When it takes 250,000 new jobs to keep up with the population growth, 117,000 falls way short of that. You gotta hand it to the media, they are trying to keep Obama's stature up, but they are failing miserably just like Obama is. Markets have fallen into negative territory as of this posting.

You know what's interesting, Brian, is that every so-called expert that I read or hear talking about this says that the biggest domestic reason that the markets are jittery is because the stimulus is now gone, and they realize that there will be no more stimulus now that the debt ceiling bill has passed.

In other words, market experts seem to agree that stimulus, and not spending cuts, is what dug us out of the original hole and also what is needed in this kind of situation to avoid the double-dip.

And it naturally follows, which some of them have said directly, that the 98 percent solution is not likely to work because it contains nothing to stimulate spending or create jobs.

No wonder Boehner is so nervous, as illustrated by the quote I posted above.

Thoughts?

Ira Lapin

Kalimera….that's Greek for Good Morning.

The economists say we are in recovery.

But..the housing market is in recession.

The GDP is anemic...last at 1.3%...recession

Consumer spending...lowest in 30 years....recession

Demand...non existent...recession.

I could go on by you get the point.

We may not have met all the criteria for declaring a recession but we clearly are in or about to be in a double dip recession.

Yesterday, the Eurozonne got blamed for the fall in the market. Yep, that bastion of Capitalism, Italy, may default on it's bonds. Spain and Portugal and Greece in financial trouble. Did it effect the US markets, a little. But the world doesn't look to Italy or Greece for financial guidance. The US economy is the bellwether, the gold standard.

What pushes the market up is confidence.

There is no confidence in the fundamentals of the market or the economy of the US.

I have said, repeatedly, that there is no demand....consumer spending.

If people don't buy, companies don't expand, why would they.

How do spur an economy with no spending, with taking money out of the system via spending cuts of $2.8 trillion.

You need to put money back into the system to spur growth.

We are doing the exact opposite. We are taking money out. Shooting ourselves in the foot, every day.

Everyone is so concerned about spending. Interest rates are at historical lows. Countries are begging us to allow them to loan them money via Treasury obligations and we are refusing. Insane.

If we borrow $25 trillion it expands the debt but if we use that borrowing for things like infrastructure repair, and we have people that are experts at it it grows jobs, stabilizing State governments so they don't lay off workers grows jobs, tax cuts to the middle class and employers like Payroll Tax cuts spurs demand, Incentives to companies that do hire created jobs and spending and demand. That's a great use of borrowing. I guess I'm saying we need a second stimulus directed only at JOB CREATION. We borrow and pay $25 billion in interest or we let people sit unemployed and lose ten times that much in lost revenues....forever. That's a 10 to 1 return...I'd take that any day. Yeah, Government can't create jobs..so I've been told. But they can create an environment where jobs can be created.

Yanking money out of an economy in recession is insane. We keep on doing that and look, back to double dip, no hope and continued pain.

Ira, Ira, Ira...you have it all wrong. It's because we have a black President (according to Bev).

Navy, you pretty much covered the points. The looming crisis in Spain and Italy is indeed unsettling.

It seems that economist Joseph Stiglitz is more of a gloomy prophet than we realized. In mid-Summer 2010 he wrote about the problems of Greece and spain. Greece, he observed, was dragged under by major banks short-selling the country's bonds, thus in fact forcing the value of the bonds down and causing a leap in interest rates. It's amazing to realize how unscrupulous speculators were able to literally drag that country down.

His comments about Spain were even more interesting. Stiglitz points to "Hooverite" policies in the eurozone as a key problem - the same kinds of policies, we should note, that the ultra-right advocates. "If only Europe had been tougher, countries would have been forced to cut their deficits and debt (according to the Hooverite fundamentalists)," he wrote on p. 326 in the "Afterword" of his book, Freefall (paperback edition). He continued, "To me, such an approach is sheer nonsense. Spain had a surplus before the crisis, and if it were forced to quickly cut its deficit now, its unemployment rate would soar and is deficits may even increase.

"....Spain's problems were caused by market fundamentalist ideologies which said that governments should sit idly by as a bubble forms, even a bubble that puts an entire economy at risk."

And that, in a nutshell, is what happened in the United States, as well. When Congress decides that the country needs some serious attention to economic issues and goes back to semi-work (remember, Boehner's schedule is four days for three weeks, and then one week off), the Congressional Progressive Caucus' budget proposal should be waiting on the desks of every member. it is the only proposal that actually does address deficits and debt in serious terms while also providing for programs that would sustain the economy and support job growth.

In addition, the President's plan to be announced today for employer tax credits upon hiring veterans should virtually sail through both houses.

Serious intiatives to stabilize communities and work forces have been advanced over the past two years, but few of them ever advanced. A more robust version of those proposals should be added to the Progressive budget plans, with revenue adjustments to account for the added costs.

As the economic turmoil around the world shows, reverting to the financial fundamentalism advocated by the right is a path to disaster.

John, same as Ira, this has nothing to do with government inaction or greedy banks, its because we have a black President (according to Bev).

Madison From NY

Does ANYBODY believe Government "Reports" anymore obviously manipulated by the Bureaucrats under White House orders?

I wonder how the White House slipped up and let the report get published about the poor GDP growth in the first and second quarters of this year. I'll bet somebody is getting the red-hot poker treatment in the White House dungeon for that oversight.

Ira: As i wrote in my post the economy is getting worse and I gave some specifics why and some possible solutions....not that I'm smarter than anyone else.

Not that any of the Obama cheerleader's and pom-pom squad members will listen.

Yeh Red......... Coming out of the 1st turn we have another Contender for Driver of the Year. Looks like it's going to be a tight race.Can't figure out whos running on fumes and whos just running rough on talking points.

Houston: I wonder how the White House slipped up and let the report get published about the poor GDP growth in the first and second quarters of this year. I'll bet somebody is getting the red-hot poker treatment in the White House dungeon for that oversight.

That's the solution! Don't report bad news!

Think the markets would be a little suspicious if a regularly scheduled report didn't get produced?

bob lotsanumbers:

FACT ALERT: You write, "No they don't, that is the liberal mantra to counter / obfuscate what business is really saying ..... that they are being crippled by rising costs - the new health care cost of ObamaCare, the cost of soaring energy prices due to Obama's deliberate destruction of the energy industry, the rising commodity prices that raise the cost of everything due to Obama's destruction to the value of the dollar with QE2, the uncertain cost due to asinine overspending / threat to a ratings drop, being threatened everyday with new taxes ...."

Let's start with what you call ObamaCare. This is actually called the Affordable Care Act. Here's a link that shows that health care costs were skyrocketing from 1999-2009. (You might recall, President Obama had not yet been elected.) http://www.healthcare.gov/center/reports/premiums01282011a.pdf

To what do you attribute those increasing costs?

About that destruction of the energy industry. One minute you right-winger low-info types have the President helping George Soros in his exploration for hyrdrocarbons in Brazil and the next minute he's killing the industry. What's it going to be?

I don't suppose rising prices in commodities could be the result of speculation. Do you? Of course, we're not likely to find out when Republicans are busy eviscerating oversight of markets, will we?

Threats of new taxes? From where? The House is controlled by Republicans who say NO revenue increases. McConnell has threatened a filibuster. Where are those threats?

Asinine overspending? Gosh bob, that's been tracked to the Bush Administration - you know, cost-free wars, cost-free drugs, tax cuts while the budget is drowning in red ink, economic growth that is actually DOWN 9%. That's DOWN, bob!

I suspect there may even be Republicans who know you're dropping some serious excrement here.

So Houston and the rest of the Obama worshippers declare that the jobs created in Texas despite Obama's crippling policies don't count because so many of them are low wage jobs.

This begs the question- do they think it better to be unemployed?

I am going to assume that is true, because it fits with the rest of the irrational thinking of Obama and the dwindling membership of his cult.

For the rest of the country, however, Perry's job creation record offers real hope- rather than ephemeral hopeful changiness.

Want another example of why Obama's policies are so disastrous for this country?
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/08/04/the-one-termer-weve-been-waiti#

So, the HCR plan the majority of voters rejected, which got crammed down our throats despite vehement protest, kills jobs and bends the cost curve UP.

Do America and your party a favor- encourage him to resign.

I see the liberal circlejerk is in full swing this morning. Since Bev is back, how about her being the factperson ( Pivot) and the rest of you catchers! If you know any one in the Global business world, talk to them and they will all tell you Mr. Obama's policies are whats keeping business's from hiring and has them stashing cash! They are afraid we are going to look like Europe soon!

Aww MAW....the Bush Recession started in the unregulated derivatives market. No amount of chanting "CRA, CRA" is going to change that.

I realize Conservatives are big on historical revision, but in order for it to work the history needs to AT LEAST be far enough in the past for memories to fade.

Last night on Chris Matthews had on Jim Vandehei, the Republican mouthpiece who runs Politico while pretending to be an impartial journalist. Predictably, Vendehei parroted the Republican Party line that the reason corporations are sitting on their profits rather than hiring is the "uncertainty" caused by the terrible specter of tax increases under Obama. There's a bit of truth to that, but it has nothing to do with uncertainty. Corporations are making lots of money under Obama's leadership, but they'll make a lot more if they can get rid of him and install another Bush-like president who will resume the transfer of wealth from the middle classes to the corporate ruling class that went so smoothly during Bush's eight years.

Houston:

I wonder how the White House slipped up and let the report get published about the poor GDP growth in the first and second quarters of this year.

You didn't see their GDP number for the first quarter till it was later adjusted to less than half of what the original report came out with?

You haven't noticed that this is a pattern based on the belief that people just remember the initial report and forget the revision - and with Obama those revisions almost invariably are always down?

I'll bet somebody is getting the red-hot poker treatment in the White House dungeon for that oversight.

Nope - like I said above .... they do it everytime.

Evidently there are a lot fools that can still be fooled, huh?

even communist China understands jobs better than Obama - even communist China is friendlier to American business than Obama

That's exactly right right. Jim Cramer is sometimes fond of saying "the Chinese communists are better capitalists than we are." I used to laugh whenever he said that. But not so much anymore.

no joe, no bo, nj

So Houston and the rest of the Obama worshippers declare that the jobs created in Texas despite Obama's crippling policies don't count because so many of them are low wage jobs.

If you want to come down to Texas and work at Burger King, you might find a job. But don't get your hopes up. The Texas unemployment rate is 8.2% in Perry's corporate wonderland. While Massachusetts struggles under socialist oppression of a Democratic governance has an unemployment rate of 7.6% in June. But maybe you'd have better luck in Texas. In Massachusetts, you actually need to have SKILLS to get a job.

@Beverly...Obama's white half is just as imcompetent. Just as George Jr was incompetent. Stop race baiting.

David,

Thank you so much for challenging my comments.

I've got to go but the response will be a great way to start next week.

Can't wait, see you Monday morning.

Houston!

Last night on Chris Matthews had on Jim Vandehei, the Republican mouthpiece who runs Politico while pretending to be an impartial journalist. Predictably, Vendehei parroted the Republican Party line that the reason corporations are sitting on their profits rather than hiring is the "uncertainty" caused by the terrible specter of tax increases under Obama.

Ever think that companies are holding more cash these days because they got bitten by the last banking crisis? GE, which actually makes things, almost went under because they could not get short-term financing to cover their day to day operations. Any prudent CEO would take action to prevent such a scenario from occurring again, hence the build up of liquidity in the companies themselves rather than relying on the banks to lend them the money. You don't think every financial entity in the world, from sovereign states down to small businesses has been de-leveraging because of the last credit crunch?

ill, Fairfax VA

That's exactly right right. Jim Cramer is sometimes fond of saying "the Chinese communists are better capitalists than we are." I used to laugh whenever he said that. But not so much anymore.

Yes, the Chinese appreciate the value of slave labor more than Americans do -- Americans who aren't in the Republican Party, at least.

no joe, no bo, nj

Despite the delusions of the Obama worshippers in this site, this economy IS completely the fault of this administration. Want to know why businesses are not hiring?

No Jo, could you please except the fact that companies are not hiring new employees because they are staying put with who they have, the jobs i have found in the last 2 years are with companies that are replacing retiring workers. in both cases this is what happened.

the truth is No jo there is NO demand for construction goods right now, and has not since summer 2007. the biggest parts of the Reagan and Clinton recoveries was that construction spending went crazy. before Reagan, there was no activity none at all, when Clinton came to office activity was real slow like now . this is why when Governor Christie canceled that 6 billion dollar tunnel project the ripple effect from that is being felt in the unemployment numbers in your area. ok. so instead of workers being hired for that project, gradually going up to 1000 at its height over 3 years. that makes a difference.

I guess its the administrations fault that the government lost 1.3 billion in ticket revenues due to the republicans political game of changing sh&t in mid stream, ok. 70k workers have not work in 2 weeks. Some workers who certified equipment at the airports stayed on the job on their nickle.

i wish the GOP was as committed to their jobs like the every day working MAN is.

Un huh, Houston.

