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Subscribe to RSSThe Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd explains why President Barack Obama needs to find good news in the economic picture.
Another weak jobs report – just 80,000 jobs added, unemployment stuck at 8.2%. It takes the pressure off Romney after what’s been a rough couple of weeks … Romney considering foreign-policy push and Romney/RNC/Victory Fund rake in $100 million for June… All these leaks look like a Romney still trying to quell the right’s critics. … Obama made most stops for him this campaign yesterday in Ohio with five. He makes three more today – two in Ohio and one in Pittsburgh. … In Cincinnati NBC affiliate interview, Obama accuses Romney of not standing firm on principle and caving to the right, dismissed the tax vs. penalty argument, and believes the states will implement Medicaid expansion – eventually. … And what exactly is in the water in the Illinois congressional delegation?
*** Stalled – another disappointing jobs report: Despite things appearing to break the president’s way in the past couple of weeks – from immigration to health care, we’re reminded this morning what this election is all about – the economy, with yet another mediocre-to-bad jobs report. The economy added just 80,000 jobs in June and unemployment remained unchanged at 8.2%. It’s the third straight month of weak hiring. We noted yesterday that despite all of the problems Romney’s had over the past couple of weeks that today would reset that conversation if it was a poor jobs report. No one’s happier about this report than the Romney campaign, because it takes the pressure off, which is a delicate irony since the GOP can’t be seen as rooting for bad news. By the way, here’s a pretty good way to gauge the political reaction to the four remaining jobs reports of this campaign: any number under 100,000 will benefit Romney, between 100,000 and 150,000 is a push, and over 150,000 will benefit Obama. The president’s expected to address the jobs report at 10:40 am ET during a stop in Poland, OH.
Frederic J. Brown / AFP - Getty Images
People walk past a sign leading to a job center in Rosemead, east of downtown of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley in this May 24, 2012 file photo in California.
*** Romney continues to try and quell the right: With news out today that Romney is considering a foreign-policy push this summer with a trip to Europe and his $100 million month (joint with the RNC and Victory Fund), it seems the Romney folks are trying to leak some stuff out to calm down the Bill Kristols and Paul Gigots of the world. By the way, none of the changes noted in this piece seem to be real big changes but just the type of nuggets that will calm the nervous nellies down. By the way, the power of Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul owner of The Wall Street Journal, New York Post and Fox News, who started this tempest with just a Tweet, is notable here. Not only does the Aussie control those conservative media outlets, he also apparently wields enough influence that the Romney campaign felt it needed to make some adjustments. What’s makes it even more incredible is, as the New York Times reports, Romney and Murdoch aren’t even close. Murdoch got close to the Clintons and the Bushes. But he could never get close to Obama, because he bet on the Clintons, and now, he’s not really close to Romney, either.
*** Obama to Romney: ‘Your principles matter’: Back in October, Obama adviser David Plouffe said on Meet the Press of Romney: "He has no core." The president seemed to echo that yesterday in an interview with NBC Cincinnati affiliate, hitting Romney for changing his position on the mandate and caving to political pressure from the right. "On the health care bill, Mr. Romney was one of the biggest promoters of the individual mandate," Obama will say in the interview to air this morning. "That's exactly what's included as part of my health care plan...And the fact that a whole bunch of Republicans in Washington suddenly said, this is a tax -- for six years he said it wasn't, and now he has suddenly reversed himself. So the question becomes, are you doing that because of politics? Are you abandoning a principle that you fought for, for six years simply because you're getting pressure for two days from Rush Limbaugh or some critics in Washington?...One of the things that you learn as President is that what you say matters and your principles matter. And sometimes, you've got to fight for things that you believe in and you can't just switch on a dime." So the president went to the “flip-flopper” charge the first chance he got. A reminder, by the way, that it could be the most potent thing against Romney and why Romney’s folks are ALWAYS more sensitive to it than even the ideological issues.
*** Obama dismisses talk of tax vs. penalty…: Obama also weighed into the tax vs. penalty fray – and he took the opportunity to hit Romney: “This was the same kind of approach that was taken in Massachusetts - when Governor Romney implemented his plan. Less than 1% of the people have been impacted in Massachusetts, and it's estimated that less than 1% of the people throughout the U.S. will be impacted by this so-called individual mandate, so whether you call it a tax, a penalty, a mandate, whatever you call it, what it is - is if you can afford to buy health insurance, don't dump those costs on somebody else.”
*** …And bets states implement Medicaid: And he talked about states with conservative governors threatening to refuse Medicaid funds that could help the poorest get on the rolls. Obama’s betting that eventually politics “fades away” and it’s implemented. “What's going to happen,” the president said, “and we saw this when Medicare first started, a lot of times politics gets in the way of common sense and so there are a lot of Republican governors who feel pressure from Rush Limbaugh and members of Congress not to implement and so they think it's bad politics. Over time, though, when they start seeing that more and more people in states that do implement are getting a better deal on their health insurance, costs are going down, fewer people are uninsured, over time, what happens is the politics fades away and this thing gets implemented.”
*** Most Obama campaign stops in a day this cycle: Some of us watching the campaign have wondered just when it will kick into high gear. Most of what we’ve seen from both campaigns since the end of the GOP primary is fundraising mixed in with an event or two a day – not town halls and multiple stops in at local bars, diners, soda shops. But yesterday, President Obama made five stops in Ohio – the most he’s made this cycle, his campaign confirms. The most non-fundraising stops Romney has made in a day recently since the end of the primary was three on his bus tour weeks ago. And don’t miss the beer drinking at some of the unplanned stops…
*** POTUS will talk about jobs report later this morning: Today, Obama makes two more stops in Ohio – Boardman at 9:35 am ET and an elementary school in Poland at 10:40 am ET, where he will talk about the jobs report. He then heads to Pittsburgh for an event at Carnegie Mellon University at 12:50 pm ET. There, at one of the top engineering schools in the country, Obama will press this case, per the campaign – “Like other industrial Midwest states, Pennsylvania is benefitting from President Obama's vision of an economy built to last, where hard work pays, responsibility is rewarded and everyone plays by the same rules.” Obama won Mahoning County in Northeastern, Ohio, where Boardman and Poland are, 62-36%, in 2008. He won Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is, 57-42%.
*** What’s in the Illinois water? What’s going on with the bizarre, bipartisan behavior in the Chicago-area Illinois delegation? Joe Walsh had a strange interview yesterday trying to walk back from comments he made implying Tammy Duckworth, a double amputee, wasn’t a true hero. The fact is this wasn’t the first weird rant we’ve seen out of Walsh. It’s becoming clearer by the day that he has accidental “wave” members written all over him. All he’s doing is cementing his future. If you’re the NRCC and House Speaker Boehner, you hope you hold control with this guy going away. And then there’s the strange case of Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. His office yesterday said he’s out on leave for “exhaustion” and checked himself into an in-patient treatment facility. All of this comes as there’s lots of speculation that an indictment could come down any day in addition to personal problems in his marriage and an ongoing investigation into his role in the Blagojevich problems. He’s been missing for days, unaccounted for. Now he’s accounted for, sort of, as his office hasn’t said where Jackson has checked himself into or exactly why.
Countdown to GOP convention: 52 days
Countdown to Dem convention: 59 days
Countdown to Election Day: 123 days
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Ugh…not the jobs report we wanted to see. Hopefully this can turn around. Whether Dem, Rep, or Ind, we should all be rooting for a strong economy. What is scary is that 1/3 of the job growth was from "temporary services". The other scary thing is that for several months in a row, we haven't created enough jobs to keep up with population growth, and yet the unemployment rate has remained mostly unchanged. Conventional wisdom suggests that means more people have given up looking. :-(
Hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday and has a great weekend!! :-)
Betting on America
That would be what the Obama people are calling his campaign bus tour through some Rust Belt states. You know, the tour in the bus that was made in Canada. I guess when you're president, you can preach to others about betting on America but if the best bus on the market that meets your needs is Canadian, then go for it. You can always try to distract attention from that embarrassing factoid by giving a speech.
But that's just entertaining background for the monthly referendum on the president's performance – the jobs number. Every month these numbers signal to the masses whether the president is a competent steward of the economy or a failure. And today (once again) the verdict is failure because today (once again) the jobs numbers were dismal.
The problem for the president is he can't distract attention from our slow motion economic recovery just by giving a few speeches. To be sure, he's tried mightily and the entire focus of his campaign has been to talk about anything except the economy. That's why we have the class warfare stuff and the war on women stuff and the trash Romney's success stuff. But at the end of the day, it's still the economy and the president's dissembling can do nothing to change that underlying reality.
As for Romney, I have to laugh at some of the recent hair pulling from the conservative chattering class that Romney has to shake up his bumbling staff and sharpen his message. All campaigns have their ups and downs, the trick is to have more of the former than the latter. And to his enduring credit, it doesn't look like Romney is pressing any panic buttons just to appease the kibitzers. Instead he's showing the kind of steady calm most Americans like to see in their presidents.
Except for the recent Supreme Court decision that threw the entire political universe for a loop, Romney has steadfastly focused on the economy and driven home the point over and over and over again that the pace of this recovery is unacceptable – and the president is to blame. So the fact of the matter is Romney has been and continues to be on the right side of the central, most important issue in the campaign. Everything else is smoke and mirrors bull$hit.
Because it's still the economy, and we're not stupid.
Another dismal jobs report showing the slow-Bama economic “recovery” is crawling along on its hands and knees, gasping for breath. This is a full three years after the recession officially ended in June 2009. And as the slow-Bama economic “recovery” enters its fourth year there is no reason to expect any improvement in the anemic GDP growth rate of 2%. And more and more economists are looking forward to the “fiscal cliff” Barry has set up for early 2013, and see the US economy plunging back into recession. You’re doin’ a heck of a job, Barry.
Obama 2012 Really, Things Could Be Worse-
Give Me Four More Years and I’ll Prove It
June Job Creation at 80,000; Rate Holds Steady at 8.2%
CNBC.com
| 06 Jul 2012 | 08:32 AM ET
The U.S. economy created just 80,000 jobs in June and the unemployment rate held steady at 8.2 percent, reflecting continued slow growth in the economy with the presidential election just four months away.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said private payrolls increased 84,000, while the government lost 4,000 jobs.
With yet another month of weak employment growth, the second quarter marks the weakest such period in two years.
The unemployment rate is the most closely watched indicator as to whether the Federal Reserve will step in with additional monetary easing.
Recent economic indicators have painted a fairly gloomy picture, with Institute of Supply Management numbers indicating a contraction, though factory orders have jumped and Thursday's ADP private payrolls report was better than expected.
Last month's anemic jobs growth of 69,000 and the rise of the unemployment rate to 8.2 percent sent off a wave of speculation that the central bank would initiate a third round of quantitative easing .
The program entails the Fed buying Treasurys and other debt in an effort to provide liquidity, drive down interest rates and boost risk assets like stocks. At its meeting last month, the Fed decided to extend its Operation Twist program, in which it buys longer-dated securities and sells an equal amount of shorter-term debt.
That differs from QE in that it does not expand the Fed's $2.8 trillion balance sheet.
The Affordable Care Act will prevent 129 million people with pre-existing conditions from being denied care - whether denied by an employer, or by an individual plan.
Yesterday Ohian Stephanie Miller thanked the President for passing the Affordable Care Act, and cried in his arms. Ms. Miller wished her sister had been covered by Obamacare, instead of dying without health care insurance and the care she needed. Her sister had cancer, and did not "qualify" for insurance at the time.
**However, under the ACA in 2014, Stephanie's sister would have been covered.
................................................
Speaking about pre-existing conditions to the National Review, GOP 'Leader' McConnell said he "was not convinced that the issue needs to be addressed at the federal level". Though he himself has government-subsidized insurance, McConnell made clear that in the absence of the ACA, GOP would do little to cover 129 million individuals with 'pre-existing conditions'.
(McConnell went on to praise GOP governors, for blocking a health coverage provision for low-income folks via Medicaid.)
Well, what did you expect given the war on capitalism being waged by Obama. Highest corporate taxes in the world, more debt than all the previous presidents combined, largest welfare state ...
The amateur needs to go!
Stop Obama's war on the middle class now!
From the 4th of July to Election Day it is the Economy, the Economy, the Economy.
It sucks and will be the reason we will have a new President Elected in November.
Economic reality always wins.
I had a great Independence Day grilling with family and friends and toasting to that great Revolutionary War patriot Samuel Adams. I hope all the FR lefty liberals enjoyed their July 4th Government-dependence Day holiday. There must have been much happiness knowing that 30 million people will soon become dependent on “free” govt healthcare. And Barry’s ClunkerCare HCR will also reduce the federal deficit at the same time as it gives away “free” govt healthcare. It’s hard to fathom that some people actually believe that load of crap. In the immortal words of Mayor Bloomberg in his July 4th speech at the Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest: “Who writes this sh!t?”
Where are all of the Libs R Us tree house gang to rebut the crummy jobs report with more of their BS??? Backhouse/Navy's comment doesn't count because he can't stay on topic.
I guess they are waiting for their talking points to come in.
This will only get better when we get the incompetent - in - chief out this November.
If wealthy people like Mitt Romney were investing the US instead of offshoring their money jobs and the economy would be doing much better.
Incredibly, now that the Obamacare is here to stay and is ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court, GOP/Koch is still talking wharbling on about "repeal and replace".
But GOP/Koch has zero ideas/plans to cover more than 30 million first-time consumers in 2014; no ideas how to cover young people on their parents' plans till they are 26 years old; no plans for covering folks with pre-existing condtions, etc, etc. All provisions that are, or will be covered by the Affordable Care Act.
(Fox News last Sunday):
WALLACE: I just want to ask, what specifically are you going to do to provide universal coverage to the 30 million people who are uninsured?
MCCONNELL: That is not the issue."
McConnell. who has government-subsidized insurance, had no answers or vision for those important big questions. With the handy reminder of R & R stamped his forehead, all McConnell had was the usual GOP talking points...selling health insurance across state lines and medical malpractice reform.
Uh, Navy? Bill Clinton put the pre-existing condition clause into federal law during his presidency. You're over a decade late, and a whole lotta dollars short with that one.
Got a lot of work to do, so here's my
Here is what else happened this week-
Things are not going so well for team Obama this week. The president, himself, has been telling anybody who will listen that the Romney campaign will have raised over a hundred million in June, whereas he, fundraising with only the little people like Anna Wintour and George Clooney, will not come close to that amount. To put it plainly, Obama is getting pretty desperate
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/30/exclusive-president-obama-asks-campaign-donors-to-send-him-more-money.html
It's pretty tough, when you do over a hundred and seventy $38,500 a plate fundraisers, and get beat by a guy whose top dollar fundraisers are only $2500 plate. Obama runs raffles- for dinner with himself, for crying out loud! (who wins those, anyway? Anybody know? Maybe some actual journalist could look into it.). Sadly, though, it all seems for naught- now, even young voters seem able to resist Obama's irresistible charm
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/us/politics/economy-cuts-into-obamas-youth-support.html?_r=1
Given the state of the economy, the kids may be smarter than the media gives them credit for-at least, they are smart enough to abandon the Obama economic sinking ship.
Speaking of the economy, manufacturing contracted for the first time in three years
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/02/us-usa-economy-manufacturing-idUSBRE8610QT20120702
This news did not permeate the atmosphere in Obama's delusional world. Just days after this report, he was in Ohio repeating an already debunked claim that manufacturing had increased during his administration. With Quarter one GDP an anemic 1.9%, it is not a stretch to believe we are about to enter a double dip, but, according to Obama, the economy is coming up roses.
On the other hand, once again we are treated to news of record car sales
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/business/us-car-sales-climbed-in-june.html?_r=1
Funny thing- "record car sales" in the first quarter never materialized into "record car registrations". Taking into consideration the reality that the overwhelming majority of car buyers do not make those purchases simply because they have extra space in their garages, BEA used the lack of registration of said phantom sales as one of the adjustments that reduced GDP in the first quarter. Five will get ya ten that happens again in the second quarter.
In other economic news, Initial Claims for unemployment were posted as 374,000-well above the 350,000 mark that indicates unemployment will be dropping. Stand by for the adjustment- the prior week was adjusted up by 2000- and history seems to indicate that, in this administration, big drops are followed by big, upward, adjustments. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.2%, with the economy producing a meager number of jobs- while Obama runs around the country touting his level of success.
In convention news, yet another democrat ignores the DNC edict on endorsing Obama
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/07/02/3358669/democrat-kissell-bucks-party-on.html
Kissell was followed by another democrat who is just to busy to go to Charlotte
http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/07/another-dem-will-skip-dnc-127973.html
At the rate the DNC is releasing hotel rooms, the only hope for Charlotte will be to attract a Mary Kay convention at the same time.
The palpable desperation of the Obama campaign has led it to make false claims in a big dollar ad buy- that is blowing up in its face. First, they falsely claim that Romney continued to run Bain after he left in 1999 to run the Olympics- which would have been a felony, if it were true. Then, they took on Factcheck.org- and Factcheck.org was not having any
http://factcheck.org/2012/07/factcheck-to-obama-camp-your-complaint-is-all-wet/
So, the Romney campaign went up with its OWN ads- featuring the Factcheck.org rebuttal to Obama.
http://factcheck.org/2012/06/obamas-outsourcer-overreach/
Great move, Obama! In addition to deficit spending your campaign coffers, you've been revealed as a desperate liar. As a result, in the states chosen for the lying ads, any Obama ads at all- about unemployment, or GDP growth, or the sun rising in the east- will be met with the skepticism they deserve. For that, Romney should send a thank you note. You'd think that having eleven months to rethink a strategy that could not help but fail would have informed their decision, but, not in the alternate reality inhabited by Obama and his campaign staff
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60921.html
Pssst- Obama campaign? It is not working. It's having the same success rate as your gift registry fundraising effort.
Obama's desperation has led him to have visions- or, in his case, delusions. In the land of plaid skies that is Obamaworld, the economy is doing fine- well, at least, the private sector. Obama, in his delusions, has worn himself thin by doing all the right things- but, darn it, people do not recognize it. Rather than focus on all the good things Obama has done, they insist on focusing on unemployment, limping GDP, and skyrocketing debt! So, Obama is going on another bus tour, to tell them he has been successful!
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/236039-obama-team-touts-economic-record-ahead-of-midwest-bus-tour
I'm sure that folks in the MidWest will be reminded that it's Bush's fault; ATMs, airport kiosks, and the Internet ate all the jobs; there was a Japanese tsunami that caused all the solar plants he invested taxpayer borrowed dollars in to go belly up; and, by the way, the Europeans would not listen to his excellent economic advice, so go figure.
In other campaign news, the Romney campaign has refused to listen to David Axelrod's advice, so has not declared a cease-fire on Obamacare. Axe based this advice on a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, (Kaiser, Kaiser- why is that name so familiar? Oh, yeah! George Kaiser ran off with half a billion is taxpayer dollars for a firm that went belly-up!). Funny thing about that poll- CNN was out with a poll the next day that showed just the opposite.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/docs/2012/CNN_healthcare_0702.pdf
The really bad news in this poll? 60% of registered voters in the battlegrounds states want Obamacare repealed. Oh, and the majority- including the majority of the all-important independent voters-think Obamacare will HURT an already limping economy
http://www.gallup.com/poll/155513/Americans-Economic-Harm-Good-Health-Law.aspx
Maybe Axe should go back to advising the Obama campaign-he's actually had a little success lately, in as much as Obama has declared there will be no Martha's Vineyard vacation this year. Optics, guys, optics. No word on where the wife, kids, and mother in law will be spending their summer vacation. They've already done the Costa del Sol, Vail, Europe, and an African safari, so, who knows?
Speaking of "who knows", where the heck is Bill Clinton? Wasn't he supposed to be out there talking up Obama? What happened? He say something wrong? I've been told that, the last time he was on TV, he blinked out the word "torture" in Morse code- but I'm not sure I believe it.
Speaking of "Clinton"- in foreign policy news, Hillary was dispatched to apologize to Pakistan for a drone attack last year, and to ask them pretty please, to reopen our supply routes. Seems to have slipped Obama's mind until now.
The reason it slipped his mind, of course, is that he has been focusing on the really important work of campaigning. Those Obama campaign press releases do not write themselves- nor do they distribute themselves to the media, which prints them as "news". Some of the most laughable of these have been those that tout that the aforementioned "Bain attacks" are working! For proof, just look at the polls! Romney and Obama are virtually tied in every single one! Just like before the ads ran!
Oh. Wait.
Ah, well- limping GDP, high unemployment, skyrocketing debt, absent democrats, and poor fundraising do nothing to dim Obama's rosy visions of success. You'd think that some of his media cheerleaders would do something to cushion the shock he has coming in November- like, maybe, printing something other than his press releases for a change? -but, alas, such is not to be. Well, maybe he can have visions of a second term when
Obama shelved in 2012.
Uh, Navy? Bill Clinton put the pre-existing condition clause into federal law during his presidency. You're over a decade late, and a whole lotta dollars short with that one.
Got a lot of work to do, so here's my
Here is what else happened this week-
Things are not going so well for team Obama this week. The president, himself, has been telling anybody who will listen that the Romney campaign will have raised over a hundred million in June, whereas he, fundraising with only the little people like Anna Wintour and George Clooney, will not come close to that amount. To put it plainly, Obama is getting pretty desperate
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/30/exclusive-president-obama-asks-campaign-donors-to-send-him-more-money.html
It's pretty tough, when you do over a hundred and seventy $38,500 a plate fundraisers, and get beat by a guy whose top dollar fundraisers are only $2500 plate. Obama runs raffles- for dinner with himself, for crying out loud! (who wins those, anyway? Anybody know? Maybe some actual journalist could look into it.). Sadly, though, it all seems for naught- now, even young voters seem able to resist Obama's irresistible charm
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/us/politics/economy-cuts-into-obamas-youth-support.html?_r=1
Given the state of the economy, the kids may be smarter than the media gives them credit for-at least, they are smart enough to abandon the Obama economic sinking ship.
Speaking of the economy, manufacturing contracted for the first time in three years
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/02/us-usa-economy-manufacturing-idUSBRE8610QT20120702
This news did not permeate the atmosphere in Obama's delusional world. Just days after this report, he was in Ohio repeating an already debunked claim that manufacturing had increased during his administration. With Quarter one GDP an anemic 1.9%, it is not a stretch to believe we are about to enter a double dip, but, according to Obama, the economy is coming up roses.
On the other hand, once again we are treated to news of record car sales
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/04/business/us-car-sales-climbed-in-june.html?_r=1
Funny thing- "record car sales" in the first quarter never materialized into "record car registrations". Taking into consideration the reality that the overwhelming majority of car buyers do not make those purchases simply because they have extra space in their garages, BEA used the lack of registration of said phantom sales as one of the adjustments that reduced GDP in the first quarter. Five will get ya ten that happens again in the second quarter.
In other economic news, Initial Claims for unemployment were posted as 374,000-well above the 350,000 mark that indicates unemployment will be dropping. Stand by for the adjustment- the prior week was adjusted up by 2000- and history seems to indicate that, in this administration, big drops are followed by big, upward, adjustments. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.2%, with the economy producing a meager number of jobs- while Obama runs around the country touting his level of success.
In convention news, yet another democrat ignores the DNC edict on endorsing Obama
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/07/02/3358669/democrat-kissell-bucks-party-on.html
Kissell was followed by another democrat who is just to busy to go to Charlotte
http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/07/another-dem-will-skip-dnc-127973.html
At the rate the DNC is releasing hotel rooms, the only hope for Charlotte will be to attract a Mary Kay convention at the same time.
The palpable desperation of the Obama campaign has led it to make false claims in a big dollar ad buy- that is blowing up in its face. First, they falsely claim that Romney continued to run Bain after he left in 1999 to run the Olympics- which would have been a felony, if it were true. Then, they took on Factcheck.org- and Factcheck.org was not having any
http://factcheck.org/2012/07/factcheck-to-obama-camp-your-complaint-is-all-wet/
So, the Romney campaign went up with its OWN ads- featuring the Factcheck.org rebuttal to Obama.
http://factcheck.org/2012/06/obamas-outsourcer-overreach/
Great move, Obama! In addition to deficit spending your campaign coffers, you've been revealed as a desperate liar. As a result, in the states chosen for the lying ads, any Obama ads at all- about unemployment, or GDP growth, or the sun rising in the east- will be met with the skepticism they deserve. For that, Romney should send a thank you note. You'd think that having eleven months to rethink a strategy that could not help but fail would have informed their decision, but, not in the alternate reality inhabited by Obama and his campaign staff
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60921.html
Pssst- Obama campaign? It is not working. It's having the same success rate as your gift registry fundraising effort.
Obama's desperation has led him to have visions- or, in his case, delusions. In the land of plaid skies that is Obamaworld, the economy is doing fine- well, at least, the private sector. Obama, in his delusions, has worn himself thin by doing all the right things- but, darn it, people do not recognize it. Rather than focus on all the good things Obama has done, they insist on focusing on unemployment, limping GDP, and skyrocketing debt! So, Obama is going on another bus tour, to tell them he has been successful!
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/236039-obama-team-touts-economic-record-ahead-of-midwest-bus-tour
I'm sure that folks in the MidWest will be reminded that it's Bush's fault; ATMs, airport kiosks, and the Internet ate all the jobs; there was a Japanese tsunami that caused all the solar plants he invested taxpayer borrowed dollars in to go belly up; and, by the way, the Europeans would not listen to his excellent economic advice, so go figure.
In other campaign news, the Romney campaign has refused to listen to David Axelrod's advice, so has not declared a cease-fire on Obamacare. Axe based this advice on a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, (Kaiser, Kaiser- why is that name so familiar? Oh, yeah! George Kaiser ran off with half a billion is taxpayer dollars for a firm that went belly-up!). Funny thing about that poll- CNN was out with a poll the next day that showed just the opposite.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/docs/2012/CNN_healthcare_0702.pdf
The really bad news in this poll? 60% of registered voters in the battlegrounds states want Obamacare repealed. Oh, and the majority- including the majority of the all-important independent voters-think Obamacare will HURT an already limping economy
http://www.gallup.com/poll/155513/Americans-Economic-Harm-Good-Health-Law.aspx
Maybe Axe should go back to advising the Obama campaign-he's actually had a little success lately, in as much as Obama has declared there will be no Martha's Vineyard vacation this year. Optics, guys, optics. No word on where the wife, kids, and mother in law will be spending their summer vacation. They've already done the Costa del Sol, Vail, Europe, and an African safari, so, who knows?
Speaking of "who knows", where the heck is Bill Clinton? Wasn't he supposed to be out there talking up Obama? What happened? He say something wrong? I've been told that, the last time he was on TV, he blinked out the word "torture" in Morse code- but I'm not sure I believe it.
Speaking of "Clinton"- in foreign policy news, Hillary was dispatched to apologize to Pakistan for a drone attack last year, and to ask them pretty please, to reopen our supply routes. Seems to have slipped Obama's mind until now.
The reason it slipped his mind, of course, is that he has been focusing on the really important work of campaigning. Those Obama campaign press releases do not write themselves- nor do they distribute themselves to the media, which prints them as "news". Some of the most laughable of these have been those that tout that the aforementioned "Bain attacks" are working! For proof, just look at the polls! Romney and Obama are virtually tied in every single one! Just like before the ads ran!
Oh. Wait.
Ah, well- limping GDP, high unemployment, skyrocketing debt, absent democrats, and poor fundraising do nothing to dim Obama's rosy visions of success. You'd think that some of his media cheerleaders would do something to cushion the shock he has coming in November- like, maybe, printing something other than his press releases for a change? -but, alas, such is not to be. Well, maybe he can have visions of a second term when
Obama shelved in 2012.
Obama to Romney: ‘Your principles matter’
And what about yours, Mr. President?
Sorry about the double post- darn bubblegum error.
No one’s happier about this report than the Romney campaign - that says it all.
Personally, I think, when you look at the names of the so-called "job creaters" who have been donating to the Romney campaign, you gotta wonder, if the 1%ers are on strike until they get their man in office. It's all about weakening environmental and financial reform protections, to protect their profits, and paying as little in taxes as possible.
There is no recovery, and there won't be one. This is the new normal. A massive and incompetent central government attempting to run every aspect of American lives. Do you like the way the student loan program is being run? Then you'll just love Obamacare. Do you think all the tax increases coming in the new year will spur the economy to new heights? Or will it more then likely drive it into recession. Liberals cannot comprehend that you cannot have massive government programs and at the same time not have a way to fund them. It will be the liberals "compassion" that in the end destroys these programs, all the while they blame others for the problems they have caused.
So now Obama is riding his tax payer funded bus around the country-side, blaming Romney for "outsourcing" jobs. This is the same bus whose construction that was outsourced to Canada.
What’s in the Illinois water?
Feisty? I wonder about this every time I read one of your demented comments.
Is this the new norm - 8% unemployment? This administration would have you believe so. Enough is enough. Time to change the sheets.
nojo,
Bubblegum is bad for your teeth! LOL! Seriously, please read my post below. Stay cool.
On Obama's last Midwest bus tour, his administration did nothing for America's unemployed workers, but did start employing "prosecutorial discretion" in illegal alien deportation cases which led to approximately 300K illegals receiving deferred status and being eligible to apply for work permits.
What will he do this time to screw the middle class?
Obama's too busy bashing Romney for working at Bain Capital rather than actually helping to "lead" us to a real economic recovery. A wise man once said, "It's the economy stupid!"
Obama will lose this fall for no other reason than his inept ability to lead us out of the economic hole we are in. Plain and simple.
You can be certain Romney's money is invested, invested in companies that do business both in the US and around the world. The real question is why would anyone want to invest in the US? High regulations, high taxes, along with an uncertain tax policy which creates an uncertain outlook. The US has lost it's competitive edge, even with all of Europe and economic chaos, the US cannot take advantage of the opportunity to increase our economic presence in that part of the world because the Obama administration and the Democrats have bankrupt the country.
So save your snippy rhetoric Dennis. Romney and people like him know to be econmically successful. On the other hand, Obama and the Democrats do not.
On the 'topic' of jobs, for those in the gallery:
Republican GOP seniors made a pact to block all efforts made by the President to help our economy recover from the worst recession in 60 years. And they made that pledge on the day of President Obama's Inauguration. Treason, sedition or conspiracy? Take your pick.
Since then, GOP congressionals have carrried the Kill-the-Economy torch by blocking all Jobs Bills, most recently two million in the American Jobs Act.
GOP has abused the filibuster, filibustering at 3 times the pace ever seen in American history. Thus they did not allow the Jobs Bills to come up for debate.
GOP governors have fired 700,000 public sector workers since 2010 - teachers, police, firefighters. Constructions workers were laid of due to the housing bubble and thousands of them could have been put back to work via the AJA and Infrastructure bill, that GOP-ers are blocking in Congress.
Previous Presidents have increased government workers to help recovery from recession, including GWB.
Without those layoffs, the unemployment rate would be around 7%.
That is why GOP did the layoffs, and why they refused to pass the American Jobs Act.
Portland Amy, please give the keyboard back to mom and dad before you hurt yourself. The opinion offered by the First Read "reporters" was that the Romney camp was supposedly happy at the news because it took so-called pressure off their bad week. That is not news reporting - that is opinion-editorializing. Try and put the whole quote in next time.
I am sure that, like President Obama, Governor Romney is equally dismayed at the jobs report and the economic situation. It is all he wants to talk about.