Let's see, you're complaining that a little over a third of the jobs created in Texas are minimum wage jobs, correct? Well, third grade arithmetic tells me that two thirds are NOT.

Besides which is the fact that a job is better than unemployment for rational thinkers.

Only Obama worshippers have a problem with that simple concept.

bob-1805084

You didn't see their GDP number for the first quarter till it was later adjusted to less than half of what the original report came out with?

Uh, yeah. It doesn't have anything to do with the difficulty that underfunded federal agencies have in gathering the vast quantities of data needed to calculate the GDP. So, were Obama's henchmen responsible for badly underestimating the damage done by the Bush recession, too? That just came to light a few days ago. It's hard to understand why Obama, being the master of evil that he is, would keep that under wraps for three years when it could have helped him get a much larger stimulus bill through Congress had he released that information in 2009 rather than 2011.

MAW-1297690

The housing crisis was due to the democrats (Clinton admin) mandating banks give home loans to unqualified buyers. Overspending and spending because it makes you "feel" good, but doesn't make good economic sense is what put us in this mess.

This is so blatantly wrong - and has been debunked so often - that the appearance of this tripe here smacks of paid political propaganda.

First, the Clinton Administration did NOT "mandate" that banks give loans to unqualified buyers. The Community Reinvestment Act, originally passed in the 1970's, was aimed at the quite evil practice of "redlining" - refusing loans entirely, or making them unreasonably expensive, in targeted neighborhoods.

Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz succinctly punctures this favorite fantasy "alternative history" put forward by right-wing ideology pimps:

Referring to the combination of the then-private (but government guaranteed) mortage lenders and holders, Fannie Mae and Freddiie Mac, as well as the CRA, Stiglitz says of conservatives' arguments, "Had it not been for these efforts at lending to the poor, so the arguments go, all would have been well.

"This litany of defenses is, for the most part, sheer nonsense. AIG's almost $200 billion bailout ... was based on derivatives (credit default swaps) - banks gambling with other banks. The banks didn't need any push for egalitarian housing to engage in massive risk-taking. Nor did the massive overinvestment in commercial real estate have anything to do with government homeownership policy.... Morevover, default rates on CRA lending were actually comparable to other areas of lending - showing that such lending, if done well, does not pose greater risks.

"The most telling point though is that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's mandate was for "conforming loans," loans to the middle class. The banks jumped into subprime mortgages - an area where, at the time, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were not making loans - without any incentives from the government."

The quotes are from p. 10 of Stiglitz' 2010 paperback edition of Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy.

He proceeds to show in great detail that the right-wing ideological push to eliminate or render useless regulation of banks and insurance companies, exempt toxic products such as credit default swaps and collateralized debt obligations, outright fraud in marketing those "products, as wll as in how home loans were originated and set up to prey upon the buyers, and worse, all combined to cause the global meltdown.

And by the way - that freewheeling spending? You most surely mean the excesses of the Bush Administration, which in eight years of massive deficits matched with unpaid-for programs like Medicare Part D and the tax cuts to the wealthy, more than doubled the national debt. Reagan tried to break the bank, but failed. So Bush decided to out-do his predecessor, although he took office with a budget surplus.

President Obama, entering office with the economy diving straight toward a depression, rescued the country. He didn't go far enough in his recovery program, and the Bush-originated TARP program and bailouts weren't accompanied by appropriate restrictions on executive compensation (multi-million-dollar bonuses using tax payer funds, for example), or requirement to reign in the excessive risk-taking of those companies. There weren't enough incentives or requirements to re-invest in the econ9omy and help the recovery, according to Stiglitz.

And now, teetering again at the edge of another economic downturn, the President and Congress need to put more into fostering jobs and economic growth. The nation learned that lesson back in 1937, when a etraction of government investment in recovery caused a second recession and prolong the Great Depression.

The right-wing ideology of "less government in business and more business in government" caused this mess. Greed and collusion between government and business caused this mess. Milton Friedman's misguided theories, including "trickle down economics" caused this mess. The right wing methodology failed over the past 30 years and going back to it will not succeed.

Nor will we stand for such blatant propaganda and falsification of history. What the right proclaims as "good economic sense" is a lie.

Re print from yesterday!

I ran my CEO's Earnings call yesterday (60K+ employee Global Corp) Both the investors call and the earnings call. He made a statement which caught me. He told the investors that the $2.23 per share earnings would not be distributed as a dividend but kept as cash reserves, and they all agreed! The so called rich people didn't want their money. I had to ask why in my head, then he stated his reasoning, he stated that the European gov's stability was in question and in his mind this administration seemed to be moving towards a European style situation. So in order to make sure they company got through what he sees as more rough times ahead, he is keeping it as cash reserves. A gloomy out look from a very smart man! This is what I mean.

The FTSE 100 plunged 133.88 points to 5584.51 - a drop of 2.3 per cent - the biggest one-day percentage fall this year.

Stock markets in Germany and France also plummeted on growing fears that Italy and Spain will need a bailout.

In the US, worries about America's economy left the Dow Jones index sliding before making a final rally.

Please All of you Liberals remember you ARE the Minority! Us Independents will elect the next president! And most of us are still Center right!

Let’s hope when Obama speaks at 11:00 a.m. that he isn't too hung over from his big birthday bash last night. Nothing like having a little hardy-party on a day when the stock market crashes because of your economic policies Barack.

Um, the party was not last night, but who is actually paying attention? Your obvious hatred for the president prevents anyone from taking your posts seriously. Oh, and the fact that they are simply not true helps too.

I really want to applaud gov. Chris Christie for standing on principal. H did the right thing in denouncing the hobbits in the T-party and pointing out how crazy T-baggers are about Muslims.

Good on the gov; now it's back to business. Enjoy your trip to the donut shop Gov. Chris Christie.

Bev, I could not agree more. Unfortunately, or fortunately, those types of comments will prevent him from endearing himself to the ultra conservative teabagger wing of the republican party which has basically taken over.

And it’s actually a pizza place in Trenton. A friend of a friend sees him there often with his security and State Trooper escorts and said he is a total slob with no manners.

And, oh, by the way, MAW (numbers) -

How could mortgages taken out by the poor ever manage to equal a $14 trillion meltdown?

Tell your boss Norquist you aren't going to get away with this tripe again.

MAW:

Well, John A., you beat me to it. I would also like to see that mandate. That lie has been so thoroughly debunked, only those who choose to wallow in ignorance believe it any more.

However MAW, since lies are so appealing to you, try this on for size. Really, really honest now. I promise.

President Obama called me this morning and he is going to create a new Cabinet-level position. He will be looking for a new Secretary to head the Department of Fiction. He says he'd like you to take the job. All you have to do is vote for him. I swear by Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, and Dick Cheney, this is true.

By the way, did you know that CRA also mandates that banks give you free checking, 10% interest on your accounts, and a lifetime pass to Disney World?

When the last of your three teeth fall out, be sure to put them under your pillow - the Tooth Fairy is leaving gold bullion these days.

And it’s actually a pizza place in Trenton. A friend of a friend sees him there often with his security and State Trooper escorts and said he is a total slob with no manners.

But has more leadership in his little finger than the current President. You know maybe its time to give up on the lame fat jokes. They're as funny as calling the President Dumbo because of his big ears.

jollyoldsoul:

Your quote: "Please All of you Liberals remember you ARE the Minority! Us Independents will elect the next president! And most of us are still Center right!"

First, everyone knows you are not an Independent. You are a right-wing ideologue.

Second, if liberals are the minority, how in hell did we get into this mess? I just can't understand how it is that a minority of people keep beating the snot out of the majority. In the Senate, I understand. That's the filibuster. But how does this happen EVERYWHERE else? Are liberals bigger? Stronger? Meaner? Smarter? Did they dupe the brilliant Independents?

Maybe I just don't understand the definition of a liberal. I mean, heck, you don't understand the definition of an Independent.

Easy.

10,000,000 americans pay x.

the true value of the property is y.

x - y = 140,000.

You just created 14,000,000,000,000 in debt. Congratulations.

JoAnna: That's the solution! Don't report bad news!

Think the markets would be a little suspicious if a regularly scheduled report didn't get produced?

Typical. Criticize if the report might NOT get produced, criticize when it DOES get produced, criticize the report that IS produced. Just criticize.

You know, John, you have the same problem Stigletz has-

You ignore pesky details that don't fit your narratives.

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/30/business/fannie-mae-eases-credit-to-aid-mortgage-lending.html

Note the date on the article. It was the beginning of subprime mortgages- and, yes, banks were going to do whatever was necessary to maximize the return in exchange for maximizing risk.

I'm pretty sure Clinton thought this was a great idea- help people get a foot in the door, leading to more stable neighborhoods. Bush continued this policy, with the same belief in an "ownership society".

Neither man paid any attention to the real estate booms of the past- and the influence of get-rich-quick speculators. Thus, there were no safeguards built into the policy to keep them out of the game.

As a result, during the boom years "the poor" were even less likely to be able to afford a home due to rapid price escalation, while the speculators bought and flipped with impunity- until the bubble burst.

Since they had so little skin in the game, the speculators walked away from mortgages on houses they could not flip at a profit. The rest of us? Well, there are those hapless homeowners who owe more than the house is worth today. There are other, long term homeowners, who have seen the paper value of their houses decline- but who have lost no real money.

Then, there are the poor, who once again are the biggest victims of government benevolence. Entire neighborhoods are raddled with empty houses, and a very few homeowners who watch drug dealers move in, or who contend with thieves who steal anything worth taking, and the inevitable arsons.

More than money was lost in this mess, and, once again, it started with government trying to help.

NJNB: Just a reminder to those of you that insist on rewriting history and blaming Clinton or the democrats for the subprime mortgage debacle.

“We can put light where there’s darkness, and hope where there’s despondency in this country. And part of it is working together as a nation to encourage folks to own their own home.” - President George W. Bush, October 15, 2002

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/business/21admin.html

tek - there were not 10 million American mortgages issued under the CRA.

And as for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, before Bush nationalized those organizations, according to Stiglitz, who did NOT ignore an inconvenient fact, those agencies were not making sub-prime loans. What they did, and did foolishly in pursuit of big bucks for their executives, was invest in collateralized debt obligations from such charming sources as Countrywide Financial and AmeriQuest. Stiglitz noted that "Freddie Mac purchased a toatl of $158 billion, or 13 percent, of all sub-prime and Alt-A securities created in 2006 and 2007, and Fannie Mae purchased an additional 5 percent."

These investments were made without regulatory oversight because the Bush Administration cooperated in finding ways to keep the bundled packages exempt from oversight. None of the loans involved were CRA mortgages - they were shoddy, predatory products often sold fraudulently.

MAW:

Alcohol is legal right? Does that mean I must drink??? What if I choose to drink and drive and god forbid hurt someone does that mean I am not responsible for my actions. Jeezzzz lady what does it take to get you to understand??? How bout this one....If the government encouraged you to jump off a bridge would you???

Bankers and Wall Street are big boys....they don't need you to defend them they ought to be in prison for their crimes concerning the housing crisis!!!

Gosh I wonder if the Obama tax cuts for the wealthy had anything to do with the very small increase in private sector jobs?

It would be so nice if everyone would listen to the president who has decided its time to quit pointing fingers and move on

US Navy Vet,

Thank you for your first post. It is right on the money! Its nice to see someone still has the ability to speak plainly and let the facts, instead of emotion do the talking.

The only thing I would change is reversing #2 and #3. Currently I think our dysfunctional government is doing more harm to the market than the market to itself.

jollyoldsoul1 - speak for yourself. As an Independent I can say that the Independents I know are center left - none even leaning right. The far right has created a group most of us don't want to be even remotely associated with and they are influencing the GOP far too much right now. The Independents will elect the next President - just as they did President Obama. And, with the way things are going, it will again be Obama. The right offers nothing but hatred and a determination to see this President fail - even if it kills the United States.

JOHN A ---

Well written response but I would add that those who held onto their home throughout the run-up did pay...through higher taxes on the inflated value.

I'm of the mindset you cannot out-regulate these Jackals!! Instead I would institute a simpler regulatory policy: No harm to either person nor land, fair wages and safety above else. Fair trade. Period.

Thats it, let the disputes be put into arbitration with a panel made up of citizens not beholden to business!

Being a little snarky I know......can't help it. lol

Ryan2:

Thank you for the kind words. I did not think about the order I put them in an you are correct #3 is by far the most damaging of the three. In fact and I think this is what you are saying also is that if we do not correct #3 then #2 (pardon the pun) is not possible.

Come by more often I would love to get your opinions.

There are other, long term homeowners, who have seen the paper value of their houses decline- but who have lost no real money

The "other, long term homeowners" are the very ones that lost the most. They didn't just lose their credit rating. They didn't short sale and let the mortgage holder take most of the loss. They were responsible, and loss their own money. Many had their retirement hopes and dreams in their home equity... their loss should not be diminished.