All the loony libs do is cut and paste the sound bytes that support the warped belief that the presidential challenger does not care about. Get out of the rubber room for a while and take in some fresh air. Good morning!
Well, no wonder today's job report is dissapointing!
The Republicans are obstructing everything job positive that Obama is trying to enact.
The Republican Party is willing to economically Destroy and Bring Down the Country by November 2012. That's not just wrong, that's sick.
Fortunately President Obama is still Keeping my family Safe, and other families Safe, from Domestic Terrorists, Teabaggers, Knuckle-dragging Neandrethal Republicans, and of course Mitt Romney the wannabe "Outsourcer and Chief" who also economically wants to Destroy the Working and Middle-class.
Let's face it. Mitt Romney hides his ill-gotten Loot in Hidden Swiss Bank Accounts, sets up phony Cayman Island shell companies to Laundry any reportable Income, so he only has to pay a measly 15% tax-rate when you and I and Working and Middle-class folk pay a much Higher rate than Romney does! Stop the Republicans and Mitt Romney from Destroying the Middle class. I can say all this, because I am a Republican who no longer believes or trusts my Party or Mitt Romney.
That's why as a Republican, I'm telling all my Republican friends and Ron Paul supporters to Vote a straight Democratic ticket, come this November 2012.
Let's finally send the Republican Party back to the "Dung Heap of History" where the GOP Party belongs.
Arrest anyone who hires an illegal. There's a jobs bill that will work.
I sure am glad the Republican House is working on jobs bills and getting their Big Business overseers to create jobs since they got that Bush tax relief extended again. How's that job creation going, pugs?
DUDE! You abide. You really touched on a key point. I believe our President wants to do a good job, is concerned for the citizens, and is probably an excellent father and husband. But even after 3 years and change, his inexperience and inability to lead is still his Achilles' heel.
Can anyone point to any good jobs legislation, stimulus is not good, that the Republicans blocked?
Weird!
All the usual suspects who have been in seclusion the past couple of weeks managed to crawl out to do their "happy dance" when bad economic news is reported!
Never saw THAT coming! lol
Where you all been?
Well, we know where Snuffy's been, poor thing got herself a "time-out" her first day out of rehab! lol
Ask yourselves this, naysayers:
Who wants a good jobs report more - dems or repubs? Obvious answer as noted in the article. A conclusion might be drawn that it is NOT in the GOP's interest to improve employment numbers before the election. Conversely, President Obama has specific interest in improving the job numbers. So the game in Washington is transparent in this regard.
As to the United States having the highest corporate taxes in the world - you can also point to personal income taxes being some of the lowest; perhaps why corporations pay such mega-salaries? There might be a high corporate tax rate but it really doesn't matter if you end your fiscal year with an artificially low net profit after you take home a couple of hundred million.
The economy of the United States on a global scale seems to have kept ahead several EEU economies with 'the highest corporate taxes in the world' so go figure.
It comes back to Washington doing what is good for themselves in an election year and not what is good for the country.
No Core!
Wow! That is heavy stuff!
"He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.". -Alexander Hamilton
Stop me when you,ve heard something you like- Mitt Romney
No Feisty, it is not a happy dance. It is a confirmation of Obama's failure. When a person who is sworn to uphold the laws of our nation to protect its citizens chooses not to, it is good to see his support fall!
Ug, quit writing those novels up there, use a comma, carriage return or formulated thought process. My iPad is like "WTF is going on?"
Get a blog if you want to stuff us with other people's useless information. This is a comments section not a diary.
Big Deal. A poor jobs report. Woe is me it's the end of the World. Oh No, President Obama can't possible win re-election now. BS. Romney had his worst week of his campaign and it will get worse
OBAMA IN 2012..
All Hail Obama!
Ruler, Master and Overlord of all you Republicans, Conservatives, and Teabaggers, for the next Four (yes! 4) very long years! Ain't life grand!
You Republicans and Conservatives, and Teabaggers are just upset for kind of the same reason you were upset that Bill Clinton was "Getting Some" and you weren't.
You Republicans and Teabaggers are now upset and wetting your panties, that now you have a Black-Man Living in your once sacred White-House. Ain't Life Grand? All Hail Obama!
*rolls eyes*
What Ever!!
It's a confirmation of your raw hatred for the President & how you're willing to do NOTHING to see him & your fellow Americans FAIL!
So stuff IT!
You know its devastating when Feisty chimes in #29. If this report had been positive for the Obama administration she would have been #1 with some venomous rant against the GOP. And how about MSNBC not even posting this on their home page. I had to look hard to find it. Its the Economy, Stupid. It's curtains for Obama in November!
I noticed that Fiesty was not the first poster this morning....waiting for your talking points from the White House Fiesty???
ROMNEY OUTSOURCED JOBS! That is the cry of the left.
What is outsourcing? Giving jobs to citizens of other countries instead of our citizens.
Hmmmm, not enforcing our immigration laws does what? Gives jobs to citizens of other countries instead of our citizens.
OBAMA HEADS THE LARGEST OUTSOURCING OF JOBS. Any clearer to you guys now?
JAS1 -- What's important is what Romney would do if elected. Because he is so evasive one should look to what Paul Ryan and conservative think tanks are promoting to figure out where Romney stands. Gleaning through that data a clear picture emerges:
End Social Security and put everyone in 401K's fully funded by the individual, employers will no longer have to pay SS tax. Give a flat payment to all but means test so those making a certain amount in retirement (above $100K) would no longer receive a benefit.
End Medicare and replace with a tax credit/voucher to put towards a private insurance policy.
For all health care they would give a tax credit. Keep in mind: This would not enough to cover comprehensive insurance.
To pay for tax credit they will TAX anyone with employer sponsored insurance.
That's just scratching the surface of their plans.
Read this report by Heritage Foundation:
http://www.savingthedream.org/about-the-plan/
BTW Feisty, you are correct. I do hate Obama and everything he stands for. He has the poor vote wrapped up so he wants more poor people dependent of the government and that is gross!
Has anybody noticed that foxnews.com shut down there comments section recently? Is that the reason there are so many blowhards happy to see this disappointeing news for Americans? Why do these guys hate America so much? I mean come on...same team right? Right? My God...
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
*rolls eyes*
What Ever!!
Pretty dismal rate of growth BUT it is on the plus side.
It just strikes me as sad that the RWNJ WANT/NEED a bad jobs report.
Politics Over Country I guess is the repugnants new motto
Can you imagine how bad it had to have gotten for them to do that? lol
Oh well, they seem to have a new home over here to spread their BS...
Children, it is June. No one even (middle America)cares about the election (except for the political junkies here). Most folks are worried about the heat wave. It's all about your own backyard (the old it is all about me, the typical American ugly trait). Grow up people.
Texas said: I am sure that, like President Obama, Governor Romney is equally dismayed at the jobs report and the economic situation.
I'm not so sure. I saw a clip of Romney in his CBS interview beaming as he said "if the economy stays bad I will win the Presidency!" I don't know about you, but I don't think you need a master's degree in reading people, to see that Romney is relishing every piece of not-great news that breaks.
Furthermore, in all his blather about is it a tax or a penalty, I've never once heard Romney express concern for folks struggling to pay for their healthcare. Not once! And this applies to all the Republican leaders: they simply to not care if people are uninsured or under-insured. They don't care that people are afraid to change their jobs for fear of losing their insurance. The human factor just isn't there. It's all about protecting the profits of the very few.
Add in 3 points for the people who starved to death, add 2 points for the homeless, add 3 points for the underemployed, add 5 points for the people working three jobs.
Reported 8% + 3 + 2 + 3 + 5 = 21% Actual Unemployment........
Phinephancy, most Americans, who actually celebrate Independence Day, know it is not June.
Obama and the Democrats in the Senate had better start working with the Republicans. Blocking legislation from even being heard in the Senate for no other reason than a partisan one is not working to bring us jobs. Take what the House has passed, add/change what you want, and vote on it! Doing nothing isn't an option anymore. Either do you jobs or we the people will find someone that will come November!
Hey REB -- I'll take the +80,000 jobs over the -700,000 jobs we were losing per month in Bush's last quarter.
Romney has surrounded himself with Bush advisors. Enough said. They took the economy back 20 years. In other words, they stole any economic gains made by the middle class over those 20 years. And you think we should trust Republicans??? Think again!
@phinephancy, that is a good idea (your bost below). What if we spent the amount of money from campaigns to go to human needs like health treatments for the sick and dying, or education and useful technology? Other countries have to be like "100 million dollars in one month, for a frigging CHANCE to be lead the US?" For that amount of money, who would you have to answer to once you obtained the power? Hmmmmm...
So sorry I got the month wrong. So sue me, another great American past time (the old get rich quick method). I am a true blue American. Member of the DAR. So bite me.
@aoundbite
Wish I had the answer to your question. It just breaks my heart to know these folks will be dead long before election day. Just brought the subject up to let folks know we need to look at our priiorities.
soundbite ...
Seriously made my morning!!!!!!
I think Mitt Romney is purposely hiding his plan to recover this economy because he beilieve Obama will try to steal it, like Obama did with Romneycare and with Dream Act.
Hell, if I was in a political race and was staying neck and neck without taking the bait that the other side was hoping for, I would let things ride till right before the election, that way the opponent wouldn't have 3 months to put a spin on my ideas. Smart man Romney!
Dont_carry_it_all
That and $2.00 will buy you the New York Times.
backhouse at 1.22 said -- "Republican GOP seniors made a pact to block all efforts made by the President to help our economy recover from the worst recession in 60 years. And they made that pledge on the day of President Obama's Inauguration. Treason, sedition or conspiracy? Take your pick."
So this group of GOP Seniors you are describing fascinates me. I have never heard that before. I am a Senior and generally lean right so I would have expected to hear something long before this.
Please cite your source.
Lol! You get em phine! There's fight and common sense in you that people need to deal with. Says I!
Democrats and Republicans are not working on the economy, even though it is the most important thing to you the American public. Anyone who says one of these two parties is, deserves a head check. They are working on their agenda while the job is YOUR problem.
What we need is a Congress intersested in passing laws, not throwing hissy fits. What we need is radicals to step aside who only think with one party minds, and realize BETTER minds don't look for party first...they look for results first.
NJNB-
Not only was Romney still in chage of Bain Capital after 1999, he was part of the team that invested in a company that made huge profits from disposing of ABORTED FETUSES.
Any reasonable person who reviewed the documents the Obama campaign submitted to FactCheck would have concluded (correctly) that Romney was still very involved with Bain Capital and several of it's affiliates way after Feb. 1999.
The Boston Herald reported in February of 1999 that "Romney said he will stay on as a part-timer with Bain, providing input on investment and key personnel decisions."
The Bain Capital press issued on July 19, 1999, noted that Romney was "currently on a part-time leave of absence"—and quoted Romney as speaking for Bain Capital.
Have you heard of Stericycle, a company purchased by Bain in November 1999? Stericycle made a huge profit by disposing of aborted fetuses. Stericycle was purchased by Bain Capital (BCI), Bain Capital Partners VI (BCP VI), Sankaty High Yield Asset Investors, and Brookside Capital Investors. Romney was the "sole shareholder, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of BCI, BCP VI Inc., Brookside Inc. and Sankaty Ltd."
As part of the deal Romney was granted "share voting and dispositive power with respect to" the shares of the companies purchased, AND Romney himself signed the orignal copy of the filings.
In 2001 and again in 2002, Romney filed Massachusetts state disclosure forms stating he was the 100 percent owner of Bain Capital NY, Inc.—which was incorporated in Delaware on April 13, 1999—two months after Romney's supposed retirement from the firm.
Another 2001 filing with the SEC stated Romney was "a member of the Management Committee" of two Bain entities.
No one - Romney, Bain, or his attorneys - claimed he retired in February 1999 until well after the fact. In 2007, R.B. Malt, a Bain lawyer, said Romney took a "leave of absence" when he assumed the Olympics post and retained sole ownership of the firm for two more years.
Anyone who thinks Romney didn't have input into key decisions such as acquisiitons and divestitures during his "leave of absence" - while he was still the sole owner - is just fooling themselves. Romney filed documents with the SEC claiming he was in charge, signed purchase agreements, and incorporated affiliated companies during this "leave of absence".
So Romney is a serial liar - he lied about not being in charge of Bain, and he lied about being Pro-Life. It is hard to claim you are "Pro-Life" when you make money off Abortions.
tns -- excellent post. do you have a direct feed from Axelrod or from the WH?
I have read pretty much this same post elsewhere.
Did I miss something?
What are the details of Romney's JOBS PLAN?
Actually Reb, I subscribe to WSJ. I like to know what those guys are up. Did you see yesterday's scathing editorial the conservative WSJ had on Romney? They sure took him to task.
I see all the usual suspects like JoAnna Smith, no joe, joe in Albany, etc., have crawled out from under the rocks they crawled under last week because there is news they're happy about - a low jobs report. That pretty much sums up the GOP doesn't it? Whatever is bad for the country they cheer. The lowlifes of America - right there.
As always the GOP is the reason - with their obstructionists activities but the liars listed above don't really give a damn. They don't care about the country; the people who are suffering; they don't care about anything but getting Romney into office. The joke is, he'd screw them over as quickly as anyone. They're too stupid to realize he has no interest in anything that will benefit them.
But, luckily, we won't see him in office. The vast majority of this country has more intelligence than the low information idiots from the far right who post here.
Obama/Biden 2012
Considering the government of either party has basically spent the SS trust fund why is this a bad idea? I am not for increasing the SS tax simply to allow the current Administration, of either party, to spend any excess for their own purposes. BTW the current Administration through its payroll tax cuts is defunding SS.
sandy -- yeah, you missed it. look at his website under "Human Capital" and you will read what a real leader would do as compared to Mr. Obama's approach of first counting on "Hope" and then counting on "Betting" neither of which is a strategy.
JoAnnaSmith1
I see JAS1 is back from her one-month long forced vacation from this site
Romney left the office with Massachusetts having 148,000 fewer jobs than in its pre-recession peak in February 2001 so compared to Romney, Obama is doing well especially since public sector's decrease in jobs is affecting the unemployment numbers.
Yes, Clinton did it with his tax increases on the top 1.2% while Bush's tax cuts drove us into a more than recession - it was more like a financial collapse
Romney was an advocate of government action - stimulus - to prime the economic pump during tenure as a "severely conservative" governor in Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007.
Bush was all about having two wars that were paid for with loans from China
empty shell of a bus -JAS1 - the rest was outfitted by Hemphill Brothers Coach Co., which is based in Nashville, Tenn.
So you are comparing an empty shell of a bus to Romney's AMPADs and his Cayman Island bank accounts? Tell me JAS1, how many homeowner loans would Romney's millions generate if deposited in US banks?
Tell me JAS1 - how do you feel about hypocrite Romney who is against women's right to choose but for making profit by investing in companies that dispose aborted fetuses?
I wonder if Willardo the Weirdo and his Bain have outsourced more jobs recently to not only make more obscene profits but also make POTUS look bad.
At least we're not stupid enough to think that anything will change if Obama is elected to a second term.
I like the way you simply insult rather than make any attempt at a coherent argument. Did the Republicans obstruct the stimulus that was sold to keep unemployment under 8%. Now I know there are those who will argue that they did not explicitly say this but they did claim that unemployment would be under 8% three years later, in fact they were claiming in 5% - 6% range. The fact is the stimulus only worked for as long as the borrowed money lasted and the idea that repeating this policy will somehow reap a different result is just fantasy. So if by blocking a policy that has already been tried and failed is obstruction so be it. If blocking cap and trade, which I'm sure will boost jobs, is obstruction bring it on. The republicans biggest failure is that they did not block Obamacare.
Of course it looks like that, if you're not smart enough to look past the pretty graphs Fox and Drudge put out. If you actually read a little, you'll see the graph doesn't tell the whole story:
http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/27/pf/taxes/corporate-taxes/index.htm
http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/23/news/international/corporate_taxes/index.htm?iid=EL
Pigotry -- To take away the Hometown votes, maybe the republicans are doing all the shootings/killings in Chicago too!
Alan, I agree with your Social Security theory, and have to wonder how congress EVER intended to pay that money back!
It blows my mind that so many RW regurgitators on here are quoting "It's the economy stupid" like it's so wise and clever. It is, too bad it didn't come from the Right. IDIOTS, that is a Clinton campaign slogan coined by James Carville, a huge Liberal...
Think for yourselves you morons!
Pigotry - does he still have all the illegals working on his car elevator? Talk about a two-faced lying piece of garbage - that's Romney!
sirie - and the shootings in Chicago have what to do with this post? You're pathetic!
Obama/Biden 2012
So, tinfoil, you are given a choice-
Believe an independent fact checking organization that, when provided with six pages of documents in support of claims they found false, concluded that said documents only supported their original conclusion that the "facts" they contained were anything but; or
Believe a campaign so desperate they will make up nothing out of whole cloth.
See, them's your options. Like a good cult member, you have chosen to believe Obama- because, after all, he is Obama. And he would not lie, right?
Just because he lied about his dying mother.
Or about the serious conversations he had a bout race with his "only" African American friend when he was a boy- a man who turned out to be Japanese/ Hawaiin by ancestry, who laughed out loud at the absurdity of the notion that they ever discussed race.
You go on right ahead and cling to Obama's visions. The rest of the country? We have had quite enough, thank you very much.
whenever I asked a question like this in 2008 I got this type of reply:
http://www.mittromney.com/jobs
Alan -- Have you read the PLAN under the Heritage link?
You have to click on the Plan button at top or bottom of the page I linked.
Uh NO! Fox is doing what EVERYONE is going to do including MSNBC soon. MSNBC not too long ago eliminated all comments in the financial/stock areas because admin costs were too high. Fox got rid of it all and is now rolling out what you wil be seeing everywhere and already seeing in some places, comment sections that only allow you to post with your real name using facebook or other public logins.
Fox is rolling this out on Fox Sports right now and it will spread once they get used to it. Admin costs are far cheaper because you are using your real names or real profiles. No hiding behind a fake account anymore.
It seems people are a lot nicer and easier to administer when they can't hid behind snarky and multiple handles. Pretty soon all these obnoxious posters will either have to put up or shut up. LONG OVERDUE!
Wow, Seeking Sanity, what a perfectly civil, intelligent, eloquent, comment.......tons of nonsubstance, surrounded by a barrage of juvenile insults. I'll bet you just won over a lot of independents with such a true journalistic gem!.
no joe - luckily filth like you don't speak for the majority of the country - just your small group of village idiots.
spider - it's still heads above anything you post. Your point? Oh that's right, you never have one.
Obama/Biden 2012
Alan, NJ
In the past 31 years, only one president who spent any of the SS fund was a Democrat - and he was the only ONE who left the country with a balanced budget, low unemployment, no wars, low debt, and a smaller goverment.
Bush 2 finished it off so Obama is the first president who could not use SS as his personal piggy bank to hide his real spending.
So please give the credit where credit is due - in the past 30 years, the SS was mostly spent by the REPUBLICAN presidents.
1921 to 1929 8 years of Republican control caused the Great Depression that lasted from 1929 to 1945 (end of WWII)
Fast forward, 8 years of Bush (2001-2009) have caused the Great Recession that can last until ....???
You do the math.
bayllie - yeah, I noticed Alan just skipped right over Bush decimating SS. Isn't that amazing? You'd almost think he did it intentionally - you know, skip the facts just to post his lies and misinformation?
Obama/Biden
Thanks for the insults Seeking Sanity! Now I know what level of mentality I'm dealing with. My "Chicago" shootings comment was a sarcastic attempt to Pigotry's "Bain Capital" conspiracy theory, as in "a joke".
And, the GREAT DEPRESSION was from the stock market crash, silly posters
SeekingSanity - Has Obama's drunken driving illegal alien uncle Onyango been deported yet?
No one is happy about this or the past three and one half years of jobs reports, but todays press briefings were very telling, Obama regurgitated the standard excuses,and asked for more time to fundamentally change America into a collective wealth redistributive, socialist, " workers paradise", with a mind numbing, soul destroying, state controlled economy,where you are given no choice, but treated like kept sheep, told what kind of work You will do, what You will make, what the government will give you and nothing more , don't expect anything more either, Mr. Obama actually said in his speech, "nobody expects to get rich",(How inspiring), while Mr. Romney listed the things he would do to stop the damage that has been done to Our economic system, while unfettering , restoring and unleashing Our free market economy, that relies on and rewards the creativity, innovation, and hard work of individuals, the choice could not be more clear, the"life" of a kept sheep, or the freedom to succeed,( or fail), through Your own efforts, take a hard look at the choices You are being offered,You still get to decide.
RedSoxRule
while the US has a high statutory corporate tax rate (that's what YOU are talking about), but U.S. corporations actually pay incredibly low taxes due to the loopholes, deferments, , credits, and deductions in the tax code and the use of overseas tax havens.
That is why like 2/3rds of corporations don't pay taxes in this country. If you need more info on this topic, please contact Romney. He is an expert at getting away with not paying sh!t in taxes. Best way to learn from the Master is to ask him for his tax returns to see how he does it.
SeekingSanity
alan? never!
People had better get used to this kind of dismal news as it promises to become the "new normal". Want to turn this promise into reality? It's quite simple, just re-elect Obama.
Actually, re-electing Obama will, in the not too distant future, make today's dismal jobs report seem like the good old days.
Excellent advice, you should try it yourself sometime.
NH_Shellback
ohhh, is this the best you can do? That's your argument? Why don't you evaluate your holier-than-thou Republican hypocrites.
I have never been so disgusted with the U.S. Congress, the POTUS and the SCOTUS as I am right at this moment. I am so over all the bickering, the finger-pointing, the Cons doing everything in their power to make sure the Libs look bad, McConnell coming right out and saying that "job one on his agenda is to make sure Obama fails"...which means he wants America itself to fail.
Why is it that we cannot elect folks to national office that have America's interests at heart....all of America, not just the well-to-do, who would run over their own mothers to make a buck?? Why is it that we cannot elect people with morals, with scruples, who will not allow themselves to be tainted by lobbyists and corporations who only want what's good for their own interests? And the SCOTUS saying that it is totally constitutional for corporations to donate millions of dollars to superPACS, which are just holding entities for unlimited funds funneled to the presidential campaigns?
Well, this November, I have three national offices up for grabs. Been 12 years since that has happened here in my district. And truth be told, I am a gnat's hair away from writing in my own name on my ballot in all three spots up for grabs. Eric Cantor....again?? Oh hell no!! I have two former VA governors running for the open US Senate seat. I don't trust George Allen has America's best interest at heart, being a Tea Party conservative, but Tim Kaine didn't impress me much, either, as Virginia's last Democratic governor. He's a smart man, no doubt, but he wasn't smart enough (or tough enough) to get legislation passed through an overwhelmingly Republican state congress that would make Virginia great again.
And then comes the big enchilada....POTUS. I'm stuck with choosing between an incumbent who, like Tim Kaine, doesn't have the backbone to make Boehner, Cantor, McConnell see the error in their belief in an unregulated free market system being the savior of our economy, and a corporate raider who has admitted to enjoying firing people under his employ, and who is obviously a believer that the wealthy should be given special treatment, because they are the ones who create jobs. Trickledown economics is a theory that has been proven wrong many times, as it doesn't take into account the outrageous and unlimited greed of the wealthy class. The more profits they make as a result of their rank-and-file employees being more efficient and productive, the more they pocket for themselves and their stockholders, who already have more money than God!
Very disappointing, and frankly, quite scared of what is going to happen, especially if Windsock Romney wins the presidency. Say bye-bye to the middle class and the American Dream as we know it!
Sirie - don't flex intellectual muscles you ain't got - the Stock market crash of 29 was caused by speculation and over borrowing on the margin, so that, lack of regulatory controls on those items, and a classic conservative response in the refusal of the Federal government to intervene and stimulate the economy after the crash are what caused the Great Depression, ignorant poster.
J.D. Still -- What happened under Bush? Were you happy with the millions of jobs lost under him????
BTW -- Do you own a dictionary? If not I suggest you buy one. If all Republicans did this it would improve the economy, literally. Of course even a dictionary may be too liberal for you guys it seems.
question for the koolaid kids, obama had a super majority his 1st 2 yrs, still controls the senate, but dems are powerless against the repubs. maybe dems should get into another line of work, governing doesn't seem to be their strong suit.
The one thing that both employers and investors really don't like is uncertainty. With the upcoming SCOTUS decision not yet announced, it's no wonder that employers didn't make many hiring decisions in June and even regular people in general were also on edge about which way the wind would blow.
Now that this is settled, employers can evaluate how to move forward and some results of that will include hiring. Investors will focus on health care related companies and there should be more capital entering the markets as small investors also react to the settled environment.
I'll even go out on a limb and predict that consumer confidence will now increase as people are not as burdened with worrying about how they would handle long term health problems as they get older and develop health conditions that healthcare insurers under a non-ACA world would drop them for or jack their rates to being beyond affordable. They also won't have to stay in a dead end low paying job they hate just because of the fear of losing their healthcare coverage. Employers who have been treating their workers like dogs because of the leverage of losing healthcare will have to either start treating their workers better or lose a lot of their best people, who were up to this point afraid to jump, to the competition.
June was a weird month and a lot of people were sitting on their hands waiting for this issue to be resolved one way or the other. I don't know how much faith I'd put in any of the numbers for it. July and August should be much better indicators of hiring, consumer confidence, and the business climate in general.
Really? And I thought spending bills originated in the House of Representatives. Is this not why the current Administration attempts to blame them for obstructionism? So either this Administration is responsible for the current economic conditions, or the spending of the SS trust fund was the fault of both parties. In fact the House has been under the control of the Democrats for 18 of the last 30 years and the only time SS was not spent, the Clinton 2nd term, was when Newt was in charge. You want to give him some credit?
Skeptic - just how did the conservatives refuse to let the Fed intervene? As we all know, when the FED gets involved, things get worse before getting better, btw!
So, you are saying it was the Republicans that caused the Great Depression, and not the stock market crash.... I'm going to have to remember that one!! You may want to write a history book, because that is not the way it is taught in school!
Holy crap. I don't understand why Bain Capital is being portrayed as the evil of all evils. Private equity is a good thing. 0bama agrees with me. Here are some bills introduced in the Illinois State Senate in the early 2000s:
And this:
That can all be found on the Illinois State government website. It appears that 0bama loved private equity while in Chicago, but now that he is running against Romney, private equity is evil and "vulture capitalism" is bad for the average worker, even though he believed that "The development of the private equity sector of the Illinois economy offers the best opportunity for long-term economic vitality, for the expansion of jobs..." in 2004. Flip flopper, indeed.
cmon - okay, you're clearly the village idiot. Your lie has been discussed and debunked over and over again. President Obama had a filibuster proof majority in Congress for 7 short months - during which time Ted Kennedy was ill and there were recesses. He made the mistake of trying to work with the GOP - not know they had pledged to make him a one-term President. His bills have been filibustered more than any other President. Now go get the egg off your face.
sirie - you think shootings in a city - killing children - is a joke? You're pathetic but a typical Republican.
Obama/Biden 2012
Sirie - pick up a history book and turn off Fox News - and learn how to argue. Saying "As we all know, when the FED gets involved, things get worse before getting better" begs the question and is a fallacious argument, therefore invalid. And my statement was not that the conservatives refused to let the Federal government intervene, in the modern vile party method we have become accustomed to today, I was saying that it was a proto-typical conservative response of the administration at the outset to adopt laissez-faire market protocols, which only acerbated the economic turmoil and deepened the trough.
Devil -
Stupid move by McConnell. However, it's hardly a new tactic:
It appears the Democrat Party is now convinced of the same thing.
Seven2Seven
hahaha, another one who failed math...I'll bet you're one of those who thinks that taking 70% off 100 and then taking 30% off the balance= 100% off.
you would never add those up to get the real unemployment...holy crap...we must spend more on education so we don't keep turning up this kind of high school graduates (assuming this person has a HS diploma)
"...we must spend more on education so we don't keep turning up this kind of high school graduates..."
I couldn't agree more!
I would like to know if the psychos of only one political party, which is a comment that represents the vast majority of posts on First Read, do it because they think it will change the minds of the psychos of the opposing political party.
In other words, do you:
A ) Post your comment to be useful?
B ) Post your comment as a means of therapy?
Derek, clearly the answer is C.
NJNB -& billybob-
I don't just repeat talking points, I hear or read about something and investigate it. I have worked for over 20 years in corporate accounting/management so although I don't claim to be an expert I do know a little someting about how corporations are run.
FactCheck states that none of these documents offer conclusive proof that Romney had any influence over Bain's decisions during his "leave of absence". IN THEIR OPINION they do not believe that just because Romney legally retained the power to make decisions on Bain's behalf, signed documents of incorporation, and mentioned several times in several press releases that he was on a "leave of abscence" yet still involved in decisions that he actually did so.
FactCheck also only mentions Bain, never bothering to investigate the numerous affiliates that listed Mitt Romney as "sole owner and CEO" and participated in Bain's acquisitions - including Romney's signature on documentation of the acquisition of the firm that made money from disposing of Aborted Fetuses. How do you reason that one away?
I came to my conclusions based on an independent review of the facts. To be honest until I followed the link I was not aware of the FactCheck decision or even that the Obama campaign had protested.
Skeptic12
Now you just debunked your original "republicans caused the great depression" statement yourself, thank you for saving me the time! And btw, I'm not a consevative, I'm not a liberal, I am a person that makes decisions based on the topic.
SeekingSanity, nobody said anything about killing kids, what is your mind thinking about?
IF I was one of the 80,000 who landed a job i would not be calling this disappointing.
The reality is we live in a world economy. The US economy will not recover to pre recession days until the world economy recovers. Take a look at Europe then back here. Realize how good we have it.
The US economy is not a closed system how do you propose that we recover our economy any faster when our trading partners are still in trouble? Lets stop being naive and realize Mr Obama is doing a good job at keeping the economy going forward and Mitt is banking on us to believe his rhetoric and not fact check the world economy.
Bayllie - you would never add those up to get the real unemployment...holy crap...we must spend more on education so we don't keep turning up this kind of high school graduates (assuming this person has a HS diploma)
what does "turning up this kind of high school graduates" mean??- do they have volume controls?
Pyrrhic Victory
apparently Romney does not agree with you because Romney don't wanna talk Bain any more than he wants to talk about George W. Bush....
Chief economic analyst for Moodys was on the tube this Morning. When asked what was the biggest hurdle right now for growing business he said it was all the red tape and regulations coming out of Washington.
Bayllie, no one really can tell what true unemployment is. The numbers are all fudged with. The closest thing that isn't played with is the U6 number and it is almost 15%.
Romney does talk about his business experience. Why would one not want to talk about running a private sector company? His success rate was higher than the industry average at the time.
Sirie, another lame attempt on your part to argue - please stop, it's hurting my brain! There is no "debunking" involved when I was clarifying something you had misread.
If anything, you've only shown more now that you lack any ability to think for yourself. Not once did I use the word Republican, and here is my original post for clarity:
...Sirie - don't flex intellectual muscles you ain't got - the Stock market crash of 29 was caused by speculation and over borrowing on the margin, so that, lack of regulatory controls on those items, and a classic conservative response in the refusal of the Federal government to intervene and stimulate the economy after the crash are what caused the Great Depression, ignorant poster...
So, when you are done embarrassing yourself, please stop posting, and go try real hard to think for yourself.
"...what does "turning up this kind of high school graduates" mean??- do they have volume controls?.."