Blaming the poor for just about any problem is a pretty ancient tactic. In the conservative, slow-developing societies of pre-Biblical times, poverty was addressed by enslaving the poor. In early modern England of the 16th and 17th centuries - in a system that persisted through the 1800's - the poor made up almost half the country's population, and were feared, incorrectly, as a drain on the nation's resources.

Some of the posts here make that same claim. Sen. Orrin Hatch several times in the month of July made the same claim: "The poor need jobs! And they also need to share some of the responsibility."

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/orrin-hatch-debt-poor-rich_n_892177.html)

Other public officials have said that eliminating the minimum wage, restrictions on child labor, and other measures would "help" the poor. What they meant was that those actions would ensure sustained poverty - and its spread.

Yet blaming the poor for their condition - a frequent attitude from the right - ignores the reality of life in America now. Focus as an example on the throngs of American homeless now.

Predictably, the Bush Recession sent rates of homelessness soaring. A Federal study estimated that at least 1.5 million people joined the ranks of the homeless in 2009-2010. Another report estimates that as many as 3.5 million ae homeless right now. That includes people in shelters, short-term temporary locations, sleeping in their cars, or living on the streets, sidewalks, and other rough outdoor locations.

A substantial number of the homeless now are families displaced by unemployment, cuts in social service programs, high medical bills, and of coure the financial crash accompanied by the tanking of the housing market. One report said that one in 10 American children today is homeless.

Although the traditional view of the homeless is that they are mainly single men, unrepentant alcoholics and drug users, that is a stereotype handy for dismissing the homeless population as "human trash." Some portion of the population of homeless single men indeed are addicts, but two other key factors have greater influence - unemployment and mental health problems. A significant number of the single men are former inmates of prisons, released onto the streets without guidance or resources into a society that has come to view them as undesirables not worthy of employment.

Numerous studies and initiatives have shown that preventing homelessness is the best way to reduce the numbers. Programs to aid families and individuals to stay in their homes, to assist prisoners in their return to society, to help the unemployed from being forced onto the streets - all such efforts have been successful. But there is considerable general hostility toward those programs, both at a neighborhood level (people have to go somewhere) and among voters.

Efforts to provide some means of a safe, sanitary encampment for the homeless have been met with violence and snobbish rejection. In St. Petersburg, and in nearby Tampa, Florida, for example, such encampments were closed down by city authorities. In St. Petersburg a police crackdown ended with bulldozers destroying what little property camp residents had.

In Tampa, homeless persons trying to provide for themselves by selling newspapers at street corners, hawking bottles of ice water at major intersections, or just simply begging for handouts were forbidden to continue their activities - partly for good reason as some of the streeet vendors and beggars blocked traffic or appeared to be threatening, but primarily because their visible presence in numbers was disturbing to their better-off neighbors.

Such treatment has long been common.Professor Patricia Fumerton wrote a detailed study of homelessness, vagrancy, and itinerant labor in England during the Tudor period through the reign of William III. She found that although as much as half of the country's population consisted of both the housed and un-housed poor, their very existence so disturbed the rest of the English that quite oppressive laws were enacted.

And then, in the "Epilogue" of her study, Unsettled: The Culture of Mobility and the Working Poor in Early Modern England, Prof. Fumerton cast her view upon her own times. "We have jumped forward four hundred years and crossed an ocean, and we seem to be, oddly, back in the same place with a familiar feeling of the 'bew' about uncannily similar happenings. Americans in the late twnetieth into the twenty-first century can be surprised by an emergent economy characterized by mobility, instability and job diversity, and find 'news' in the fact that most of the poor within that economy actually work.

"Surprised by its own 'new,' mobile workforce, early modern England ... focused not so much on the poor as on the unsettled." She points out that the authorities cracked down not only on unemployed vagrants, but basically anyone who shifted from job to job, and usually was homeless. Early in her book she recounted how a peddler was whipped from town to town, while another man who had to shift jobs between parishes (the basic unit of political structure at the time) discovered his wife and baby were being foced to move because he wasn't around - and the next town over didn't allow her to rent a home, either.

Whether the working poor or the entirely disconnected homeless, the lowest of America's classes is the object of scorn and rejection. It's a pattern as old as city streets.

HoJoBloMo:

[While the job report was a rare piece of good news, I would not go celebrating that one tenth of a point drop in the unemployment rate just yet-]

So you're saying that it's NOT OK for the moonbats to celebrate when there is a one tenth of a point uptick in the unemployment rate?

Don't let Schpanky and the Gang find out...you won't be allowed in the treehouse anymore...

John ----

Enlightening to say the least. Another thoughtful perspective. Our present situation is about to get worse. We need solutions but first we have to admit there is a problem. Too many cannot see they are blinded by self-righteousness. Forgive them Father for they know not what they do, myself included. Thanks for posting I will try harder to remain empathetic to these injustices. Humbled but grateful for your input. I will no longer lament my perceived loss.

david walker - ref post 1.3, nice humorous post. Regarding ROI's....

stock market returns will vary greatly on whose advise you listen to, the stocks you pick and how you buy/sell. Seems to be a safe bet to say that this current selloff is based on the uncertainty of a global slowdown as well as europes and the US's fiscal policies. Unfortunately, the uncertainty turned to fear for many. At least we know the investors really don't care about political parties.

Based on what many pundits say about ones ROI in SS and medicare, they may indeed be a good bet for those living to actuarial statistics. But not so good for the taxpayers having to pay the differences.

no joe, no bo, nj

Un huh, Houston.

Let's see, you're complaining that a little over a third of the jobs created in Texas are minimum wage jobs, correct? Well, third grade arithmetic tells me that two thirds are NOT.

Uh huh. So what? As the article I quoted states, Texas leads the nation in the number of minimum wage jobs -- more than liberal California. And you conveniently ignored the fact that Texas has a significantly HIGHER unemployment rate than liberal Massachusetts. The real "Texas miracle" is that there are people like you who are gullible enough to believe Perry's BS.

But has more leadership in his little finger than the current President. You know maybe its time to give up on the lame fat jokes. They're as funny as calling the President Dumbo because of his big ears.

That is not leadership you see, it's bullying. Perhaps you're misinterpteting his enacting of middle and working class killing policies as leadership while letting the wealthiest in New Jersey off the hook. Don't know, but either way, he will be the loser in the end.

And I never said he was fat or called him a stupid name, nor was I making a joke. He eats at a pizza shop in Trenton fairly often and he is a slob. That is a description that meant he does not know the purpose of a napkin. He has poor table manners.

It's been almost a week now since Mitch McConnell took the budget hostage and John Boehner got 98% of what he wanted. Their words, not mine. So, how'd it work out? Well, in the most analytical measure the Dow was down 512 yesterday. Since it became obvious Republicans would take this power play the market had given up ALL OF THIS YEAR's GAINS. Surely, though, the American people did it just because it's the best thing for the country, right? Not so much;

Americans overwhelmingly say the debate was more about politics than policy. Just 14 percent said the debt ceiling disagreement was mostly about doing what was best for the country; 82 percent said it was about gaining political advantage. Large majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents agree the debate was grounded in political considerations.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20088388-503544.html

Well, that's probably OK with them since last November's elections gave the Tea Party a huge mandate, right? Yeah, about that;

A majority of Americans - 52 percent - says Republicans in Congress compromised too little in the debate. Fewer - 34 percent - say Democrats, including President Obama, compromised too little.

Surely this spectacle at least hurt President Obama, didn't it? After all, if it was a purely political spectacle that would've been the objective. Not so much on that point, either;

Americans see Mr. Obama more positively than members of Congress when it comes to handling the debt ceiling debate, though Americans are split. Forty-six percent approve of his handling of the situation, while 47 percent disapprove. Forty-nine percent say he showed strong leadership in the debate, while 48 percent say he did not.

Overall, Mr. Obama's approval rating stands at 48 percent, largely unchanged from CBS News findings throughout the year. Forty-seven percent disapprove of his performance.

That last point bears repeating; Overall, Mr. Obama's approval rating stands at 48 percent, largely unchanged from CBS News findings throughout the year.

Maybe Congressional Republican leaders fared better;

As for House Speaker John Boehner, perhaps the most prominent Republican in Congress? His disapproval rating has risen from 40 percent in April to 57 percent in the new survey. Thirty percent approve of his performance on the job.

Congratulations Conservatives, you got exactly what you wanted. What you want is an epic fail with the American people.

Job B:

Great post to end the week.

I just saw that President Obama is going to announce a new Jobs Bill for veterans today.

McConnell is going to announce that they are going to take it "Hostage".

The GOP are STILL Pissed About The LAME DUCK Bills.

That Obama Got GOP Support to sign !

He Schooled The GOP in Compromise MANY Times Over .

The GOP Have No iDEA What Compromise means and KEEP BASHING Themselves with EACH OBSTRUCTION.

Well, all I can say is that any job growth is pretty great to those who are unemployed, however, it is not as great as it should be if all the jobs are minimum wage jobs. Did any repugnant ever try to feed a family on $7.50 per hour? Bet they can't do it without assistance from somewhere and those rich fat cats don't share anything unless it comes with a tax write off. Man have the super ubber rich ever got some poor republicans fooled.

yes, the Government can create jobs, it can create good paying jobs with good benefits - Corp of Engineering jobs, transportation and infrastructure jobs, FDA and NIH jobs - all of which promote the health and welfare of the rest of us, so governement created jobs are very much worth my tax money. What is never worth my tax money is a tax write off for the mega rich, a loop hole (what idiot decided that you don't need to pay taxes after someone makes $180,000 until they make almost $2 million? That's insane and just plain greedy), permission to send jobs off shore (tax and fine those folks and make it illegal for the US to import anything they make), and safe tax havens in Switzerland, Dubi (fancy that, right wingers sending money to a Muslim nation) or Grand Cayman.

If they mega wealthy want to keep their tax breaks - then put up or shut up and pay like the rest of us, at this point they are not creating good paying jobs with those tax breaks and don't deserve them.

The healthcare bill, while not perfect - I'd have left out that republican driven portion that says everyone must purchase health insurance or be taxed (oh, yes, it was a republican driven insertion - then the skunks voted against it and try to use it as to why the healthcare bill is bad). That was not necessary, if the uninsured have access to purchase reasonabally priced health insurance they will gladly do so - kind of like if we build it they will come, but it is so very true. I kind of like the idea that college students get to keep health insurance through their parent's plan and I really like the fact that the health insurance companies won't be able to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions anymore. While Americans a pretty famous for making bad life style choices, no one really chooses to be born with a disease or have an accident that makes them uninsurable.

As far as the birthday hang over - Joanna, you must be talking about bonner, now that's someone I'm sure who misses happy hour with george jr very much, both drunk every day, i know the signs, I have worked in addiction medicine too long, can see it a mile away, and neither of those guys goes over 24 hours without drinking, you can see it in their eyes and irratic behavior. So trust the drunks if you wish, but I don't intend to.

Could care less about stocks or the market as I took all my retirement out of stocks in April 2001 and never lost one dime under either administration.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about putting some of our right wing casts of characters on ignore, due to the senseless garbage they spew that is never backed up by any facts.

Sometimes, I think to myself, how can any group of right wingers be such an uninformed power base?

Oh the Right Wing mission. President Obama must fail, at all cost. Their mantra “Is to make President Obama a one term President.”

Then you look at the group of masters behind this crazy mod and you see the truth, and I realize that we Progressives and Moderates must stay informed of their anti- American stunts.

I find the spin and tactics being used by the office holders in Republicans/Tea Terrorist party to disturbing, especially by the 2010 elected Tea Terrorist in the House and the Republicans governors. Slowly but surely they are working their deceitful web and undermining the good of the country to serve their corporate masters such as the Koch brothers.

It makes me think of a young woman who plans on getting married and only a few family friends and relatives try to warn her that the person she is marrying is an abusive person, because they know this persons history they know that this person will hurt her.

Well, we Progressives tried to warn the county of this abusive Republicans-Tea Terrorist movement and now the people are seeing that we were correct.

Please stay the course folks and stay on message. There can be victory in 2012 as President Obama wins re-election and the Democrats take back the House. We are not quitting and all we need to do is vote and keep the progressive changes moving forward.

Strange, isn't it, how Obama gets smeared as some sort of business-hating socialist tyrant by JoAnnaSmith and her ilk, but during his administration the private sector keeps on growing and corporations keep making record profits, while the shrinking of public sector continues to be the real drag on the economy

Funny I thought the republicans were the ones who want corporations to make record profits, seems the Obama Administration is doing just fine in that area.

Sometimes, I think to myself, how can any group of right wingers be such an uninformed power base?