Lame Sirie, even by your lame standards. Go lay down.
LOLROL!!!, We've had enough of your "principles" and the negative effect they have had on our country....
Bye, Bye....
NOBAMA2012!
@ Ballie - Aren't 2/3rd of the corporations small business corporations? You know, those whose Officers pay the company tax as part of the PERSONAL Tax returns? The company isn't paying tax because the Officers ARE!
P.S. It was so nice for Frank to be the first poster today. Made the thread so much better than more drivel from the Nasty one. Even when she finally popped up later, still nothing to read from her. Thanks Frank!
Being a Republican, I'm going to Quote my Hero, Ronald Reagan:
"TEAR DOWN THAT WALL":
Mitt Romney, of all the Secrecy behind your Hidden Swiss Bank Accounts where you're squirreling away all your ill gotten Bain loot, and stop Laundering all your taxable income in your phony off-shore Cayman Island shell companies, so you only show enough income to pay a measly 15% tax-rate when the rest of us Middle-class folk pay much more. That's not just wrong of you, it's sick. Shame on you Mitt Romney.
No wonder Police, Firemen, Teachers, people of color, Mexicans, Chicanos, Illegal Aliens, black. brown and yellow people, and of course Un-decided voters are all going to vote a straight Democratic ticket come this November 2012.
Nobody, and I mean nobody, wants the Republican Party and Mitt Romney and Karl Rove to Destroy the Middle-class and turn us all into Serfs to work ungodly hours in Mittt's "slave-plantation-factories".
ps, God Bless President Obama for keeping us safe from Republicans!
Skeptic it wasn't speculation only that caused the crash, and the crash itself didn't cause the great depression, there were several factors. Some of them are:
1. Crash
2. Smoot-Hawley 1930 high tariff on imports. Trade slowed greatly and retaliation from some countries.
3. Over 9,000 banks failed in the 30's
4. People in ALL classes just stopped buying stuff, no purchases.
5. The dustbowl era started in 1930 i believe and caused great losses in the midwest/Miss Valley region.
There are other factors also but you get the idea.
Just because the market takes a dump doesn't cause a depression. There were a lot of factors that all lined up at once that caused it. Maybe you should research a bit before you call people ignorant.
Don't_Carry_It_All
Yes I was quite pleased with the economy and job creation under the Bush Administration which were both very strong until the Democrats took control of both Houses of Congress in November of 2006. Then in 2007 the economy and jobs began to tank and have been going South ever since,(Now, I know You won't believe me, but if You put down Your crossword puzzles and dictionary for a few minutes and check it out ,You will see. ; )
Bayllie -
Right. Just like he won't talk much about immigration, gay marriage, abortion, etc. He will keep hammering on the economy. It has been shown time and again that Americans vote with their wallets and are most concerned with the economy, and this is 0bama's weak point. Look for this talking point coming soon to a Romney speech near you: Black unemployment rose from 13.6% to 14.4% this past month. It is good political strategy on his part to keep hitting 0bama on his failed economy.
Similarly, it is good political strategy on 0bama's part to keep talking about anything other than the economy. He will try to keep the rubes distracted with things like "the war on women", tax hikes on the rich, immigration, Romney's tax records, gay marriage, etc. He wants to keep voters from seeing how bad the economy is. And whenever the economy is brought up, he passes the buck. It's everyone's fault but his. Deflect, Distract, Divide; the 0bama campaign slogan.
BigATC - by definition Sirie's statement was ignorant - hence the reason I used a play on Sirie's words of "Silly Posters". If I implied that the causes I listed were the only causes, then that would be my bad, if you inferred it, yours.
Where's you get that I was saying it was a "market dump" that caused it?
My point wasn't to try and enumerate all the causes of the GD, but to refute an over simplification.
but.....but....but.....
And the lackluster drama continues.
It is funny JD when people rant on why the Republicans haven't fixed anything when they have 1 of 3 bodies to enact anything.
But the Dems had control of all of Congress from the 2006 elections, a full two years before the market tanked, and those same people never mention that. Wonder why?
People tend to over simplify who happens to be in office at the time certain things happen as a causal effect. BO didn't cause this recession, as Bush didn't cause the recession, dot com bubble and 9/11 his first year. Nor did Bush cause the mortgage mess and credit freeze.
Here's a post I'm making without reading the stuff above me.
I wanted to feel like I was part of first read.
>Insert mindless political flame, deriding one party, here.<
Skeptic, it was the six words at the end of your post ....... "are what caused the great depression" ..... that lead me to believe you thought it caused the depression. Not sure how i could misread that. Maybe it's a contex thing.
This whole article is a disgrace:
I love how the top story ON MSNBC isn't the fact that the jobs report was a disaster, but what Romney's reaction is to it.
" No one’s happier about this report than the Romney campaign, because it takes the pressure off, which is a delicate irony since the GOP can’t be seen as rooting for bad news."
What disgraceful "journalism" if you can even call it that. No wonder the network is losing viewers faster than Obama is supporters, their opinions are terrible. To state Romney, or anyone else for that matter, is "happy" about Americans being out of work is nothing more than a shame.
I do however love to see the regular left wing trolls like Feisty and Job1 try and defend an administration that equates to hurricane Katrina when it comes to policy and getting the economy going.....a natural disaster. I think Obama even used Katrina as an excuse at some point...
J.D. Still -- Bush's entire economy was built on leverage. His house of cards fell down and you try to say it was a new congress? That's funny.
Phew...thank goodness my offensive post above was collapsed. Not sure what got into me there. My apologies to all those who were offended by my blatant lack of partisanship (#1). LOL.
BTW...Derek (#1.121)...GREAT POST! LOL!
agree - Derek you should patten that post, and charge a dime for every use! Loved it!
Well then, at least Obama doesn't have tens of millions of dollars hidden in overseas bank accounts to avoid paying taxes here in the US...
Do you want to know why the damn economy is in the muck??? THE GLOBAL ECONOMY STINKS. You right-wingers fail to mention how the global economy heavily impacts our national economy; the Euro crisis and the slowdown in China are a major drag on our recovery. HOWEVER, we could still move forward if it weren't for the damn Republicans in Congress who filibustered a bill that would have created up to 2 MILLION JOBS. So much for the GOP's "Jobs Jobs Jobs" focus, eh???
Oh bull@!$%#. The war on women EXISTS. Ask the women in Mississippi whose only available abortion clinic is being hammered by an openly anti-abortion state government. Where the hell is the class warfare coming from??? You bastards passed numerous tax cuts over the years that ONLY benefited the wealthy while your deregulatory policies trashed the economy. And when a president wants to restore accountability to the economy and raise taxes on the wealthy after decades of tax cuts for them, you call him a socialist and accuse him of sparking class warfare. ENOUGH. And finally, Romney's record deserves to be vetted; he put it up on the bloody stage as a symbol of his economic stewardship, for God's sake. He brought up his service at Bain; he ought to be vetted for it.
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
Don't carry ... what was Bush's house of cards that fell down that caused the real estate melt down and credit freeze?
Unfortunately, at the time we passed the stimulis, unaware to all of us, the economy had not finished tanking, so we underestimated what was needed. However, it did still stop the bleeding.
As opposed to the GOP who has a laser beam on more tax cuts and women's reproductive organs.
While the GOP wakes up every morning thinking about what gay people do in the privacy of their own homes.
This would be debatable, if there was ANY alternative with ANY new ideas, or even ANY specifics.
As opposed to Wall St, which the GOP wants to deregulate more, betting on our sub prime mortgages and insuring themselves with our tax money?
Sarah, should i make a comment about Having a laser beam focus on women's reproductive organs, or should i just leave that one alone? :-)
BigATC,
I would be sorely disappointed if you HADN'T brought that up. :)
Hey, i'm here for you ;-)
Can You Still Smell The Burn?
(Let’s review the previous several days. Great to see you, Phinephancy.)
Bad News on the Good News Front: Of course, that’s what some folks are crowing as the nation has 80,000 jobs created. What is great about this is; all the other job growth was despite President Obama, but this slow growth is because of the President’s policy. Is that why the putative nominee for the Teapublicans has been telling the governors of Florida, Virginia, Ohio and Iowa among others to tone down the “recovery” mantra? Hey Teapublicans, looks like your slip is showing and it’s a dingy dismal gray. Now the max deiseal milieu would like “Good News on the Bad News Front” but that would expose their “wreck the economy to get the President” agenda. Well, they can’t have that.
Teapublicans and all of their conservative ilk are still smoldering over last week’s upholding of the RomneyCare taxation authority. The BIG story: John Roberts, you are NOT my friend. Showing their true colors, the “hard starboard” crowd ranged from “breaking off the bro-mance” to outright vociferous, vehement, vilest of all evil vitriol. Scathing denunciations filled with charges of fraud, popularity seeking and/or treason. It must really kill them guys to see some of their fellow citizens start to have entry level coverage in the health care system. Yeah, and those kids, free-loading, non-taxpayers they are, no health care for them. Not surprisingly, the rest of America is starting to realize the opposite, as they hear the real details and understand the real benefits of the A.C.A. I’m sure the $12 billion in insurance company rebates will change some minds about the efficacy of reform. Further, the Rombotic memory banks have become scrambled, as they can’t remember what was a penalty and what was a tax and when did the twain they meet. I guess just chalk it up to a fundamentally flawed candidate, whose only real draw is the fact he’s got money, no matter how many fetuses he had to burn to get it.
Speaking of fundamentally flawed, Willardistic Mittronic Rombot, is starting to come apart at the very snuggly sown seams, not unlike a pale, limpid kielbasa being placed in the microwave with the setting on 11, and the timer on 15 minutes. The mess will be neither pretty, nor tasty. From the candidate’s side stepping, back pedaling, waffle juggling stance, the Rombot cannot remember what he did when he was Governor of Massachusetts, or what he didn’t do, or anything. And did “His Mormon Magnificence”, the “Prince-ling of the Patriarchal Priesthood”, control the medical waste company known as SteriCycle, which disposed of (duhn, duhn, duhhhhhhhhn) aborted fetuses? The “pro-life” side of your party isn’t going to appreciate the financial savvy acquiring a low overhead, high fee business like SteriCycle to create wealth for the investors and the shareholders represents. No, they might tend to focus on that whole icky aborted fetus aspect, shame really, they’re missing a chance to see the REAL Rombot in action, a man of derring- do, not afraid to make a dollar anywhere, regardless of “belief”.
Top Syrian general and member of Assad’s “inner circle” General Manas Tlaff defected from the regime. Son of a former defense minister and high ranking member of the Republican Guards, Tlass’ defection may show the first cracks in the soon to be tumbling breach of Bashar al-Assad’s rule. As more fighting takes place, it appears greater and greater numbers of military leaders and rank and file defect to the opposition. A “Friends of Syria” conference is taking place in Paris this weekend, in an attempt to formulate action either with or without Russia or China. Desperate despots delaying destiny, denying dignity and delivering death.
Finally, the announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson and the Higgs field on July Fourth will be heralded as a major breakthrough in science. Now that the relevant energies for detecting the field and particle have been found, it will only be a matter of time before some intrepid inventor and ingenious entrepreneur will develop methods and machinery to manipulate this aspect of the cosmos to our liking … or doom. It’s our choice. Seriously.
So let’s not blow it.
I often thought that this is where civilization ends, when they find/identify the Higgs Boson. 4 million more years the next civiliztation will have their turn to find it.
I have to laugh!
Here we are arguing about how jobs Obama is adding. Not whether he is adding jobs, just how many!
Does anybody remember the last Republican president?
...the numbers for Bush's last three months. Between October and November, 597,000 jobs were lost; between November and December, 681,000 were lost; and between December and January, 741,000 were lost.
Hahahahaha! Yeah, we need to return to that!
The Elephant in the Car Elevator: Mitt Romney Doesn't Want to be President
By Bluegal aka Fran
I don't think Mitt Romney wants to win this election.
It's not just that an obviously competent businessman (in terms of making capitalism work for him) is having such a hard time managing a staff of incompetents. Your own spokesman claims your message is like an etch-a-sketch and goes completely off message on whether Obamacare is a tax. You claim you like firing people, but this guy is still on your staff.
Another staffer misspells "America" and "Reagan" and more on campaign projects. You claim you like firing people who don't provide good service. Even Rupert Murdoch can't figure out why you're holding on to these staffers. The elephant in the car elevator is, you don't want to be President.
And really, Mitt, who can blame you? You're a billionaire who has a newly renovated house in California (one of six) and a great life ahead of you as a grandfather, dressage horse investor, and glad-handing board room man about town. Being the Republican nominee against Barack Obama in 2012 puts you in the history books without inconveniencing you into having to, you know, govern.
And trust me, Mitt, Fox News and Rush Limbaugh don't want you to win, either. Their bottom line is only secured with four more years of Obama bashing. And betcha ten thousand dollars Michelle Malkin already has a book contract for Spring 2013 to write some lie-fest entitled "Eric Holder, Worse than Seven Hitlers." You'll ruin all her plans if you actually win.
In the meantime, we can't wait to watch the horse ballet that is called the Romney 2012 campaign. Hint: make Bachmann your running mate. And put her in charge of messaging.
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/bluegal-aka-fran/elephant-car-elevator-mitt-romney
___________________________________________________________
You’ll Yahoo’s were just all beside yourselves with the possibility of taking Michelle to the Prom. Then you got to know her better and found that she was Flighty, Shrill and prone to Panic Attacks when under pressure. So you threw her back.
Let my main man Willard take you to the Prom said Karl.
EEEEEEEE WWWWWW said you.
So then you decided to bat your eyes at little Ricky Perry. Turned out that not only was he dumb as a post but you had to worry about him stepping all over your precious tootsies with those cowboy boots. So you threw him back.
Let Willard take you and I’ll throw in a corsage said Karl.
Nope no way no how said you.
So then you began to contemplate lowering your standards and considering Herman. Get on the Caine Train for a ride so to speak. Turned out he had a predilection for dipping his wick in lamps all over town. So you threw him back
Make Willard a happy man and I’ll throw in a box of chocolates to go with the corsage said Karl.
Never, Never, Never said you.
Getting semi- desperate you decided to give Newt a try. Turned out that he was Pudgy, Dull and all that talk about Kenyan Anti-Colonists put a glaze over your eyes. So you threw him back.
Give our new guy Willard a second look and we’ll throw in a Limo to haul you around in style said David and Charles. You can keep Karl’s corsage and chocolates too.
Not if he was the last feller on this earth you said.
So you took a flyer on little Ricky Santorum. Sad to say he was more interested in getting you right with God (or at least his version of it) and his religion didn’t allow him to have fun anyway so you threw him back.
Have I got a guy for you said Sheldon. Go with old Willard and I’ll throw in a Pretty Party Dress and pay for a Chippendale Dancer to stand in front of him so’s you never know he’s there. You can keep Charles and David’s Limo and Karl’s corsage and chocolates too.
Well looks like you done got yourself stuck in between a rock and a hard place.
You can either debase yourself and take Karl’s, David’s, Charles and Old Sheldon’s perks and go with the Yahoo that you kept insisting that you never wanted to go with in the first place.
Or you can salvage a little Pride and Dignity and go Stag and take your chances.
If it was me I’d probably go stag. I can be had but I can’t be bought don’t you know. ‘Course that’s just me.
See I’m used to using my head for something besides to hold my ears apart and don’t have a tendency to get in these kinds of messes in the first place.
IR, terrific post and added pearls of wisdom!
While many people will moan and groan and Mitt Romney will attack the jobs report thinking that will help him, it is 80,000 jobs that didn't exist last month. It isn't enough but it is not negative, it is not lost jobs but GAINED jobs.
If anyone is to blame for the jobs report, one need only look at the GOPTP House and their counterparts in the Senate. Last year, a jobs plan was presented to Congress and the House refused to vote on it and the GOPTPers in the Senate filibustered it several times. The proposals in the AJA were proposals republicans in previous years supported. Instead of passing the transportation bill in early spring, they waited until last week to pass it.
Conservatives claim republicans have offered jobs plans. Really? Sorry but that dog won't hunt. The GOPTP jobs ideas were loaded with completely unrelated and distasteful amendments such as the ones that banned or restricted abortion, or defunded Planned Parenthood, etc. etc. Last week Rand Paul tried to amend the transportation bill with a Personhood amendment?
YES, I WILL SAY IT AGAIN. The republicans put PARTY First, not country. Their goal has been since Jan 20, 2009, to defeat President Obama. In their minds, what better way than to obstruct, delay and deny anything that would help economic growth--they knew that if the economy recovered too quickly, they had no chance in 2012.
What a pathetic bunch of spoiled sports the GOP is? The GOPTP has failed the test of leadership; they do not deserve to be elected town dog catchers. When the goal of anyone is to eliminate the job of one person but in the process, that action causes great harm to this country, continued and unnecessary suffering for the American people--that party, in this case the GOP, does not deserve to lead anything.
Typical low information liberal loon reaction - blame others.
Sure, that's the problem, the government just doesn't spend enough.
But Joanne - He did get Bin Laden! :-)
Cool, so you aren't blaming Obama. Nice, me neither.
The problem is not "others" its corporations using this recession to KNOWINGLY drive down the cost of labor and make working people a commodity.
Union contracts and bills like ACA have made US workers un-competative in a global market. That is why jobs are being out-sourced. Companies will get cheaper labor when they can. Also keep in mind its not just the private sector doing this, the public sector is as well. Local and federal governments are also outsorcing certain jobs.
Independent Redneck, excellent post - I continue to enjoy your summaries. Thanks! Went well with my latte this morning!
We the corporations, what is the biggest law in the land that protects the worker?
Our immigration policy. Remove the artificial bottom and every worker gets a raise.
Nope, they were ORDERED to get bin Laden by their Commander in Chief, just like soldiers are supposed to do, follow orders.
That is completely false. US workers are still the most productive workers in the global market, and other countries make their wages competitive by having SINGLE PAYER health care. Are you advocating for single payer to become more competitive?
ContemptMe
And yet, Seal teams didn't get bin Laden in eight years under George W. Bush. Perhaps because, following 9/11 he decided to invade Iraq and kill Saddam Hussein, Iran's biggest enemy in the region, instead?
We the corporations, I'm not advocating anything, just stating fact. Currently, in IT for exampl, workers in India are being hired at around $25 per hour, the average IT resource in the US will go at $75 fully loaded, salary benefits taxes and such. You can't compete with that much of a difference. I agree, US workers are more productive, but the bottom line is the cost savings is huge. And like I said, federal, state and local governments are doing it as well. Until the salaries of these off-shore folks start to get more in line with US workers out-sourcing will continue. No way to stop it. We need to find ways to reduce the cost of labor in the US, problem is the current environment is increasing that cost.
Romney, has been "UNEMPLOYED" for years!, and he's on VACATION! WTF?
We don't need a RICH WUSS running the Country!.
Romney: I'm RICH, UNEMPLOYED, and I want to buy the Presidency!, vote for me.
we -- i guess the seals would disagree with your assessment:
Serving and former US Navy SEALs have slammed President Barack Obama for taking the credit for killing Osama bin Laden and accused him of using Special Forces operators as ‘ammunition’ for his re-election campaign.
billy bob,
Do you mean like the Mission Accomplished banner as Bush took a victory lap in his ‘jump suit’ on the carrier – taking credit for what our troops accomplished in Iraq?
IR and Jody -- Excellent observations.
JAS1 -- You exemplify the low info voter. The jobs report actually shows you what industries are suffering. Here's a hint: Construction, think infrastructure. Now who is obstructing any stimulus for infrastructure improvement? Republicans. No better time to invest in our country's infrastructure with the low interest rates. Couple that with the crumbling infrastructure and high unemployment in the industry you would think Republicans could get on board, right? Nope. They are that stupid and conniving.
Va Ind-
IT workers in third world countries will work for less, and the answer is to reduce US labor costs? Employee wages are at historic lows compared to corporate profits and CEO pay. The problem is short-term financial results are being used to drive all kinds of management decisions.
Henry Ford paid his workers significantly more than the market dictated, so that they would not be just workers they would be customers. His "investment" in his workers paid off through increased sales volumes.
After centuries of making progress in our standard of living we have let greedy CEOs and Wall Street investors destroy our middle class and our infrastructure through their relentless pursuit of more profit and lower taxes.
billybob -
State your source. Other than one former Navy Seal who is now a REPUBLICAN politician there have been no confirmed complaints.
Since conservatives are upset that anyone dare put the blame where the blame belongs--on the GOPTP House and their Filibustering Senate counterparts--one wonders what they would say if Senator McCain had been elected and Democrats had taken the same approach of obstruction as the GOPTP: obstruct, delay, deny, defeat. The outrage would be nonstop just as it is now only in reverse. They would be whining from morning to night about those horrible Democrats--how dare they put party first and not country. I will continue to BLAME THE GOPTPer Congress because they are the problem.
Oh, the wonders of ignoring the truth because it doesn't suit the conservative narrative--from Romney down the line, they cheer the idea of an economic slowing and never mind who is hurt including republicans who also are among the unemployed.
Any person with a reasonable, cognitive deductive ability understands that no president can improve any economy if a Congress fails to do its job. Voters elected Tea Party republicans to the House and now they wonder why Government is even more gridlocked and dysfunctional. During the first two years, President Obama and democrats passed many pieces of job-creating legislation, including the one that made the news--the stimulus. Then the GOP Tea drinkers rose from the depths, won the House, their obstruction, their hate of government subsequently ended any ability President Obama to continue the recovery he began.
Unless Congress passes job-creating or incentives to create jobs, President Obama cannot make it happen by simply waving a magic wand. People who bother to think understand that simple truth.
Dont_carry_it_all - JAS1 is the poster child for low information voters. She and no joe share the same quarter brain.
Va Ind - and that is why many major manufacturers are bringing jobs BACK to the US. GE and ten other major employers found wages going up in China and India and inferior quality so they are bringing jobs back. Had the GOP not blocked President Obama's proposal to give tax breaks to companies bringing jobs back to the US, more would be doing so.
The Grumpy Old Perverts don't give a damn about the US citizens - just winning - no matter how many lives are destroyed in the process. Pitiable lot the Republicans.
Obama/Biden 2012
dennis -- good job of getting a "blame bush" message in but as you should know the story you refer to has been researched and shown not to have been put there for iraq but rather for the aircraft carrier's crew:
Captain Conrad Chun from the media office of the 2nd Fleet in Norfolk, VA.
"When something of such high level is planned, such as the landing of the commander in chief on the ship," said Chun, "there are several planning meetings. At one of the meetings was the idea for a banner that said MISSION ACCOMPLISHED." The mission in this case, was the mission of the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN. The men and women aboard the nuclear-powered carrier accomplished their mission and stayed out for a record time -- 290 days. It was a very long cruise for them.
The banner specifically was designed to celebrate and memorialize the ship's successful deployment. According to Chun, they had no way to make the banner aboard the ship, so the White House was asked to have it made for them.
"There are still those who will doubt the story," said Chun, "but after speaking to those on the ship, I have no doubt that is how it happened."
What? If I, a "stupid liberal", had just posted what you did you'd be all over me like stink on you know what. You heard that from Rush. President Obama hasn't "taken credit". He has given credit where credit was due and until you can give me audio AND video, you should take back your lie.
billybob - why do you post such nonsense, knowing it is totally lies. No Navy Seals - current or former - are slamming President Obama. As one said, it is what any President would do who is responsible for making the call that had our country's #1 enemy killed. It is natural.
And, the Mission Accomplished sign was totally Bush's office's idea - get over it.
Obama/Biden 2012
Hear, hear, Jody!
Va Ind
I will meet you in the middle. Let's lower the prices of homes, health insurance cars, food, and every other product that corporations want to charge us a top price for and then you can lower people's wages.
BTW, if you are jealous of the standard of living of the workers in China and India, please move there. Better yet, since you feel so bad for your corporate master, please give up your vacation, your health insurance and your overtime immediately.
Do you realize that YOU are part of the high-wage "problem" you are compaling about????
VA Ind
I'm curious,...what is the National Labor Union for IT professionals? I've been in the industry for 20 plus years and I simply CAN'T think of it.
thanks,
PS. and I am just spitballing here, but what if we **gasp** RAISED the standard of living in Calcutta? Your post seems to singlehandedly strike the middle class in the gut. Is that how you see America maintaining our Excellency? I mean, be honest, IT professionals aren't exactly Blue Collar workers, now are they?
Interestingly, if you google this exact phrase "Serving and former US Navy SEALs have slammed President Barack Obama for taking the credit" it comes up word-for-word on dozens of right-wing sites. Hmmmm.......
Independant, you said Romney was a Billionaire. Every place i looked says around 200 million. Can you link me to where you found that information that he is a billionaire?
TNSEVOL said....
That's because Henry Ford, as well as other visionary "America First" business owners back in the day understood that rewarding their workforce with regular pay increases, as warranted by increased profits, worked IN FAVOR OF those same businesses. The men and women business owners took stock in America and its workers, and became even more successful because they understood that putting money in the hands of the masses is good for business, and GOOD FOR AMERICA.
Now, it's "what can an employer take from their employees and still maintain a viable workforce". It's shameful!!
Well the weak jobs numbers tell us that the do nothing Congress needs to work with the President and get some things done. Come on folks, you can do it.
There's two chances of that, slim & fat. And slim's on the big grey dog outta town!!
Get your head out of your butt bj. Your boy Harry Reid and the inept Dems in the senate are sitting on 30 job bills passed by the house.
you know, the same lame dems in the senate that can't pass a budget.
Do some fact checking.
Red Sox,
30 bills that cannot possibly pass because they either give more tax cuts for the wealthy and/or cut regulations that protect citizens.
Why won’t congress pass bills that have a chance of passage in the Senate ?
Republican obstructionism is paying off for them indeed. The do-nothing congress may just get their way. I refuse to let these tactics work for my five year old, but apparantly Americans will give these "adults" a pass.
One would be wise to consider why it is that such a high percentage of Romney's monetary support comes from the wealthiest individuals and the largest corporations. They aren't betting on the middle class with these donations.
Slowly things are coming back. It will take many years to repair the damage from Bush and his gang of neo-con nation wreckers.
President Obama is up to the task. Obama 2012!
P.S.
I would like to thank the tea baggie faggies for developing Bozo Boner and Eric "bendover" Cantor and the GOP dog and pony show, which has reduced the public approval rating of Congress to 9%, and is helping to assure the re-election of President Obama.
You send a clean jobs bill to the Senate and it will pass. However, when you send a jobs bill that have attachments to them that hurt one group in order to pass it, NO WAY.
I think the same thing would happen it an actual jobs bill was submitted instead of a union payoff bill masquerading and titled as if it were a "jobs" bill
So true. These right wing clowns along with many in their base have sunk to the lowest. The only group of people they like and don't demonize are the rich 1%.
@ job1
your dreaming.. government employee unions want 20% wage hikes and will RIOT if you make them pay 10$ a month toward their healthcare. Private biz sector wants tax cuts, democrats want tax hikes, republican want spending cuts, Goldman sacs (presidents economic advisers) want zero capitol gains, and the welfare class wants free cell phones from the government (wait they get those already)
so where is this PLAN going to come from.
HERE ill propose one.
END NAFTA today and require that all returning factories be built in economically distressed areas (the ghettos) and offer each company a ZERO % tax rate if they hire from the local economy.
END THE WTO and tell all returning manufactures from china they must relocate in economically distressed areas and offer each of them ZERO % tax rate if they hire from the local economy.
Tell All Government unions that Salary will be pegged at 90% average private sector wages in their area - makes them work for the private sector not against it.
the Five major banks must dissolve into banking and investment companies and offer them 5% corporate earnings tax if they bring home their overseas profits.
Increase the capitol gains tax on securities to 20%, reduce the investment capitol gains tax on any thing that sits on land to 10% (return the real-estate investment incentive) .
Eliminate base line budgeting and peg new budget against the budget 5 years prior - do markup using those numbers.
Eliminate the Labor department "assumed" unemployment factor, and require to count unemployment at full employment numbers (not 65% what they use now) and count not currently seeking / gave up numbers.
require a higher capitol requirement for all Short selling of stocks and derivative trading.
And eliminate the Payroll tax.
That should about do it. now i am a republican and you hate what i just said, and are going to now tell me how stupid i am. then lets argue why government can't get anything done. Ill go first.. your a poo poo head!
joshua w morris
Exactly. It's Congress' job to create jobs not the president's. If Mitch McConnell and John Boehner hadn't wasted the past 3.5 years trying to tear down the president there wouldn't be an unemployment problem in this country.The gop needs to be voted out of power in the House and their numbers drastically reduced in the Senate then we can get our country up and running fully again. There's only so much that the president can do with Congress fighting against him at every turn.
Dennis It doesn't matter if the House passed a jobs plan that would create jobs, Reid would sit on it so the dems could claim do-nothing. A lot of those bills could create jobs if debated. As for the additional riders/amendments the dems bills have similar attachments that people don't like.
Now that Obamacare is a tax and legal (for the moment) how about all those free riders Nancy Pelosi talked about, do they include illegals or are they still getting a free pass and who pays for them.
Reb BH can now go back to his/her original sobriquet since stolen valor was defeated.
I find it funny that whenever Romney changes his mind it is flip flopping yet for Obama it is evolving. Both the same.
Voter suppression 1st case is a democrat Charlie Rangel's campaign trying to suppress the Hispanic vot for a democrat latino candidate so he can keep his seat .
capitalnewyork.com
By Azi Paybarah
6:19 pm Jul. 4, 2012
After his leading opponent alleged "voter suppression" in last week's Democratic primary, Charlie Rangel convened a press conference on Wednesday to commemorate the July 4th holiday and defend the vote-counting process that currently has him holding on to a narrow lead.
"This election in my mind is more than just between me and my three opponents," Rangel, 82, said today while standing in front of a statue of his predecessor, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
"We are going through a time that the marches that I participated in, the ones that 54 miles from Selma to Montgomery, the voting rights that people [fought] for and died for, people are trying to take those rights away from them as we talk. They're trying to do it."
Rangel was speaking publicly for the first time since his convincing victory on primary night was called into question by his leading opponent, State Senator Adriano Espaillat.
Espaillat has claimed in court papers that "voter suppression" against Hispanic voters and faulty vote-counting by election workers may account for Rangel's margin of victory, which currently stands at 802 votes, with more than 2,000 affidavit ballots to be counted starting tomorrow.
Espaillat, who is vying to be the first Dominican-American elected to Congress, has waged a sustained public relations campaign to have the current vote total discredited. "We cannot have a Florida-type situation in New York State," Espaillat told reporters at a press conference on Monday, comparing the race to the disputed results in the 2000 presidential race between George W. Bush and Al Gore. Espaillat's aides have tried casting their candidate as the victim of a conspiracy by powerful political forces looking to steal an election, a theme reminiscent of the Gore camp's complaints in 2000.
Rangel sent a fund-raising email to supporters early in the week, saying he was "baffled" by his Espaillat's reaction, but Wednesday marked the first public comments from the congressman about the situation, and his pushback come on an otherwise slow news day. (The only other major events happening in New York were a hot dog eating contest earlier in the day and a firework display later tonight.)
Rangel defended the poll workers and, by extension, the vote-counting operation that, so far, has him leading.
"I thought it would be an appropriate time to say, thank god for this system and those people who work hard to make this system work," Rangel told reporters. He went on to say, "don't knock the system, it's all that we have."