Job1, This is probably a big part of the reason:

How Roger Ailes Built the Fox News Fear Factory by Tim Dickinson

The onetime Nixon operative has created the most profitable propaganda machine in history. Inside America's Unfair and Imbalanced Network

The result of the FOX News concerted campaign of disinformation is a viewership that knows almost nothing about what's going on in the world. According to recent polls, Fox News viewers are the most misinformed of all news consumers. They are 12 percentage points more likely to believe the stimulus package caused job losses, 17 points more likely to believe Muslims want to establish Shariah law in America, 30 points more likely to say that scientists dispute global warming, and 31 points more likely to doubt President Obama's citizenship. In fact, a study by the University of Maryland reveals, ignorance of Fox viewers actually increases the longer they watch the network. That's because Ailes isn't interested in providing people with information, or even a balanced range of perspectives. Like his political mentor, Richard Nixon, Ailes traffics in the emotions of victimization.

"What Nixon did – and what Ailes does today in the age of Obama – is unravel and rewire one of the most powerful of human emotions: shame," says Perlstein, the author of Nixonland. "He takes the shame of people who feel that they are being looked down on, and he mobilizes it for political purposes. Roger Ailes is a direct link between the Nixonian politics of resentment and Sarah Palin's politics of resentment. He's the golden thread." - By Tim Dickinson

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/how-roger-ailes-built-the-fox-news-fear-factory-20110525

Hi babina,

Good information.

richard - How is that 9% + unemployment rate working out for many Americans? If I listened correctly to what you want to imply, there is absolutely no reason to extend unemployment past what states currently allow, right?

Job1 - go ahead and put the right posters on ignore, why should we care? Especially since we know how well you support your own words, and how many of the left wing nuts post links that don't support their arguments. Interesting on how johnb blames the right for the declining markets by citing a cbs link. Guess I didn't know just how many global GOP'ers there are. They must have used social networking to spread the uncertainty and fear that drove the markets down. LMAO!

Please do put us on ignore!

richard - How is that 9% + unemployment rate working out for many Americans? If I listened correctly to what you want to imply, there is absolutely no reason to extend unemployment past what states currently allow, right?

American If you are referring to me I was responding to another poster regarding corporations record profits going up on President Obama's watch. If not, my apologies but unemployment is not working out for anyone unemployed. Personally, In regards to putting someone on ignore, all that tells me is they are cowards. either answer someone or not.

As always that's just fine like frog hair split there Jody

Dear Ms. Jody:

Wow! You are very, very good at this, but I would like to add a bit.

On the education issue, this is something of a shocker, but if you do the arithmetic (OK, TEA Party guys, I know that leaves you out, but.....) you will discover that in a year, a teacher will spend only one in 10 hours of each day with a student. The children spend the other nine with their parents doing homework no doubt and enjoying those Traditional Family Values. Perhaps a tiny bit of time is spent in front of a TV or with video games. I seem to remember a stat that shows something like one-third of the day. You figure out where they spend the rest of their time.

The downside of this is that this leave teachers those same nine hours to extort incredibly high salaries and benefits from unsuspecting elected officials, who are elected by the parents of the students and other fleeced taxpayers. Damned unions! It's all their fault.

About the Santorum Jam. Does it go in the fridge or next to the K-Y Jelly?

Excellent, Jody! I always look forward to your weekly summary. Kudos to the Queen! (bowing and scraping) ;)

Jody:

All I can say is "Outstanding" 4.0 all the way.

Jody--thank you for the great week in review! I appreciate your insights. Everyone have a great weekend!

It's been quite a week. Thanks IR, David, Cynthia's Point, Navy, Nurse for the kind words.

David, thanks for adding to the education comment. That's what I mean by teachers being held accountable for things beyond their control. Some children have no aptitude for certain subjects, it doesn't mean they're a poor student, the teacher didn't inspire them or that they will not do well as adults. The more students in a class, the less time the teacher has for one on one. I did well in math except when it came to complicated word problems which often froze my brain. There are some bad teachers who should find other work but generally those who stay love what they do and work very hard to push students to do the best they can.

Jody,

Every week is better than the last. Keep up the good work.

Hands the liberals on this site a collective towel! Make sure you guys clean that mess up!

Jody- when can we expect to see you on Maddow? (or at least doing some writing for the show?)

Excellent as usual, and always looked forward to.

As always one of the best posts of the week, Jody.

I'm not sure teachers are collateral damage, though. The radical Conservative base has a very strong desire to eliminate public education entirely. One more illustration of how Conservatism is really the philosophy of FYIGM.

Look at How Much VACATION Congress GETS !

Why Don't So Called CONSERVATIVES Demand PAY & PENSION CUTS from These SLUGS ?????????

Are Most of The GOP Voters as FINANCIALLY and SPIRITUALLY Corrupt as The SLIME they Vote in ?

When only16% of registered voters bothered to show up at the polls and vote in 2010, we have the Congress we deserve!

Enough whining from those who did not vote!

Vote in 2012 and show the t-pers what a real landslide looks like!

Way to go Jody.

wow jodie the market crashed because they know obama is no leader and has no plan.... and has not presented any kind of budget.... the Dem's could have raised the debt ceiling when they had TOTAL cont role.... WHY DIDNT they???? what was that quote about a good crisis?? His model is all wrong for the USA socialism NEVER WORKS ... look at history

Very nice update Jody Thank you

I'm not sure teachers are collateral damage, though. The radical Conservative base has a very strong desire to eliminate public education entirely. One more illustration of how Conservatism is really the philosophy of FYIGM.

John B Eliminate public education, not entirely correct on conservatives. You might want to check on what Governor Moonbeam is doing to public education in California. He has secured new negotiated contracts w/teachers unions and democrats, republicans were excluded. If education is a negative at the end of the year then the schools must cut back on everything but teachers. No teachers can be laid off or fired regardless of performance. (Classic example is a music teacher texting and receiving nude photos of students, inapproriate contact caught but still has a job. It was all the students fault not his. True story, I know the individuals involved.) Since this law is now in effect they would have to cut class size, supplies, books etc just so the union gets what it wants. One reason I would like to see all unions under the same banner as federal unions. Uniformity and fair for everyone including us taxpayers who in the end have to pay for these contracts.

Governor Moonbeam (Brown) is a liberal democrat. In fact the only 2 schools who are doing well are the 2 schools he is invloved with (art school and private school in the Bay Area).

Thanks Jody-

A little extra…

The Right Wing talking points are getting crazier by the day.

I feel Governor Christie’s pain.

Why just this week I heard a talking head on Morning Joe (may have even been Joe himself) say that Preident Obama has had four years to turn this economy around and because he hasn’t the American people have lost confidence in him.

Really! From 01/20/2009 until this week it has been four years.

To say that this President has been held to a higher standard than any of his immediate past predecessors would be an understatement.

Funnhow when the stock market was just humming along and doubling over the first year of the Oba administration we did not hear a peep from the right wing about how his policies were favorable based on the Market’s upward trend.

Last night there was much screaming about how the Obama policies were responsible for the market tanking yesterday!

Even the so-called liberal media was enjoying some Obama bashing. John King on CNN blaming the Dems and the President for embellishing the FAA story. Huh?

Chris Matthews declared the President “done” last night on Hardball because he has moved to the enter and has not signaled that he’ll go hard left during the election cycle.

These people have no credibility!

CORRECTION for post #3.13

I read a typo and have confirmed a revised percentage for how many registered voters voted in 2010:

rather than 16% it was actually 41.6% ....still not impressive!

Source: http://elections.gmu.edu/Turnout_2010G.html .......sorry 'bout that!

BOTH SIDES ARE GUILTY OF BAD BEHAVIOR

Jody,

David Koch's "Americans for Prosperity" PAC was caught playing election dirty tricks. They mailed absentee ballots to democrats in at least two WI State Senate recall elections with instructions to return two days AFTER the election--and republicans are worried about person voting who doesn't have a photo ID?

Have you heard that signing a ballot initiative could put you at risk for identity theft? If you live in California, a brand new non-profit — Californians Against Identity Theft — wants you to know.

The group is running radio ads warning that felons could steal the information given to signature gatherers. In the ads, a husband warns his wife that, because she signed an initiative, they “really need to watch our bank statements and credit information.”

Surprised? Identity theft activist said this is completely false, and said

“There is as much risk of identity theft involved in signing a petition as there is in being listed in the phone book.”

The domain is registers to State Building and Construction Trades Council of California the president now admits that his union helped fund the campaign.

So why would unions want to scare voters?

Unions oppose many of the proposals that Californians could vote on. Petitions have cleared and ready for signatures. One of the proposals is the age of retirement from 55 to 62, and another is requiring unions to get their members’ permission before spending dues on political campaigns.

The union hate the proposals, and they know if they get to the ballot it will be tough to beat.

Richard lotsanumbers:

You wouldn't sound so silly if you knew how Governor Brown - yes, that's his name and title - got the appellation Gov. Moonbeam.

Mike Royko was making fun of Gov. Brown's suggestion that satellite uplinks might be a great back-up communications system. That's SOP today. Royko was the silly guy, the Governor was spot-on, and far ahead of this time. Gov. Brown is a visionary. He is the best Governor California has had since the last Governor Brown.

His problem today is that he doesn't have a Willie Brown. What he does have is an ill-informed electorate, the disastrous Proposition 13, and a Republican Party that wrote the book for the TEA Party and other ignorant Republicans.

Willie Brown? The same Willie Brown that recently said the following:

If we as a state want to make a New Year's resolution, I suggest taking a good look at the California we have created. From our out-of-sync tax system to our out-of-control civil service, it's time for politicians to begin an honest dialogue about what we've become. Take the civil service ... we politicians, pushed by our friends in labor, gradually expanded pay and benefits to private-sector levels while keeping the job protections and layering on incredibly generous retirement packages that pay ex-workers almost as much as current workers. Talking about this is politically unpopular and potentially even career suicide for most officeholders. But at some point, someone is going to have to get honest about the fact that 80 percent of the state, county and city budget deficits are due to employee costs. Either we do something about it at the ballot box, or a judge will do something about in Bankruptcy Court. And if you think I'm kidding, just look at Vallejo.

thetotas:

Yep, that Willie Brown. The smartest Speaker who ever headed the Assembly........AND NOW - the most honest. He said what needed to be said.

Maybe folks across the country will start awakening to the truth.

David walker - a funny thing about truth as there are three sides, my side, your side and the truth. I would have to agree with you willie brown has recognized that no one asked the question - "what is the long term costs and is it sustainable.

Not to long ago the tresury secretary of illinois called out the illinois government on trying to pass a budget that far exceeded revenue, even after the state raised both business and individual taxes.

Earlier this year charlie rose had a round table discussion with 7 big city mayors on how they had to balance city services with what the tax payers expected services to be. Seems that both city workers and the taxpayers had unreasonable demands beyond what city could pay for.

It certaintly does look like we all need to revisit our expectations of what government can provide.

David Walker I do know how he got the nickname Moonbeam and Royko got the nickname from his girlfriend Linda Ronstadt. I use the name because he is a space cadet, as evidenced by some of his remarks during his recent campaign for Governor. I do know that he was also at one time for a constitutional convention to get a balanced budget amendment, which most democrats are not for at this time. Silly maybe for you but until you come from my view of what he is doing here in California you might view it differently. And that would be about as derogatory a term as I get on any site in regards to a politician. Don't presume to know why I use that term or that I don't know how he got it.

As for an ill-informed electorate I would agree. They did vote for the current President, Senator Boxer and Nancy Pelosi. Ill-informed you say. You are spot-on.

and you forgot Prop 8 unless you left it out because you are for it.

Hi everyone! Late to the game today, actually since Tues.; I've been recuperating from the "manufactured" debt ceiling debacle. My BP sky-rocketed, but all's well now and I had to hunt down Jody's wrap-up. Finally gave it some thought and clicked on your name, Jody, and found it.

As expected, you did not disappoint. Thanks, once again Jody, masterful job.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President. Hope you and the family have fun celebrating with the "gang" at the DDI.

Have a good weekend everyone!

richard lotsanumbers:

Well gee, if you say Governor Brown is a space cadet, then it must be true.

I know exactly what he is doing in California and the fact that he is hamstrung by Proposition 13 and some of most destructive Republicans on the planet doesn't make his job easy.

Nancy Pelosi? You may not like her, but she makes John Boehner look like a ham-handed lightweight. From another perspective, John Boehner makes Nancy Pelosi look like God.

As far as Proposition 8, it didn't belong on the ballot any more than marriage - of any kind - belongs within government purview. Based on your post, I can't escape the notion that you believe a marriage is between a man, a woman, and the state. Sick, sick, sick.

Actually there is plenty of "under the radar" talk in Conservative circles about the elimination of public education. Hannity talks about it regularly on his radio show. Here's a link to an essay on the subject. http://mises.org/daily/2937 It's from a Libertarian web site that's been quoted here from time to time. Glenn Beck has made the same case. http://www.care2.com/causes/abolish-public-schools-glenn-beck-thinks-so.html

In addition "No Child Left Behind" was a blatant attack on public education. Same is true of the movement to let people divert their tax dollars from public schools to private schools to reduce or eliminate tuition.

Claims that Conservatives don't have public education under attack are just false.

Savvy Senior Why don't you Join us over at the DDI on The Week Ahead. It started out as a celebration for the President but every body has picked it up to a relativly good discusion of the S&P down grade.