By invoking the civil rights marches of the 1960s, Rangel seemed to suggest that he and his supporters, many of whom are African-American, are an extension of the marchers, and the opponents are the vote-suppressors, attempting to use the courts to take away voters' voices.
When I asked Rangel about Espaillat's claims of voter suppression, Rangel said the allegations were made publicly but not in court.
The congressman seemed to be unaware that Espaillat had filed new court papers late Tuesday, which asserted that his campaign "received hundreds of reports from irate Latino enrolled Democrats" who said "they were wrongly turned away from their polling places without being permitted to vote. They were not offered the opportunity to cast affidavit ballots and in some cases were unlawfully denied affidavit ballots when they requested them from the Board of Elections inspectors of elections."
In the court papers, Espaillat's campaign also claimed "new inspectors yelled at Hispanics who came to vote, told some there was no election, denied others affidavit ballots and otherwise intimated Hispanic voters."
After reporters informed Rangel of Espaillat's complaint, the congressman said, "I'm not making a big a deal out of papers that were served on the Fourth of July or the eve of it."
richard 1957..... posting a long rant full of lies isn't impressive. The obstructionists are the GOP - the Democrats have tried to work with these treasonous bastards to no avail. Their one and only goal is to make Obama a one-term president. Not gonna happen!
Obama/Biden 2012
richard -
There is a difference between evolution (moving slighty to the right or left) on a position and flip/flopping (moving FROM right to left) on a position.
A brief summary of Romney’s Flip/Flops:
Minimum wage
Campaigning for Governor, 2002: Romney stated "I do not believe that indexing the minimum wage will cost us jobs. I believe it will help us retain jobs."
As Governor, July 2006: Romney stated "…there's no question raising the minimum wage excessively causes a loss of jobs, and the loss of jobs is at the entry level."
Stem Cell Research
Campaigning for Governor, 2002: Romney expressed broad support for embryonic stem cell research, and said he would lobby President Bush to support it.
As Governor, 2005: Romney vetoed a Massachusetts bill to fund stem-cell research.
Abortion
Campaign, 2002: Romney's platform - "As Governor, Mitt Romney would protect the current pro-choice status quo in Massachusetts. No law would change. The choice to have an abortion is a deeply personal one. Women should be free to choose based on their own beliefs, not the government's."
Governor, July 2005: Romney criticized Roe v. Wade in a veto message in rejecting a bill mandating access to access to emergency contraception. In February 2006, Romney stated that his views on abortion had "evolved" and "changed" since 2002 such that he then considered himself a "pro-life governor" who wishes "the laws of our nation could reflect that view".
Gun Control
Campaign, 2002: Romney supported the federal assault weapons ban. July 1, 2004: Romney signed a permanent state ban on assault weapons, saying "Deadly assault weapons have no place in Massachusetts. These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense. They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people." The law covered weapons such as the AK-47, Uzi, and MAC-10.
January, 2008: "I believe we need to focus on enforcing our current laws rather than creating new laws that burden lawful gun owners.”
Gay Rights
Senate campaign, 1994: Romney stated “..I respect the work and the efforts he's (Ted Kennedy) made on behalf of the gay community and for civil rights more generally, and I would continue that fight. There's something to be said for having a Republican who supports civil rights in this broader context, including sexual orientation. When Ted Kennedy speaks on gay rights, he's seen as an extremist. When Mitt Romney speaks on gay rights, he's seen as a centrist and a moderate. …When Ted says it, it's extreme; when I say it, it's mainstream. I think the gay community needs more support from the Republican party and I would be a voice in the Republican party to foster anti-discrimination efforts.”
Campaign 2002: Romney's stated position was "All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual orientation. While he does not support gay marriage, Mitt Romney believes domestic partnership status should be recognized in a way that includes the potential for health benefits and rights of survivorship."
Governor, 2004: Romney stated "If the question is, 'Do you support gay marriage or civil unions?' I'd say neither. If they said you have to have one or the other, that Massachusetts is going to have one or the other, then I'd rather have civil unions than gay marriage. But I'd rather have neither."
Healthcare
Governor, 2006: …Romney successfully pushed for incorporating an individual mandate at the state level. April 2006: Romney signed legislation that mandates that nearly all Massachusetts residents buy or obtain health insurance coverage or face a penalty in the form of an additional income tax assessment. The bill established a regulatory authority called the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority to implement the law and establish insurance standards.
2010: In a speech, Romney said of Obamacare "I hope we're ultimately able to eliminate some of the differences, and repeal the bad and keep the good." He applauded the individual mandate, which he says "works."
Campaign 2012: Romney promises to repeal “Obamacare” on Day One.
Taxes
Campaign 2002: Romney refused to sign an anti-tax pledge put forth by Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform. Romney presented a plan to balance the budget without raising taxes. Romney also favored gambling as a way to help balance the Massachusetts deficit.
2003: A windfall in capital gains tax revenue caused by a previously enacted capital gains tax increase reduced the deficit by $1.3 billion.
2006: The combined state and local tax burden in Massachusetts increased during Romney's governorship. Romney cut spending by $1.6 billion, including $700 million in reductions in state aid to cities and towns. In response, cities and towns raised property taxes by five percent to their highest level in 25 years. In 2005, Romney signed legislation allowing local commercial property taxes to be raised, which resulted in $100 million more in property taxes from local business owners.
Romney created new fees and increased fees for many state licenses and services. In all 33 new fees were created and 57 fees were increased, raising $501 million in new income in the first year of the fee increase program - more than any other state in the nation. Romney increased a state gasoline “special fee” by two cents per gallon, generating about $60 million per year in additional revenue. This made for a total effective state gasoline tax of 23.5 cents per gallon.
How about the Vote-On-Nothing Senate and the Threaten-To-Veto-Anything-From-The-House President, try working with the House on getting something done? Neither side is helping by sticking to their guns in order to be re-elected. Since no one in D.C. is really interested in helping to create jobs if the method goes against their philosophy, vote them all out.
That's funny there is thirty that's 30 job bills that passed and are waiting for Reid to take to a vote.
Honestly I think most democrats are hoping Obama is not relected he has been such a loser. I know I would not want anyone to know if I supported this idiot.
Dennis,
If they know it will create jobs (and it is so damned important to them) why not try to compromise a little and make the supposed "ill affects" of the bill lesser? Because they to are the party of no?
"That's funny there is thirty that's 30 job bills that passed and are waiting for Reid to take to a vote."
Take a look at those 'jobs' bills. All of them involve repealing PPACA, weakening the regulatory power of the EPA, the FCC, or removing essential provisions in the Clean Water Act and the Consumer Financial Protection Act. Repealing needed legislation is not a 'jobs' bill. Deregulating industries that NEED regulation is not a 'jobs' bill.
How many Bills has the Senate passed that sit in the House?
How many budgets has the Senate passed that sit in the House?
How many bills have the GOP senators not filibustered?
Wow!
Tea baggie faggies? You have been flagged for code violation.
It's congress' job to create jobs? I can't find that one anywhere in the Constitution. Got a reference, Chris?
While everyone gets into the political weeds for their favorite candidate I have something for you all to think about, if you please, about we, the American people. The DNC and RNC are working to get obscene amounts of money to campaign on an election that will not matter a lick to several people I see daily at the Cancer Center I go to. You see, several have maxed out their insurance and cannot afford any more treatments. Now, these are viibrant people who really deserve the right to try and live. So what do you folks think? Money for an election or needy people?
Well --- 80,000 new jobs last month isn't great but it is 880,000 better that is was in December 2008 when Bush was in office.
That's true, Charlie, but it takes over 150,000 new jobs just to stay even with the new folks entering the work force every month. We're losing ground at this rate.
By executive order, Obama just opened the workforce up to 800K illegal aliens who will be available to apply for work permits.
"Stalled – another disappointing jobs report"
It's obvious that the total number of people employed on election day will be less than when Obama took office. He's down about 1.3 million through June according to the official government Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and there is no way he will make that up in 4 months.
NOTHING sums up the TRUTH about our crummy jobs report than this; "Republicans holding millions of jobs hostage, so one man will lose his." NOTHING!
For those of you who vote Democrat or Republican, this economic tragedy is your fault.
If you want to see useful improvement, vote LIBERTARIAN.
Charlie-1915998
And unemployment peaked at 7.3%. I'll bet there are a lot of people that would like to see the unemployment rate back at that level.
Let's see now - Is this the Third or Fourth 'Summer of Recovery' under Obama.
I've lost count.
lol
Is this the part of the show where Republicans whine about the jobs report and conveniently leave out the part about them not doing a damn thing to change it?
P.S. Despite the "official narrative", I think ADDING jobs is better than SUBTRACTING jobs and HOLDING STEADY is better than LOSING GROUND. Especially when you consider the fact that we would not be adding these jobs if we had listened to the GOP and let Detroit go bankrupt . . . they have no standing to say a doggone thing, especially when you consider the fact that they are actively trying to cut jobs in a recession so they won't have to pay their taxes.
Sad but true.
"Is this the part of the show where Republicans whine about the jobs report and conveniently leave out the part about them not doing a damn thing to change it?"
Yes, when is the President and the Senate going to do something about it!
Dan:
I thought the tea party said they were going to create jobs? What happened? Why do you want the President to do Congress's job? What is it exactly that Congress does other than what the corporate people tell them to?
The Senate won't vote on any of their bills. That's where the real holdup in the Congress is. Just more Obama 2012 Blame, Demean, and Divert from the facts.
Shhhh Nash... you are not suppose to remind them...
I'm late for breakfast, however, I see the usual suspect doing their "happy dance"over the dismal jobs report!
It comes as no surprise how gleeful they are at the suffering of those less fortunate!
PS: Then you have this clown ^ regurtitating the worn out GNOP BS!
PPS: Funny how they all have been in hiding until some bad news is reported on!
They read the constitution, bitched about the President, brought up abortion, bitched about the President, tried to push through a (ahem) jobs bill with pork in it, bitched about the President, Pushed the Keystone...
The 2010 election campaign was dominated by tea party republicans touting "jobs, jobs, jobs". That's all you heard. They wrote it everywhere.
Then when in office, the same folks attacked unions, stalled the recovery intentionally, and of course - targeted abortion. Buyer's remorse anyone? They earned their 12% approval rating in my mind.
Blocking actual job bills while posturing with corporate give-a-ways they masqueraded as jobs bills,
Walking away from a $10 TRILLION deficit reduction package offered by the President,
The debt debate last summer - Good Lord, do we need to say more.
Yup, &itched about the President.....voted to repeal ACA over and over, voted anti-abortion bills over and over, voted to name post offices, over and over, voted to reaffirm in God we trust, over and over......
Nothing else......then went on vacation, over and over!
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
Just discussing the facts. Nobody is happy about this.
Fisty, you wear your ignorance like a badge of honor! How proud mommy and daddy must be. The House had passed 30 job bills, the Dems in the senate have sat on them all.
You need to try and do a little bit of fact checking before opening you mouth and showing how little you are aware of.
LOL
Obama's war on capitalism must end, his war on the middle class must end, his ware on America must end.
OMG -- Obama Must Go!!!
Dear RedSoxRule:
So proposing something that has no chance of passing and that will not work if it is passed is good enough for you? I mean, hell, I could write a bill right now and I guess I would then be a "job creator" too, eh?
What a load of bunk.
When you have a FULL TIME JOB WITH BENEFITS and you are supposed to be helping the people you CLAIM TO REPRESENT a whole hell of a lot more is required that a lot of posturing and bullsh$# talking points. You name ONE REPUBLICAN who has done more than run his or her big mouth on ANY ECONOMIC ISSUE . . . just one.
Mitt Romney would add about as many net jobs as Wal-Mart, at about the same level of wages and benefits.
Not enforcing our immigration laws is what allows Walmart to have cheap labor.
Who is not enforcing those laws?
Dear lvingbarefoot:
If you really think that millions of folks "snuck" into America without a big assist from rich folk who do not want to pay a living wage and wanted all those housing boom houses built for cheap, then really, there is nothing I can do for you.
As always the GOP grandstands out of one side of their mouth, and then lives by their "do as I say, not as I do" mantra out of the other.
Besides, you are behind the times, the "illegal boogeyman" is so last election . . . do try to keep up.
I know the GOP is screwing us when it comes to this any many other things...but which party claims to be for the worker?
So, which party is failing us?
Also Nashville, can we use your same argument when the left claims the GOP is stopping Obama from adding jobs?
Just like obama's 'job' bills don't do anything for the non-union sector? Or how about infrastructure projects being outsourced to China? Or how about all the regulations and obamacare being levied against small businesses?
Yep, I sure see how the democrats are trying to 'stimulate' the job market.
Bitch all you want, but the democrats are no better than the republicans as far as jobs go.
Dear lvingbarefoot:
The entire system is failing us . . . what is your point? I am not the one for the "both sides" game, mmmkay?
The GOP is selling the American people a bunch of lies, which begs the question, wtf are they hiding?
And please don't give me the "all politicians lie" crap . . . I am talking about BIG NON-REALITY BASED BALD FACED LIES that the media repeats with a wink and a nod.
Enough of the false equivalence and mindless discussions . . . we have been and are being robbed blind and misled and there is ONE PARTY responsible and they CONTINUE to advocate for more of the same, and I will NOT PRETEND not to notice. . . and Mitt Romney is turning out to be one of the biggest liars of all time.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/romneys-distortions-about-obama-do-us-a-disservice/2012/05/28/gJQA9JuTxU_story.html
Alex M:
You are welcome to have your own opinion, but you CANNOT make up your own facts. The economy has been MUCH BETTER under Democrats Bill Clinton and Barack Obama than under both of the George Bushes. And that is just a cold. hard. fact.
Deal with it.
The media acts like America has never seen 8.2% unemployment. Folks, we saw 9.8% unemployment during the first term of Ronald Reagan, who did NOT inherit two wars or take office after a financial crisis like the one we experienced in 2008.
Nashville,
The thing is, its not a show and both sides are responsible.
thetotas:
I agree that there are problems on "both sides", but when one side is advocating the very same policies that caused the problem, I am not going to pretend like that is "equal".
It's not . . . that whole "both sides" schtick is just a way for the GOP to avoid taking responsibility for the havoc they have wreaked on this country . . . they deliberately do things to create bad government, and then rail against the government . . . talk about having your cake and eating it too . . . first destroy regulations on the oil industry . . . then when the wells explode . . . blame the government for not cleaning it up fast enough.
Puh. leese.
Nashville, Bush was a liberal, Obama is a Marxist.
Bush sucked because he gave in and was stupid. Obama sucks worse because that is his beliefs.
Any clearer?
lvingbarefoot:
Yeah, its real clear . . . you like to hear yourself talk and don't care about anyone other than yourself.
Nash -
I agree - the Republicans complained that President Obama put a moratorium on Gulf drilling but fail to mention it was because BP and Haliburton were responsible for a huge oil spill!
The Republicans have CLEARLY been the obstructionists - and not just on principled issues like ACA, the stimulus, etc. They have obstructed formerly routine things like increasing the debt ceiling, minor judicial appointments, and the Highway funding bill.
They have used the filibuster more often and for less reason than any other Senate, holding up many Presidential appointments and other bipartisan votes to try and ram through partisan political bills.
It is truly sad when in the midst of a recession the Republican leadership states that their "number one priority" is not to create jobs or improve the economy but to make President Obama a one-term president.
livingbarefoot - so the fact that President Obama has had more illegals deported than any other President fits your lies, how? Bush did nothing about illegals - except hire them, as Romney has done. President Reagan put forth an amnesty programs for illegals which allowed many to become citizens. Now, who is your hatred against and why - clearly it's a little damned biased don't ya think?
Obama/Biden 2012
TNSEVOL, inside the "huge oil spill" you forgot to mention the loss of life and the economic hardship suffered by those on shore. Geez....guess President Obama was responsible for that, too. The Obama haters will stop at nothing....