IR, Thanks so much for the invitation. It has been extended, by the ladies and others previously, but I have been reluctant to participate; mostly because I'm not at all confident in my ability to contribute substantive input to the debate on a more personal level.

Being extended inclusion into your team of such formidable individuals is indeed an honor; but for the meantime, I would appreciate just being a bench-warmer, on the sidelines, so to speak.

Thanks again, IR and you guys have fun.

I think your tinfoil hat is a couple of sizes too small...probably cutting off the circulation to your brain.

More2bits...you gotta be kidding!

more2bits:

Thank you for the view "a few months" into the future.

I don't mean to tax your abilities, but could you just look forward a few days and let me know the winning lottery numbers in Powerball.

[Obama is the one who ordered the report to meet his 'speech needs' so that once again he can fool Americans into thinking he is the greatest thing to ever happen to this country.]

Wow...first Obama is an "ineffective president and a failure", but NOW he has the power to order a report to meet his speech needs...

...you just can't make this stuff up...

What the Teapublicans did during the debt ceiling crisis seemed so self-destructive, as well as risky for our country, I wondered if they were trying to hurt the economy, in order to improve their chances of taking the Presidency in 2012.

Trying to explain why they went against what Americans said they wanted: compromise, tax loopholes closed, etc. I wondered if the Teapublicans real audience wasn't Wall Street and wealthy donors. I thought Republicans were perhaps trolling for big campaign donations by showing the wealthiest they are the Party that will protect low taxes.

It all caused me to question what "conservative" even means these days, if Teapublicans were willing to risk destabilzing our economy and for what?

Wow...first Obama is an "ineffective president and a failure", but NOW he has the power to order a report to meet his speech needs...

100% right on. It happened yesterday too, where they were blaming Obama for the stock market drop. What a minute, first theysay he should not interfere with business, then when it tanks you blame him? I mean WTF? I also find it sad that red(neck) states are laying off government workers in droves, then they say 'look at the unemployment rate, it's all Obama's fault'! Um, weren't all the teatards pushing for firing at least 50% of government? What, they thought that kind of thing wouldn't show up in unemployment reports? So. @!$%#ing. Ignorant!

IDIOT

I wondered if they were trying to hurt the economy, in order to improve their chances of taking the Presidency in 2012.

Wonder no more. That's exactly what they're doing.

more2bits: umm..... the economy crashed under REPUBLICAN stewardship remember?? The debt crisis was a deliberate creation of the GOP, remember?? ( deficits dont matter) . This certainly IS the worst Congress I have ever seen and Ive been watching politics and government for 45 years. Republicans endangered national security with their deliberate run up of $11T in debt under Reagan/bush/bush ( starve the beast). They nearly crashed the economy again with their debt ceiling shenanigans. To top is all off, they have done NOTHING to help the economy and are actively blocking proposals that would help it.

Frankly I dont see how they can escape retribution from the voters in 2012 which may well be worse than 2008! Americans have HAD IT with this republican extremism and their Teahadist allies! They are far too incompetent and dangerous to have much say in running this government.

AMY? risky? you are a master of the understatement! LOL And the GOP hasnt been conservative since BEFORE reagan, who started us down the path to this debt crisis.

Seems more2bits has been listening to Sarah Palin again--she pitched that terrorism tidbit again this week on FOX. She's got nothing new so again recycles garbage that was proved wrong the first time around. The only thing the GOPTP is good at is lies, lies, and more darn lies.

Good morning Navy,

Two words. Great Post

IR:

Very true. Maybe now the GOP/TP will wake up and understand that they are dragging this country into the toilet, unless of course, that is their agenda.

Lets see if the GOP/TP now gets with the program to move this country forward or just blame President Obama and continue the "Obstructionism" and "Hostage" taking.

GOP/TP are you guys going to accept the responsibility for what you are doing to this country or are you going to cower in your corner and blame President Obama for your obstructionist agenda??

Concerned people want to know.

The people are watching to see what youdo. Almost 80% of the American people are saying you guys are going the wrong way. TP Party has an approval rating of 20% now. Good Job, what was President Obama's?? I was higher than 20%

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• !

#1.4 - Fri Aug 5, 2011 9:04 AM EDT

Im beginning to see the new liberal strategy now. Its changed since Mr. Obama's polls have dropped and this economy took another down round. I anticipate another change in strategy (gasp I'm projecting a report) as soon as the Wisconsin recall votes are taken. If per chance they recall no one ( and history supports this) They will have to start getting real nasty with the right to counter act the swing. Its all about the level of din they can create. Back in the days of old a few Indians would tie branches on the back of a few horses and drag them to make it look like thousands of Indians were attacking! Same...Same!

more2bits

Tea Terrorist

jollyoldsoul1--Obama's approval rating dropped to what 46%? Still better than congress, still better than republicans, still better than a lot of past presidents, so what are you talking about? People see the republicans for what they are-especially since the 2010 midterms when they were "given" another chance (really more likely apathy from the left gave them another chance). When only something like 36% of eligible voters actually vote you can't really say you have a mandate.

With regard to the Wisconsin recalls . . . yes in the past recalls have failed but this is a totally different animal. Perhaps the republicans know this and that is why the republican supposed grassroot movement sent out mailers with the due date of the absentee ballots two days after the actual election.

Job 1,

20% approval rating, link please.

swat. you are entitled to your own opinion but NOT your own facts. You are part is what is VERY DANGEROUS to this country!

Well said Tom. Very well said!

The report is horse crap. I agree!

The report is horse crap.

Why, becuase it doesn't meet your end of the world needs?

If it wasn't so pathetic it would be funny.

Jobs creation is up - Teapublican response. The report has been cooked.

Job creation is down - teapublican response, The report is correct It's all the presidents fault!

MSNBC reports the economy getting better - teapublicans response, It's liberal propaganda, they lie!

MSNBC reports there might be a double dip recession - teapublicans response, it's true it's true the sky is falling!

I wonder how they manage day to day when it's obvious they don't know if they are coming or going. LOL

The report is what it is - According to the U3 report unemployment went down from 9.2 to 9.1%. I wouldn't exactly be jumping up and down that 0bamanomics is working. They may have changed it now but MSNBC had on the website front page that there was no double-dip and then further down the page it said that there was likely a double dip recession. What has been happening everytime these reports come out is that the next month they are revised in the case of unemployment upwards and the jobs are revised down. That has been going on for months. The same thing happened with 2nd Qtr GDP numbers - at first the govt said GDP grew 1.9% then came out a month later and said it actually only grew .4%.

What I do know is that for us to start going the right direction is that we have to get rid of 1 Term 0bama. No POTUS has ever been re-elected with unemployment any where near 9%. This POTUS has no clue as to what he is doing - he is in light years over his head. Any GOP candidate will be better. The Senate is changing hands and the next 450+ days can't go by quick enough. Jan 20 2013 - 0bama's last day in office - Thank God!

heard one economist say on bloomberg TV that one doesn't know if there is a recession until after it has happened. One thing that is sure, is that after the great recession supposedly ended in mid 2009 neither the lefts political fiscal policies or the FED's monetary policies have had much of an affect on the economy.

It remains to be seen if the republican controlled house will have any effect also. Then again we have the bully reid making sure most house republican bills are tabled without debate or even having the senate create any counter offers. Then...

With obama clamoring that he will veto whatever the republican house puts forth doesn't bode well for the nation. As someone recently pointed out, Washington, DC is a three ring circus of clowns. The executive clown is obama heading up one ring, the house another and the senate the third.

...and Boehner want's to complain about what he calls the President "leading from behind". Well, gee, isn't that what he just did?

and Boehner want's to complain about what he calls the President "leading from behind".

Speaker Boehner got a deal done after Obama said he wouldn't sign one with out tax increases. The Speaker also cut Obama loose during those farce negotiations with him when he realized that Obama didn't have a clue about what he was talking about. The Speaker also got a bi-partisan vote through the House on the bill. That sure sounds like leadership, more than Obama ever provided.

Great Job Jody......as usual

JoAnnaSmith1

Boehner lead us into a bad deal on the debt, just as Bush lead us into two wars and a great recession. I think next time, the American people will give the President the political support required to overcome such Republican "leadership."

The Speaker also cut Obama loose during those farce negotiations with him when he realized that Obama didn't have a clue about what he was talking about.

Really? So, Boehner didn't back out because the Teapublicans said they wouldn't vote for The Grand Bargain...$3 in spending cuts for every $1 of increased revenue...which would have actually done MORE?

Amy - And your hero signed it.

He either signed it or the Country goes into default. President Obama was the only adult in the room and he kept us from going into default and a for sure hit to our Credit Rating.

You're damn right Navy. School these sheeple.

lmao..... For any of you who are new to this site lets do a refresher.

Obama, Reid,Pelosi,Schumer= godly, headed for sainthood, Global saviors!

Anything right of center= Evil, ugly, stupid and totally inept!

Did I get it right?

lmao..... For any of you who are new to this site lets do a refresher.

Obama, Reid,Pelosi,Schumer= godly, headed for sainthood, Global saviors!

Anything right of center= Evil, ugly, stupid and totally inept!

Did I get it right?

Nope.

Reid, Pelosi, Shumer=politicians doing their job trying to help 98% of American people.

Obama=right of center.

Republicans=Politicians doing their job trying to help 2% of American people.

Teatards=so far right, they are WRONG.

lmao......only a Liberal would think they are so smart they would need to correct that! And all those people got elected by 2% of the people?

No Jolly, there are a lot of dumb people that vote against their own interests.

I'm Just Saying, excellent rewrite! Write/right on!

See that's the attitude that has you liberals in the deep stuff. Im an independent and I judge a book by its cover as well as its content. I find that elitist liberal attitude the part thats most arrogant about liberals. Even if I do see some of your points at times.......the attitude complete turns me to the center right. Perhaps its because I live in down town Detroit, and I see everyday people on my street totally living off the gov. and their families have been for generations. I doubt seriously their are many of you that actually get to observe this behavior!

Sure you are jolly. you're ALL independents! LMAO You really think that worn out old line works?

Perhaps its because I live in down town Detroit, and I see everyday people on my street totally living off the gov. and their families have been for generations

I'll not deny that it wrong Jolly. Having been a republican myself for many years I still cling to some of those beliefs, but the answer to the problem is to find a way to ferret out those who are abusing the system and put a stop to it. Right now the current philosophy of the conservatives is just to screw over everyone that is getting government assistance. That is wrong and always will be. You don't punish everyone for the crimes of a few.

Hey Jolly, How do you know they live totally off the government? Do they wear signs? Is it tattooed on their foreheads?

The republicans "starve the beast" of every program that might help these people bring themselves out of poverty!!!! And have been for more than 30 years (multi-generations)!!!

What is elitist about wanting to help people? What is elitist about having programs that tries to stop generational poverty by giving access and help for education? Education is what gives people the ability and access to jobs that will enable the poor to bring themselves above the poverty level.

People on here were talking about Perry in Texas claiming he helped create a bunch of jobs turns out most of them were minimum wage jobs. Yes a job is better than no job. However, working for minimum wage does not support a family nor does it afford paying for an education. As I mentioned before republicans stop funding for programs like financial aid which helps the poor to obtain an education, which helps them get better paying jobs, which helps them bring themselves up (personal responsibility) and out of poverty and to give their children a better life and hopefully just like the American dream each subsequent generation to do better than the last.

What I think is elitist is republicans thinking that not everyone should have access to education (especially college), healthcare, and even voting.

The more educated and healthy a population is the better the country as a whole does. It is a fact that when the poor and middle class prosper the entire country prospers. We know from recent history that it does not work in reverse.

Just sayin - jolly got it right and you didn't read and understand his first line.

Maybe I am going out on a limb here, but many of the FR libs here sure like strawman arguments.

What is really sad is that they also use radical liberal op-eds to support their views.

Just saying!

Anna Molly

Some good news from the Heartland -- Wisconsin has reversed its plans to close DMV offices in order to suppress the vote. I do find the dramatic reversal, and especially the timing -- right before the recall elections -- to be a mite suspcious, though.

That is great news. Being you neighbor I am watching Wisconsin. I don't trust the Kochs either. The one thing I want is democracy in the Heartland instead of a plutocracy. Maybe the Kochs will learn money can't buy everything.

Anna Molly:

I think this mess is going to wake up a few more people. 80% plus gives this government a failing grade. Until we clean out the stalls of all teabaggers this is just going to continue.

Cannot wait to next week.

Beverly:

The one thing I want is democracy in the Heartland instead of a plutocracy. Maybe the Kochs will learn money can't buy everything.

Interestingly, Walker was REALLY harassed by protestors when he tried to open the State Fair the other day. He got a little testy with them as if they had no right to be there ruining everyone else's good time.

What on earth does he think HE'S doing? I wonder how it feels to take that heat.

I guess we'll see next week. Thank you both for your support.

Greedy:

Wow....80% of Congress is made up of Tea Baggers? Who knew?

This probably wasn't meant to be on this thread, but I'll answer it anyway.

No, Congress isn't 80 percent Tea Baggers, but it might as well be.

John Boehner said he got 98 percent of what he wanted, and the Tea Partiers celebrated their victory over the evil liberals.

So he -- and they -- own it now. Enjoy.

Anna Molly, Bev (back in the trenches), Navy:

I'm putting in a link here for those who don't understand how horrible working conditions have been in this country. This is for those who have no idea how much we owe to unions. This is a reminder for those of us who already know how important unions have been.

The Kochs are hardly alone as wealthy pigs who have used the government to fill their already-overflowing coffers. What they are doing in Wisconsin is merely another iteration of a class so greedy, it is willing to destroy the very nation that brought them embarrassing wealth.

Government has always been for sale. We must never elect those who would sell it. Check out the Ludlow Massacre. This is the gift of the Kochs and their brethren. http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/ludlow.html

Why do you bring up the Koch brothers? They are insignificant compared to Soros. Obama even put in special language in the Dodd Frank bill so Soros wouldn't have to be regulated. He now has a "family" business. Remember the release of special oil reserves? Soros was probably clued in and was short oil and made a bunch of money. Obama's regulations are choking job growth.

David:

I agree this country would be nowhere if we did not have a union movement. The standard of living, which is eroding, would be far worse if we did not have unions that fought for fair pay, pensions, health care, etc.

We would all be working for the masters making peanuts. We would not have the money for Health Care, to send our kids to College, to buy a home or a new car, and the list goes on.

I have and always will support unions. This link is a great reminder as to what we really so owe these people and just how bad it could have been without them.

How soon we forget what made this country great to begin with and how fast we are to dismiss the good and embrace the bad.

Great link - l thank you and keep up the great posts. I look for them everyday.

David Walker--thank you for the link. It is really sad that many of our fellow American citizens do not know their history. A very interesting book on our history, unvarnished, warts and all, is Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. He writes this history from the view point of the "small" people who have been the backbone of our country. Perhaps if people better understood our history, we wouldn't be in the sad shape we are currently in today!

MAW:

Why do you bring up the Koch brothers? They are insignificant compared to Soros.

This just proves how totally ignorant you are. We're talking about unions and about Wisconsin. This makes the Koch brothers highly relevant for reasons that I prefer not to waste my time educating the ignorant about.

But just for comparison purposes, Soros is about the 45th richest man in the world. EACH of the Koch brothers is in the top 20, and combined, they are No. 4 in the world.

Insignificant? That's what they like the ignorant to think, while their group Americans for Prosperity does things like mail phony absentee ballots to Wisconsin voters stating the wrong date for the recall elections. They were the largest single contributors to Walker's election campaign, and AFP was the largest single buyer of attack ads against Walker's opponent, spending millions and millions of dollars.

And yes, this is fact, not fiction.

At least Soros is willing to put his own mouth where his money is instead of using dupes to do it for him.

Thank you to David for the excellent, and very moving, reminder. MAW could use it, but I somehow doubt he took the time to look.

But its Their money! I dont really care who is rich and who isnt! Its not my money, I only worry about what I can affect and change. My life, not someone named Koch or Soros! Sometimes I think some of you peoples lives are sooo messed up you would rather focus on something out side of your own situation. Why? Because its easier than the reality of your messed up situation. I learned this lesson the first time someone was shooting real ammunition at me. The key was clear, I want to be alive in an hour.....then 2 hours then my god tomorrow!

Again, thanks Anna Molly for telling us what's happening in Wisconsin. Iowa was fortunate because the Senate Democratic majority prevented Branstad and the GOP State House from doing a lot of what happened in WI.

A good book about the history of, and current coal industry in the heartland, "Reckoning at Eagle Creek" by Jeff Biggers. It provides the history of coal miner unions efforts as well, including a good section about the real Mother Jones.

Why do you bring up the Koch brothers? They are insignificant compared to Soros.

You let me know when Soros starts having clandestine retriets with Governors of States, then we can talk.

Soros works for the good of the American people. On the other hand the Koch Brothers work for the good of the Koch Brothers.

Jolly: I think some of you peoples lives are sooo messed up you would rather focus on something out side of your own situation

Jolly, you don't think Koch money, spent on politicians and campaigns and issues, affects you at all? You are incredibly naive.

JollyOldSoul:

I think some of you peoples lives are sooo messed up you would rather focus on something out side of your own situation. Why? Because its easier than the reality of your messed up situation.

I never quite know which is worse, your bitterness or your vulgarity. Today you've chosen the bitter taunt as your strategy. So here we go.

I've heard you talk about your own situation, and frankly, I think you may be projecting your own frustrations on to others. Come visit me sometime in my nicely decorated offices in my upscale office building situated in a green space in a lovely business park and we'll discuss my "messed up situation."

On second thought, maybe not. You'll just have to take my word for it.

For now, I have to go and take one of my very well-heeled (and liberal) clients to lunch at a trendy restaurant in a trendy shopping development, after which, having billed enough hours for the week, I plan to take the afternoon off and install new photo processing software on my Macbook computer for my class tomorrow. On Sunday, I plan to shop at my local upscale grocery store and take pictures with my D-SLR camera at a local botanical garden. I will have a lovely chat with my daughter who works in management at a well-known company in the Twin Cities and just moved in to a new larger apartment where she can work on her lifelong goal of becoming an artist. After which I will watch a Netflix movie and finish a new hardcover book I purchased recently.

Messed up? Hardly. Not by your standards, anyway. And I didn't lose a dime in the market this week, either, having previously secured my retirement funds in safe accounts to wait out the current catastrophe caused by the stupidity of your Tea Party friends.

See ya.

jollyoldsoul? More like miserableoldwretch.

Cheers Anna - great response to the completely miss/un-infomed grumpy old sole. Always enjoy your posts, and thanks for keeping us up to date in WI. Good luck next week with the remainder of the recall elections. Hopefully, the informed types will beat the irrational grump types.

Anna Molly, the protector of the compassionate and the stewards of unions. Since you avoided having any substantive discussion about unions last time while preferring to attack me personally. Its easier to attempt to make someone out as a cold hearted evil capitalist than it is to actually talk about the truth. AM, explain to me again the wisconsin union situation. Did the governor ask the government unions to have a collective bargaining agreement with rights any different than the federal government workers unions? If the collective bargaining rights for federal workers is so bad, why hasnt Obama raced to provide additional rights to these unions because he certainly would if he thought so wouldnt he? Explain to me again why we need government worker's unions in the first place? Is it to be able to protect workers rights like David wants to say? It cant be because federal and state regulations already protect workers on hours, discrimination and a whole host of rights that unions used to provide but arent needed anymore. So is it to provide merit based advancement? Can you provide me one just one union contract in Wisconsin that allows an employee to receive merit pay that is based on a performance evaluation rather than years of service or a promotion? What about upward mobility? How many of your union friends are now management? Doesnt happen does it? If the rest of us have to negotiate with employers for our pay and although all these corporations are evil in your world, there seems to be plenty of people who started at a Sears store and moved up to the corporate office just fine and took the risk that they could be fired at any point. Governments arent scary so what is wrong with market based competitive payscales for government jobs? Why do you even need a union? What are the unions afraid of that someone might get fired and replaced by an evil boss? Welcome to the real world that the rest of us live in and I highly doubt government bosses are going to be worse than evil corporate ones.

But I know, I have no compassion and enjoy kicking my dog, so you hate having any sort of dialogue with someone that actually lives and breathes union issues every day on both sides. You want to think that my views have to be wrong and my union family members are just losers thats why I cant see the enlightened path.

Kirk Excellent post. on 7.9

Rick:

It is true that the 112th Congress has the worst record in History. And who controls the the 112th congress - Oh the Obstructionist's do. And we wonder why the country in not moving forward. What happened to all that leadership that that teabaggers were talking about?

GO figure

Nice post Rick.

US Navy Disabled Veteran - Retired

What happened to all that leadership that that teabaggers were talking about?

Oh they are leading alright, Navy. We all know their vanguard is one job in leadership. That is to take President Obama's job from him.

OBAMA 2012!

Rick in Vegas. Thanks for posting those numbers. It really points out how effective the GOP is at obstructing and ineffective Boehner and the GOP are at governing.

111th Congress--60 house, half dozen Senate seats lost. Maybe, just maybe if the Democrats took inventory of themselves to see how and why this happened and fix it they could win elections. Until then they will be resigned to sucking hind t**t. Were I to vote for Democrats, you would have to give me more than "Bush did it", "hostage taking", "Taliban tea". "terrorist".........." Thing is, these are sounds of desperation, anguish, and torment. The kind of thing that warms the heart of Republcans/TeaParty. Doesn't give me a reason to vote Democrat.

So liberty, you need something for your vote? How much? Whatever you were given for your vote I hope included an exclaimer that it was just a short term lease and wouldn't last. LOL

Rick - the House has passed many bills. It is the Dirty Harry Reid controlled Senate that hasn't passed anything but Continuing Resolutions & the pathetic debt deal. When is the Senate going to do its job and pass a budget? It has been over 800 days since the Senate passed a budget - they need to pay back their salaries for not doing there jobs.

One of the dumbest things 0bama said today was that extending unemployment insurance would create jobs and that we needed to put construction workers back to work fixing infrastructure. It is widely admitted by economists that the first stimulus of nearly a trillion didn't work. 0bama even sat on TV saying there weren't any shovel ready jobs after all. The House won't give 0bama another $1 trillion for more stimulus that will only go to his Union buddies to help his re-election. We will be 0bama Free on Jan 20 2013.

Can't stop spreading the same lies that have been debunked almost daily for months, can you bb3?

President Obama and a Democratic majority Congress in 2012.

And to hell with the polls! What do they know.....just listen to Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow for totally obective and completely professional news journalism.

They are a lot more accurate than your gibberish.

Which previously banned poster are you, your impotent rhetoric sounds familiar.

This is by far the most humorous day in a long while! Please remember that you ARE the M I N O R I T Y!

If iI want to Listen to LIES & Mis-Truths ?

Then FOX & CORPORATE mEDIA it is..................

Which previously banned poster are you, your impotent rhetoric sounds familiar.

That's too easy - allwaysfaithful, letsdance, frostyinalaska etc..

Amy, we just gave it to you and you screwed it up. Couldn't wait to give away your super majority. Were I you, I would find how what is borken and fix it. You can't blame Republicans or Tea Party. That was your fault. Cant't give away 60/6 and expect to govern.

Jolly - I see that the normal First Read losers are out today. Thank goodness the ignore button collapses their posts so I don't have to waste my time reading them. I am sure they are congratulating each other on what great posts they are copying and pasting. I know the liberals are messing in their Depends at the continuing downward trend of 1 Term 0bama. Any GOP candidate will landslide defeat 1 Term 0 in the electoral college. 1 Term 0 is even in trouble in Michigan of all places. He has lost OH, PA, FL, NC & VA already and NJ is now in play as well. It is going to be a great night on Nov 6 2012 when the GOP takes the Senate, increases its majority in the House and kicks 1 Term 0 out of the White House. It can't come soon enough - just over 450 days.

jollyoldsoul1

This is by far the most humorous day in a long while! Please remember that you ARE the M I N O R I T Y

According to who? Not only do I think we are not in the minority, our majority will conitnue to increase by the actions of the right!!!!

It's not that difficult to figure out...overall gain of 117,000 jobs:

Private Sector: +154,000 jobs

Public Sector: -37,000 jobs

From the AP report:

Hiring in July was broad-based. Manufacturers added 24,000 jobs in July, as auto companies laid off fewer workers in July than usual. Retailers hired a net total of 26,000 employees. Employment in health care grew 31,000. Hotels and restaurants added 17,000.

Adds up to 98,000

I like this narrative from BLS best because it breaks it down by industry. Still waiting for the adjusted state numbers.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

Even that adds up to 107,000 private sector jobs, minus the 37,000 = 70,000

From Bloomberg News; who got it right:

Payrolls rose by 117,000 workers after a 46,000 increase in June that was more than originally estimated,...

The jobless rate dropped to 9.1 percent as more Americans left the labor force....

Baby Boomers are retiring in record-breaking numbers.

Get it right.

what a bunch of cr-p 400,000 are needed PER MONTH to equal full employment

Tonelover...I agree. This new jobs report must be making the GOP very upset. The GOP and their rich friends are doing everything possible to make sure President Obama fails. Screw the country and our citizens! The GOP does NOT care about anything but themselves, their party, and doing everything possible in hopes to get the White House back. The self-serving GOP and their rich friends are a danger to our country. President Obama needs our support in his sincere efforts to make the USA a better country. OBAMA 2012!

Sure looks like the Teapublicans have been rooting for America to fail since President Obama was elected in 2008. They gained the House majority in 2010 and have been working at weakening the country ever since.

K2mn

Tonelover...I agree

The self-serving GOP and their rich friends are a danger to our country. President Obama needs our support in his sincere efforts to make the USA a better country. OBAMA 2012!

I too agree.

Let's not forget the radical left told people to stay home in 2010. To me that was not a good judgment since President Obama's name was not on the ballot. Had they come out in support we could have gotten rid of some corporate democrats and republicans instead of giving US the intransigent hobbits in the T-party and T-party governors. A body needs its spine for support is an analogy I like to use. In this case, the radical Progressive left (a part of the spinal column) is not functioning properly as I see it; if they want to continue on with this primarying President Obama or staying home; America fails. Remember-- a "no vote is a yes vote" for the opponent.

OBAMA 2012!

Bev...your point is right on. Every single vote is important, and let's hope that in 2012, every person goes out and votes. If a person doesn't cast a vote, then that person doesn't really have the right to complain.

OBAMA 2012!!!

K2mn

Bev...your point is right on. Every single vote is important, and let's hope that in 2012, every person goes out and votes. If a person doesn't cast a vote, then that person doesn't really have the right to complain.

OBAMA 2012!!!

So true K2m I hope they will learn who critical 2012 is. The T-baggy hobbits want to repeal healthcare; which contributes to not just being healthy; but the economy. They want to take away collective bargaining which gave us fair wages; 40 hr weeks; no forced overtime; safety conditions and eliminated the abuse of child workers.

I heard an ad the other day that right wing must get rid of Obama so they can appoint more conservative judges to the Supreme Court.

I remember Rachel saying that repubs say no in order to get the conservative judges to the Supreme Court.

OBAMA 2012!!!

K2mn:

Kudos - Right on.

This is the worst Congress ever, no question. Folks have a right to be angry, but we also have to accept we continue to put them there and do something about it. Change starts with new leaders. Isn't it time to quit putting the same people up there and expecting them to do something different? We voted for change, we didn't get it. I say every single one of them needs to go before they destroy America with their corruption, their BS party politics, and their "all for me" attitude. All they do is worry about the next election and whats good for them, not what is good for the country and it's hard working middle class.

I remember Rachel saying that repubs say no in order to get the conservative judges to the Supreme Court.

Bev in Chicago

Please inform everyone who appointed Ruth Bader Ginsburg (head of the ACLU) and Stevens to the United States Supreme Court. Republicans and neither is exactly conservative now are they. In fact if I recall there were 0 votes against Ginsburg. Rachel Maddow is truly misinformed. Talk about someone that is out there with Beck.

On another note I get the impression that there might be a primary challenge to President Obama. Seems a former VP is starting to spout off like a candidate and that would be Mr. Global Warming Al Gore. Current Tv

So while Obama says he is working for jobs, he is killing the businesses that provide them. Bottom line: You can't be pro-jobs and anti-business. You are one or the other.

Let me ask you something.

When the top marginal tax rate was at 90%, was American business withering on the vine? Were we growing, or contracting?

In that "hostile to business" climate, why did business - and the middle class, and the country as a whole - thrive?

"Bruce proclaims: Again, this administration seems downright hostile toward business, laying on new taxes and regulations at every opportunity."

=======================================================================

Bruce last time I looked taxes were the lowest they have been in 60 years, you realize business taxes have been lowered since Obama took office don't you? What "hostile" regulations are you talking about Bruce, I don't recall any. Fact is Bruce this country has coddled buisness and de-regulated for 20 some years and all business has done in return is ship jobs overseas and cut workers pay and benefits, business does not give a damn about the well being of this country or it's citizens so why the hell would anyone want to be"pro-business" unless they themselves are one of the greedy bastards that own a business and is receiving all the tax breaks and perks? Answer that Bruce.

Bruce-308647

One of the factors that contributed to the jump in the federal debt was the effect of the recession on tax revenue. Fewer people working means fewer tax payers. Hence, improving the economy is one way of lowering the federal debt. Which is what President Obama was trying to do until the Tea Party won House seats in 2010.

Bruce-308647

The comment that "people think job creation is more important than spending cuts" show that people just don't get it and don't understand the issues. Spending cuts are necessary because we've run up over FOURTEEN TRILLION DOLLARS in debt! It simply can't continue.

As I said yesterday the we includes former President GW Bush

1. Two unfunded wars under Bush and passed by Republicans;
2. An unfunded tax cut to the very wealthy under Bush;
3. Unfunded tax refunds to average citizens under Bush;
4. Unfunded Drug Deal with Big Pharma under Bush

The costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were kept off the books. When President Obama came in to office, he put them on the books. If Republicans had a man's backbone, they would accept responsibility. But there is not one single man among them.

As for jobs, what can congress do? Congress doesn't create jobs. Well at least they shouldn't. THIS administration, however, would love to just give every American a government job. But in reality, it is the private sector that employs people. Congress' role should be to create an environment favorable to business so that businesses can expand and grow (and hire). Again, this administration seems downright hostile toward business, laying on new taxes and regulations at every opportunity. So while Obama says he is working for jobs, he is killing the businesses that provide them. Bottom line: You can't be pro-jobs and anti-business. You are one or the other.

Oh Bruce you got a whole lot of explainig to do in order to justice how and why the private sector, after getting their tax cuts under Bush and almost seven months ago haven't created any jobs here in America..

Wrong; President Obama is the only one trying to help the small business (not the Koch Brothers, Hedge Fund Managers, Wall Mart Folks etc)

You will not find one really leading economist agrees that massive cuts is a good idea in this environment, and for sure they do not agree that Spending Cuts alone is the answere. They (both republican and democratic economist) say you also need to increase revenues as well.

That is the reality and the facts not your GOP/TP talking points.

Really more taxes on small business owners (lmao your gunna hate this "JOB CREATORS") is good for business!

It's simple econonics 101 Bruce. Your version is Hoover-nomics. Government CAN stimulate jobs growth by investing in infrastructure, research and development, providing more money to states for education and state projects, etc. Deficit spending is necessary; it is what every president (R or D) has done when a recession hits.

Herbert Hoover cut government spending during a recession and caused the Great Depression. While getting the deficit and debt under control in the out years is important, cutting too much in a fragile economy will actually create more deficit and debt by decreasing revenues even further. Take away government money and public-sector jobs and you remove more money from the economy, decrease revenues and cause further economic decline. It becomes a viscious downward spiral which is exactly what Hoover's spending cuts created. For those who say it wasn't FDR's policies that lifted the country from depression, it was WWII. WWII was massive government deficit spending, not budget cuts. We didn't short-change fighting a war, we shouldn't short-change fighting the great recession either.

Beverly HOW DARE YOU LIST FACTS!

This Is TOTALLY TRUE !

What the H__— ?

After watching the clips of Chis Christie's statements, I'm totally shocked that he would have the guts to say and do the right things in defiance of what the Tea Party and many in the GOP would consider treason (or at least publicly claim to).

Muslim Americans have rights and should be respected as citizens in our communities. The whole Sharia law argument in regards to the US legal system is crap. Many innocent Muslim Americans were subjected to illegal detention by the FBI post 9/11. Holding someone's Muslim faith as the single issue against them to deny them opportunities that any other American would have is stupid. He's tired of dealing with the crazies who believe or spread all of this nonsense.

Maybe this will start a new trend where people in the GOP will quit pandering to the Tea Party and Religious Right and stand up for what they actually believe in. First McCain, and now Christie.... Who's next in the GOP to denounce the crazies (aka: hobbits, Tea Party, far right wing nutcases)?

The teabaggers exist only to en-rich the already rich that bankroll them. They want to turn this country into a playground for the wealthy elite where the top 2% have all of the other 98%'s wealth and property. May sound great if you are part of that top 2% but if you are part of the 98% with nothing it sucks Jim.

really they are being bankrolled!

All Land in GOP CORPORATE TEXAS is ( 98% ) PRIVATELY OWNED !

W..Bush You Are In H_____

A day without Nashville is like a day without sunshine. You fine like frog hair spit too there Nash.

I keep hearing talk about the President "pivoting" to jobs, but the simple truth is from the moment he was sworn in, the President has been working on jobs. The stimulus was about jobs. Health reform was about jobs. Saving GM was about jobs. The payroll tax holiday was about jobs. The President's infrastructure proposals and trade deals are about jobs. Millions of Americans would not have an unemployment check right now if the President had not agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts as demanded by the "corporate people.

And none of them worked, Obama is reponsible for their failure, and he will lose his re-election in 2012.

IR:

Your lead off post today really made me smile . . . at least now I know what the teabaggers really have in their tea cups . . . that explains a lot! :o)

(Seems like always have someone dumping on my front porch around here these days . . . oh well . . . maybe one day Joanna will run out of stupid stuff to post . . . I won't hold my breath though. )

You are a joke...all this man has done is campaign to get re-elected .......his HC reform (that's what you call it??) was and is terrible...GM he did save jobs on that agreed.........Union jobs....no one needs try to destroy his Presidency he is doing a might fine job on that one thing!

This guy is supposed to be the leader of the country where are his plans for jobs?? he has been in there 2 1/2 years and he and this horrible congress own this whole freaking mess!

Dear Nancy:

President Obama had done a real good job in a real bad situation. It is easy to complain and tear stuff down, but harder to present solutions of your own. Name one thing that the President could have/should have done for the economy that he didn't do? The Congress refuses to do their jobs, and that is the problem. Demonizing the President is just political theater.

Ahh, Nash, don't be so bitter. It's not your fault Obama is such a failure. Don't take it personal or anything.

NF: I won't hold my breath though

Oh please do. Liberal tantrums are so much fun to watch.

Nashville, thank you for articulating so well what I have been feeling since Obama got elected. The President has been encouraging consumers and investors to have confidence in our economy and the Republicans have been running along side him, trying to tear that confidence down.

All, because they think its the way for them to win back power in 2012.

The unintentional comedy stylings of NF;

"the ego driven political/media alliance that decided the President Obama was just to uppity for their tastes."

_______________________________________________________________________________

Yes, it must be RACISM. Thanks for calling anyone who disagrees with or criticizes the President a BIGOT, yet again.

Like these two...they're not fooling Nash, they just want to destroy the president because they think he's too UPPITY! lol

________________________________________________________________________

Cornell West and Tavis Smiley Launch Nationwide Poverty Tour This Weekend

Princeton professor Cornel West and PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley, both vocal critics of President Obama, will embark on a “poverty tour” this weekend that will take them to 16 poor communities across the nation. It kicks off Sunday in Obama’s hometown of Chicago. Although according to West, “it is not an anti-Obama tour,” it does seek to highlight what they say is lack of effort by both the president and Congress to address the needs of the Americans who have been hardest hit by the recession. West recently discussed the road trip’s goals with BET.com, as well as some of the criticism he’s received for speaking out against Obama.

http://www.bet.com/news/national/2011/08/05/cornell-west-and-tavis-smiley-launch-nationwide-poverty-tour-this-weekend.html

They must Republican/Corporate/Racists or something. Right?

As usual, dangerfield's dump is the stinkiest of all. I am so glad that I have years of wasted time trying to "converse" with dangerfield so I no longer have to pretend like he is a real person giving his opinion.

100% troll.

so I no longer have to pretend like he is a real person giving his opinion.

Careful there Nash -- when cornered DF will threaten to knock your teeth out & call you a liar!

Here, you can borrow my shovel, a broom isn't going to cut it in cleaning up his mess! ;o)

So true Feisty, so true . . . dangerfield is a master $#@# shoveler of the highest order . . . but, hey, at least he is an "independent" . . . so that makes the crap he posts less crappy, right?

P.S. Girl, we are not going to spend our Friday shoveling other folks' dimwitted dumps . . . let's just step right over it and head over to the Dew Drop instead! :o)

100% troll.

They just don't make them like they used to! lol

head over to the Dew Drop instead! :o)

Agreed - we'll let them wallow in it!

Excellent, Nashville.

President Obama has been focused on jobs since Day One; it is the media that allows the GOP to hijack the narrative to their created crisis of the week. The media fails to ask the GOP why they blocked the numerous jobs-creating legislation from 2009 through today. On Hardball last night when asked why US airports such as LAX are ancient, ugly and rundown, Ray LaHood stated that the Department of Transportation has not been funded for two years (not counting the dollars for the stimulus package). It operates on extensions and re-authorizations of pre-2009 budgets. He said there are many projects waiting for the money, projects that would put people to work and help the economy. The reason: the GOP blocks every effort to fund the DOT. Where's the media story on that. If Chris Matthews had not asked the question he did, I would not have known this.

NF

Well, thanks for not flagging my post from WBLS promoting Tavis Smiley's and Cornell West's Poverty Tour as advertising, or going after my home life and family as you have often done to others before. You are the soul of the "gang" NF. What exactly was it that upset you so much about my refuting your odious insinuations that criticism of the President is tantamount to RACISM yet again? It's a spurious and divisive argument.

I didn't see that you mentioned what you thought of the tour, do you approve? Are they right?

The AW is on ignore, so I only read your lovely replies, and I wouldn't have expected anything less from you.

Have a nice imaginary cold one at the make-believe Ol' Dew Drop Inn on me, and thanks again for not flagging me as advertising.

Has anyone ever noticed how these trolls always try to make the conversation about them and how they are being treated instead of the issues?

I did.

P.S. Because I am feeling generous today and I would like you to shovel your own poop off my front porch dangerfield, I will say this:

I agree with Cornel West and Tavis Smiley that the poor are getting the shaft. But I disagree that it is President Obama's fault. Congress wants to charge sh!t when they want to (wars and tax cuts) and "cut the deficit" when it is time to actually do something for the American people instead of the "corporate people". They are counting on most Americans to lump President Obama in with their lazy arses.

And as far as you trying to pretend like I called your sh!t stirring behind a racist? I'll take your word for it.

I consider your increasingly scatological posts unintentional comedy and unconscious self-parody...and you can take my word for that.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And as far as you trying to pretend like I called your sh!t stirring behind a racist?

"@!$%# stirring behind" ; lol who are you Anita from Birmingham?

No, NF, I called you a race baiter and you are...

your words;

no price was too high to pay to destroy Barack Obama. So now we must all suffer the consequences of the short sightedness of the ego driven political/media alliance that decided the President Obama was just to uppity for their tastes."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

you were characterizing the president's opponents as RACISTS, obviously race-baiting with the use of "uppity" and that is what I responded to. But you knew that didn't you?

2.
Uppity

Word used by racist old white Southerners to refer to any black person who looks them in the eye. Usually followed by ni**&^.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=uppity

The only pretend is your gang's pretend playhouse...

dangerfield:

Urban dictionary? lol

How about Merriam-Webster:

": putting on or marked by airs of superiority : arrogant, presumptuous"

Like I said, if you want to be racist, I don't have a problem with that. But stop dropping your @#$# on my porch, mmmmkay?

Super troll is what you are. And a jealous one at that.

Damn.

Back to ignoring you and the colassal turds you leave around here daily.

Well you can claim expertise in the field of excrement, being so full of it yourself and believing that you and your gang's doesn't stink. But you know you were using the term to insinuate racism, and your attempts to weasel-word your way out when I caught you only serve to reinforce that truth. anyway...

Back to mocking you and your "Tiger Beat" style worship of "President Bieber" and thoroughly enjoying the unintentional humor you provide...like all this talk about shoveling sh!t and the fact that you are a "fan"... And the crap you throw out there (I'm jealous of what? YOU?) is gonna boomerang...watch out when it hits!...lol

President Obama has been focused on jobs since Day One; it is the media that allows the GOP to hijack the narrative to their created crisis of the week. The media fails to ask the GOP why they blocked the numerous jobs-creating legislation from 2009 through today. On Hardball last night when asked why US airports such as LAX are ancient, ugly and rundown, Ray LaHood stated that the Department of Transportation has not been funded for two years (not counting the dollars for the stimulus package). It operates on extensions and re-authorizations of pre-2009 budgets. He said there are many projects waiting for the money, projects that would put people to work and help the economy. The reason: the GOP blocks every effort to fund the DOT. Where's the media story on that. If Chris Matthews had not asked the question he did, I would not have known this.

Jody, Jody, Jody Could there be no funding because the Democratic controlled Senate and before this year the Democratic controlled House did not pass a budget. I seem to recall that the democrats jammed Obamacare through. Why not the funding for the DOT the same way, because the democrat votes were not there. It's not just the republicans that stop it, it is also democrats that wouldn't vote for it. No media story from the main stream media, think progressive, etc possibly because there was nothing they could say without accusing democrats also. You also said you would not have known this but for Chris Matthews, how much would you know if not for Rachel, Keith, Ed, Lawrence, thinkprogressive, media matters, moveon, huffington post not much huh.

And it hits right here; Try to lie your way out now...

Courtney Hazlett, MSNBC Talking Head, Calls Spike Lee "Uppity"

Original Post: On Friday's "Morning Joe," MSNBC gossip "reporter" Courtney Hazlett used a insulting — and perceived by many to be racist — word in describing the Spike Lee-Clint Eastwood feud that began last month in Cannes. Introducing today's developments, in which Eastwood smacked Lee down with a "shut your face," Hazlett described how the feud began:

"During the Cannes Film Festival...Spike Lee got really uppity about Clint Eastwood and about how there were no African Americans involved in the filming of 'Flags of our Fathers' or 'Letters from Iwo Jima.'"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/06/courtney-hazlett-msnbc-ta_n_105652.html

Is using the term UPPITY racist now?

Apparently so. A Georgia congressman called Obama uppity and is now being called a racist for using that word to describe him.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/west…
elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/05/georg…

Many readers, black and white, interpreted Westmoreland's comment as racist and offensive. In The Atlantic online, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote:

Uppity is exactly the term white thugs and terrorists used to use for high-achieving blacks--right before they burned down their neighborhoods and ran them out of town. Only this time, they're going for the whole country.

Almost immediately, Westmoreland's spokesman claimed his boss was being misinterpreted. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (which pointed out that Westmoreland "was born and raised in the South"), Westmoreland insisted "he'd never heard 'uppity' used in a racially loaded fashion."

Come on Nash - let's head over to the Dew Drop Inn.

Not only is it starting to get deep - the stench is overwhelming!

PS: I think he's got a secret crush on you! He just can't seem to get enough abuse! ;o)

Jim, anyone who has had any business class, will tell you that tax increases in a recession is a terrible move. obama even said this when he extended the Bush tax cuts. And your Keysian democrats want to increase taxes. The only people spending money are the wealthy and you want to take more money out of their pockets. If you do that, who is left to spend money? Spending cuts have to be made. We have over 300 billion in fruaud and waste. Whether you like spending cuts or not, it sure seems like we should get rid of the fraud.

No they won't, they will tell you that in this economic times Spending Cuts are wrong, you need to increase spending and raise revenues.

Mark the wealthy in this country are not spending, not in this country anyway, they are currently sitting on about 4 trillion in cash.

Sure....... that's what I do. When I run out of money I go in my back room, pull out my credit card maker and do myself up a VISA with $0k new credit limit. Then I log into my new credit account and reduce the interest to 2% ! Am I alone on this plan?......Well am I?

So Mark, how do you explain the job growth when Clinton raised taxes during a recession? Go ahead, give it your best shot. Clinton created 23.1 million jobs in 8 years with higher taxes in 6 of those years; Bush 43 created 3 million jobs with low taxes for almost the entire 8 years.

If taxes are too high, such as the 90% bracket under Eisenhower, reducing them can impact the economy but when taxes are low already as with Bush 43, dropping them even more will have a minimal impact plus it creates massive deficit and debt especially when everything Bush and the GOP did was unfunded spending. Bush would have had better results had he targeted the tax cuts for those whose earnings are at the middle and lower levels and left the high end rate the same.

Jim - you obviously took your economic classes at a community college. You don't raise taxes on people - any of them - in an economic down turn. For govt to spend more money - you have to tax more and that is exactly the wrong thing to do. Go read FDR's Treasury secretary's comments after 8 years of Keynesian economic spending. He admits it was the wrong thing to do. We are in the same situation today. We have spent like crazy and have nothing to show for it but more debt.

The worst thing we can do is have this POTUS pivot and focus on jobs - it hasn't worked everytime he has focused like a laser on jobs.

The end of an error - Jan 20 2013 - 1 Term 0bama's last day in office.

"Nancy" really, the worst president ever? This is what happens when you get a divided government, which the general public usually votes for. They fail to realize that tea party candidates really had no agenda for the American people, they were following their own agenda and playing off the fears of folks that were never going to vote anything other than republican in the first place. Independents aren't really independent voters, they lean one way or the other period. If your independently liberal you will vote democrat, if your independently conservative you will vote republican. The true independent idea is a myth. We get what we deserve when we fail to turn out and vote what is in our best interest, the middle class had done this for decades. Term limits (no more than two terms) should apply to every politician. The founding fathers warned us of "career politicians" and we didn't heed those warnings. Don't complain America, you voted for a divided government and that's just what you got.

I agree, Mav-3674058

I understand people vote for divided government in order to be "fair" to the other side, and in hope that competing ideas will lead to better solutions, however, the 2010 Tea Party freshmen threw a monkey wrench into the system by flat out refusing to compromise with the President.

Instead of robust debate over the debt issue, we got a coup. The House went nuts.

"MJD" right on! True progressives are needed on both sides of the isle. The typical Washington thinking will not resolve the issues that face this country. The sad part about all of this is that the issues can be resolved, there is enough brain power in this country to do so, unfortunately it doesn't reside in Washington. Ironically, no corporate taxes would have to be raised if you closed all the loopholes and subsidies. SS would be solvent with a few minor tweaks and Medicaid would be fixed if you allowed competition with Canadian drug companies on pricing. The choices are tough and some issues more complex than others, but this isn't rocket science.

don't insult Carter that way!

Steven B and Nancy - easy to criticize and some points are valid. However, let's be honest here, you can't turn around an economy that basically collapsed in 2008 in just two years, that's tad amount to turning an aircraft carrier in a storm. The problem is Obama went centrist and basically used the GWB formula and republican mantras which haven't worked. His stimulus plan consisted of 40% tax cuts which never spur job growth. Job growth under GWB was the worst since Dwight Eisenhower. What did GWB do when he came into office? Cut taxes and used deregulation, what did that get us? Yes, Obama has the wrong economic advisers, I will concede that, but we put that bad congress in place and I don't care if George Washington was president president today, it would be the same result.

you can't turn around an economy that basically collapsed in 2008 in just two years, that's tad amount to turning an aircraft carrier in a storm.

Yet, in these very pages there are people blaming the GOP and the TEA party folk for not doing the exact same thing, in just 8 months.

And the GOP has a majority only in the House. The Senate and WH will just say 'no' to whatever comes from the GOP-led house.

Steve B, the difference is, we don't see the Republicans doing anything to improve the economy besides cutting taxes, under the theory, apparently, that low taxes create jobs. Of, course, it didn't work for the past decade, but Republicans are sticking to their one and only idea.

What else have Republicans proposed to create jobs? Do tell me what Republicans have proposed to create jobs that the President has threatened to veto.

One of the major problems with getting our economy going is the unfunded tax cuts and unfunded wars. These were both the two worst mistakes of the bush presidentcy.

What is the major demand of the republican party? unfunded tax cuts and unfunded wars with a twist just take from the poor to balance our budget.

Democrats are being judged on their driving skills while still trying to get out the ditch all the way with the republican anchors of unfunded tax cuts and unfunded wars still attached and trying to drag us back in.

Obama 2012 with a sea of blue to surround him

The country is a sea of Red right now. It will be an electoral college landslide against 0bama - Michigan is trending against 0bama for heaven's sake. 1 Term 0bama has already lost OH, PA, NC, VA & FL and even NJ is in play. 1 Term 0 will win 13 or 14 states and the rest will be a sea of Red sending 1 Term 0 back to community agitate for Rahmbo.

So Jim - now you are smarter and know better than the govt economists. According to Debbie Wasserman Schutz - the Democrats own this economy - which they do - finally a Dem that tells the truth - all be it accidentally.

Anyone who did sign Norquist's oath should be immediately removed from office, IMO. I have no love or respect for either party, but I haven't heard of any Democrats signing a Norquist-type oath.

Excellent points Jim! These teabaggers are an assault on the very constitution they claim to defend.

Nothing is good, yet. We are far from being out of the woods.

I don't agree, time4truth.

A Democratic majority Congress passed and the President signed, a healthcare reform bill that gets 95% of the people covered for health insurance AND lowers the federal deficit by $130 billion over the first ten years.

I call that a significant achievement. don't see what Republicans have done or proposed to do that is the equivalent.

As an Inde, I am having a pretty hard time finding a way to blame Obama for the Recession Bush created, At the same time I am having a hard time blaming Democrats for it in general considering they spent Bush's last 2 years telling us this was going to happen while Bush denied any problems and veto'd every attempt they made to avoid it, Now 2 years into Obama's Presidency we have seen Republicans hold the unemployed hostage to force the continuation of the Bush taxcut fiasco ($860 billion added to the deficit over 2 years) while fighting tooth and nail to retain taxcuts for the rich (Obama has tried since day one to level out the tax field by raising taxes on those making millions off of the rest of the USA suffering a recession)

Bo

from another Independents point of view, I AGREE 100% with you. I think you have to have blinders on to not see it and agree with you

Bo & Robert - neither of you are Independents - its OK to admit that you are liberal Democrats. According to the IRS there are less than 250,000 people who make more than a million dollars a year and according to Forbes there are only 435 billionaires in the US. If you add up all the tax cuts they get - its $70 billion per year. The rest of all of us get tax cuts of $330 billion per year. This POTUS spent $850 billion on a stimulus plan that even he admited didn't work. The blame Bush strategy didn't work very well for you in 2010. I hope you try it in 2012 because there will be a great GOP candidate hammering away on all the problems that have been caused by this POTUS. He has already surpassed Jimmy Carter as the worst POTUS ever and is headed toward causing another world wide depression.