Bush?! A liberal?! Hah! That explains a lot about the right.
Hey barefoot, I went to Hobby Lobby last week-end. I asked a gentleman for assistance but he had to find someone else to help me because he didn't speak English. I'm not giving Wal-Mart a pass - I'm just sayin...
PS - please tell us what President Obama's "beliefs" are....I can't wait to hear.
Diane, I have dealt with no English for over twenty years. I speak pretty good Spanish, but it is still aggravating. I do not understand your point though.
fielden, did Bush give away taxpayers dollars to other people.
I call that being liberal with other peoples money and that is very much a Democrat philosophy.
Nashville,
Clinton caused both my dad and I to lose our jobs due to his defense cut backs. So take your Clinton and @!$%# off.
Alex:
You get smaller and smaller with each comment. Seriously. . . the world does not revolve around you.
Nashville,
No where did I state that the world revolved around me so get off your soapbox. I was making a point that my dad and I are two individuals out of 100s of 1,000s that have been affected by liberal policies. People from both parties that think their party has all the answers are so full of @!$%# it's pathetic. Neither party has all the answers, both parties have screwed the country, politicians from both parties are so far up the corporate ass that they don't even know we exist.
So if you think I'm small because I have zero faith in our government regardless of who's in power, then go ahead and think what you want. I don't know you, I couldn't careless what you think of me. But be as judgmental as you want if it makes you feel like the bigger man.
The President's answer to the unemployment problem was the stimulus bill which congress passed. The President said that the stimulus bill "did its job". If the stimulus bill actually did work than unemployment would not be the issue that it is today. According to a report issued by the Obama administration itself, unemployment has been worse than if the stimulus bill had never been passed. The President proposed another stimulus bill much like the first so it is the President who is pushing failed policies.
Without conditions to include any action of congress, the President promised the nation that the 2012 federal deficit would not exceed 229.27 billion dollars yet his own White House is predicting a deficit of more than a trillion dollars more than what the President said that it would be. The White House is also predicting that massive deficits will continue for at least another decade. I estimate that the 1 trillion dollars alone that the federal government is having to borrow under Obama's leadership will end up costing the tax payers more than 9 trillion dollars before it is repaid over the next 170 years. The President has yet to provide a detailed plan as to how the federal government is going to repay all of the money that it has borrowed.
Look at our huge negative trade deficit. It keeps getting worse and the President seems to have no solution for the problem. The President's administration keeps pumping money into the economy but it all leaks out. The jobs that are created are overseas, not here. Even the buses that the President is riding in were initially made in a foreign country.
If the country were just a big corporation, its current CEO, President Obama, would have been let go by the board of directors, long ago, in order to avoid bankruptcy.
Unemployment is stagnate, our trade deficits is getting worse, and our National Debt keeps increasing at an alarming rate, yet our President thinks that our economy is going in the right direction. Therefore the President must want the economy to fail. The President said that if he could not fix the economy within three years that he did not deserve another term. Let's take the President's advice and elect someone who is more deserving. The President said that deficit spending shows a lack of leadership. I agree with the President. All hail the Chief!
The media acts like America has never seen 8.2% unemployment. Folks, we saw 9.8% unemployment during the first term of Ronald Reagan, who did NOT inherit two wars or take office after a financial crisis like the one we experienced in 2008.
AmyB So according to you Reagan had it worse than Obama and he inherited it from Carter but he was able to make the U.S.A. back into a superpower without bankrupting future generations. Maybe Romney is the answer following a worthless President with no plan.
First of all, Reagan only faced an artificial recession; essentially, the recession wasn't caused by a housing bubble or financial collapse, but because the Fed sharply increased interest rates to counteract inflation in the 70s. Nor was it as severe as this downturn. Secondly, he increased deficit spending to help fix the recession, and set into motion a series of policies (tax cuts and deregulation) that sent our economy into this recession. If you want to reduce the deficit, Romney is not your man, as he would put into place policies that would increase the deficit by an extra $3.4 trillion due to his tax cuts, not to mention his defense increases. If you want to fix the economy, Romney would only make it worse by supporting draconian cuts to things like Medicare, food stamps, and education, sending millions below the poverty line. In short, Romney cannot fix the economy, as his policies would only make it worse.
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
Romney's "campaign has centered on what he calls Mr. Obama’s “failed economic record.” This from a man who says the stimulus was a failure and the rescue of the auto industry a mistake, whose prescription for stabilizing the housing market is to let it crash, whose plan for health care is to repeal the health reform law, and who clings to discredited policies, like more tax cuts for the rich and less regulation for the banks. Mr. Romney’s proposals would take the nation back to the conditions that inflated the bubble and led to the bust."
"If the stimulus bill actually did work than unemployment would not be the issue that it is today."
No, it would be worse if there had been no stimulus. According to economists it helped us avoid having the recession turn into a depression. See here for earlier studies: http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2010-08-30-stimulus30_CV_N.htm and here for a synopsis of the 9 most comprehensive studies :http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/did-the-stimulus-work-a-review-of-the-nine-best-studies-on-the-subject/2011/08/16/gIQAThbibJ_blog.html
"According to a report issued by the Obama administration itself, unemployment has been worse than if the stimulus bill had never been passed."
Perhaps you could provide a credible source for this report as I can find nothing of the kind.
This didn't happen overnight. It's been happening over the past 15-20 years, but the economy was kept going by middle class Americans tapping into the equity on their homes until they were completely tapped out.
It shouldn't be all about Democrats or Republicans!
It should be about doing the right thing for our country and the majority of its citizens. I consider myself an independent voter, but going back to the Reagan days and with the only exception having been Perot, I’ve always voted Republican. But all this single-minded, left versus right, ideological one dimensional bull has got to go! This is the problem with our country. It shouldn't be about Democrats or Republicans! It should be about Americans, especially our elected officials, doing the right thing for our country and its citizens.
Both parties have sold out the bulk of the American citizens, who they're supposed to represent, by allowing the "out-sourcing" floodgates to open wider and wider without taking any sensible measures to stem the tide. (Under Clinton jobs to China, Under Bush I & II influx of illegals or cheap easily abused labor into the US and jobs to Mexico/NAFTA) Our leaders are elected by the Citizens of the United States of America to represent the interests of those citizens and the country itself. They are NOT elected by the Global Market Place or foreign citizens!
We need whoever wins the next election to Start Protecting American Jobs and do whatever it takes to bring back the jobs they let go. They've got to give us somebody who will stand up for the American people.
We need to bring manufacturing back to the United States of America and both parties are ignoring tariffs as a way to level the playing field, raise money and bring jobs back home. Let's guess why. Oh that's right, tariff is a dirty word. Hum, maybe it’s that our so called leaders (political leaders) are beholden to the same people who are exporting our jobs.
I guess we should keep letting Corp Boards, Wall Street, CEOs and Foreign Lobbyists promote sending US jobs to countries where they work for slave wages, no benefits, no OSHA safety standards or no real environment regulations. How's that been working for us?
The so called “Global Market Place” is not a level playing field. Companies may have made higher profits by "out sourcing", but they've been putting middle class Americans who are a good part of the world’s customer base out of work. I’m not a lefty or member of any union. I run a business that employs over 20 people and produces products that are purchased by customers that do manufacturing and packaging. I’m just an average Joe, but I've been saying this for more than 10 years now. If I can see it, so can our so called leaders (political leaders) who are beholden to the same people who are exporting our jobs.
We need to add tariffs that are proportionate to the inequities in wages and regulations in the country where the goods were produced and or where we’re importing them from. We could then use the money raised by these tariffs to help companies build state of the art manufacturing plants here in the USA, which would create more jobs here at home for US citizens, which would then in turn increase our income tax revenue.
The people with all of the excuses as to why we can’t or aren’t willing to manufacture products here in the US are the same people who have provided us with the thinking that’s gotten us into this mess in the first place.
Over the past 15-20 years, I've seen too many of our customer's close manufacturing plants here in the USA and move those plants to different countries, decimating entire areas here in OUR COUNTRY. And I'm not alone. Returning jobs to American Citizens will provide income tax revenue to OUR Government versus our government having to pay unemployment benefits to those who would be jobless instead.
Bringing manufacturing back to the US not only gives jobs to the US citizens who would be working in those manufacturing facilities, but to the people that would be working in the businesses that would spring up all around them. This should also include the safe harvesting, production and distribution of our own natural energy here in the USA, rather than paying for fuel from countries where they hate us. Let’s keep that money and those jobs here in the US.
These so-called “free trade agreements” have to go. It was obvious when they were passing these agreements as to what was going to happen and sure enough it did. Our leaders had to have known this as well when they were passing these bills. It’s just common sense. We also need to bring customer support services back to the United States of America and staff them with employees who are US Citizens.
The “Global Market Place” is not a level playing field! The whole idea of the tariffs is so we can pay our factory workers a decent wage and not be blown out by these other countries where they don’t play by the same rules.
We may have to pay a bit more for products made here in the USA by US citizens, but at least we'll still have jobs and a future for our children.
The bottom line is that “Our Government” has to protect American industry and the jobs that those industries provide. If they do that, the rest will take care of itself.
All this single-minded, left versus right, ideological one dimensional bull has got to go!
This is the problem with our country.
It shouldn't be about Democrats or Republicans!
It should be about Americans, especially our elected officials, doing the right thing for our country and its citizens.
I've always hated the biased liberal media, but now I'm starting to hate Fox as well. I was happy when we finally got a conservative media choice like Fox, but now I'm feeling same way about Fox as I did about CBS years ago.
All this single-minded, left versus right, ideological one dimensional bull crap has got to go! This is the problem with our country. It shouldn't be about Democrats or Republicans! It should be about Americans, especially our elected officials, doing the right thing for our country and it's citizens.
That's so funny I forgot to laugh. Bush was no liberal; liberals don't enact massive tax cuts for the wealthy or blow off billions of dollars on wars based on scanty evidence. Bush was a conservative, but not the fiscal conservative that you might think. He was a neoconservative, a group that borrows just enough from New Deal liberalism to be called big spenders but is more aggressive on foreign policy and adheres to the debunked economic theory that is supply-side economics. Ergo, Bush was a member of the neoconservative wave that took over the party in the 90s. The Republicans we speak of today are Tea Party populists, who unfortunately are being used by the wealthiest Americans like the Koch brothers to spread their version of economics, social policy, and political procedures. If the Tea Party wins in 2012, I tell Americans to prepare themselves for another pre-Progressive era of toil, hardship, and discrimination, not based on color or ethnicity or sex, but on social class.
OBAMA BIDEN 2012
upset-1557697
The debt debate last summer - Good Lord, do we need to say more.
Somebody tell me about the 10 trillion deficit reduction package offered by the President. That is the first I have heard of it.
What happened to Obama's laser like focus on jobs? What happened to all those shovel ready jobs? And how about "stalled the recovery intentionally" You got proof of that. It looks like you so called liberals thrive on bending the truth to suit your political purposes.
And if some of you will stop chugging down the Obama Kool Aide and actually read the S&P report you would see that agency also said that the President's refusal to deal with entitlement spending was a contributing factor to the downgrade. So if the republicans had given the President a clean debt ceiling increase the credit rating would still have been downgraded but apparently you all are too dumb to see that.
Nashville_fan
REF: #5.20
Where is your head, man. I mean what in the hell are you thinking. No way the economy is better under Obama than the Bush Presidents. And your Huffington Post link has "opinions" included in the link itself and you try to pass them off as facts. Gimme a break. You want to check out some liars and some crooks check out this link to a msnbc article posted a few days ago.
http://business.newsvine.com/_news/2012/07/05/12579839-lawmakers-got-loan-deals-from-countrywide?threadId=3512032&commentId=67697964#c67697964
Freshieee "he (Reagan) increased deficit spending to help fix the recession, and set into motion a series of policies (tax cuts and deregulation) that sent our economy into this recession"
Get real. Here were the total increases in the National Debt under both Reagan and Clinton;
Increase in the National Debt for Reagan (1980 - 1988) = $1.692 Trillion ($212 Billion per year).
Increase in the National Debt for Clinton (1992 - 2000) = $1.627 Trillion ($203 Billion per year).
Reagan increased the National Debt by about the same amount as Clinton over their respective 8 years in office.
Try to find something else to blame.
Any bets on who or what the President will blame this most recent job report on? Let's see how the Obama 2012 Blame, Demean, and Divert Campaign handles this one.
Let's spread the Blame around a little. Come on Congress and get off of your butts!
That would be the Senate.
Maybe Harry can have the Senate even consider a budget. Although a little late, it is after all the 1,173 day since the Senate passed a budget.
Dan - Congrats on today's meager job growth. You seem happy and proud of the effects of the obstructionism we have been witnessing for 3 years now.
However, I remind you that GW's "greatest accomplishment" was his 52 months of job creation (pay no attention to the bubble he formed to achieve that). Obama is already more than half way there with 28 straight months. W also left massive carnage and a 750,000 jobs per month LOSS and a $1.4 TRILLION annual shortfall after beginning with a strong economy and A BALANCED BUDGET, with complete control of government (all branches for 6 years). Match that against what your preferred party left Obama with, and what they've done to support the recovery.
The behavior of Republicans has been repulsive lately.
@upset,
I don't see any happiness in Dan's post.... I don't see where's he's proud of the lack of jobs either. But nice strawman!
Yeah, the jobs report is piss poor. Anyone surprised? People continue to lose their homes. Many suffering from disease and have no way to pay for treatment, etc. Meanwhile, wall street continues merrily along, yielding more and more to the already "super rich". The republicans continue to throw rocks at the poor. Tell us their sorriness, and by sorriness they mean presence, cannot continue to be tolerated. They argue, that if they can only be allowed to relieve the present tax load which burdens the wealthy, the poor, unemployed, and suffering, shall then become comfortable, healthy and wealthy. Some of these republicans, Ryan of Wisconsin, Cantor of Virginia, and several others, have implied, their brand of relief quite possibly could bring about the revival of life to many of the recently departed. See, as i understand their economic presentment, Its workings are rather odd. They call it "Trickle Down". I see it more as a "careless spillage claim". Either way, uhhem, cuse me, the way this republican thing is supposed to work is; the government will overload these wealthy folks with so much gwaddamn money that their pockets just can't hold it all. You all getting this yet? Yessir!, now, ahem, when all that money begins to overflow outta those rich peoples pockets, cause they are so full, then, aye gwad, the poor can run along aside 'em, or behind 'em, and snach up what they are ah strewing! Like I said, the republicans call this "trickle down", but folks, it looks purely like spillage to me. Oh yeah! They claim too, that all them ah picking that money up can run back and give some of theirs to them, what wouldn't physically able to join in the picking business. You know, like some of them people in wheelchairs, or in the bed with cancer and the like, and then these able picker uppers can scoot right back alongside, or behind their rich, spilling benefactors and gather some more of their money. A joke? No. Meant to be a joke? No. When dregs are strained from republican economic presentments the foregoing is the resulting essence.
"Although a little late, it is after all the 1,173 day since the Senate passed a budget."
Sorry, that's misleading. Congress passed the FY 2010 budget on July 22, 2009, which was 1079 days ago. Budgets are passed for the following year, so we have been without a consolidated budget since Oct 1, 2011 only. We've gotten by on appropriations bills as the House and Senate cannot come to terms for the most part.
Sorry - must have miscounted. That makes it so much better.
Hey Crying Speaker Tan Man ----- where are the jobs?? Hell -- where are the job bills?? You told us that's what you were going to focus on. It's been almost 2 years and no job bills. What's the problem???
Charlie - There are 2 places you can look. The first is up Harry Reid's a$$. There are a number of bills passed by the House that he has squirreled away so they never see the light of day or can be debated in the Senate. The second place to look is with Obama's illegal friends. He just passed out 800K work permits to his "undocumented" amigos.
@NH_shellback: Oooh, another bitter weed rooted in bullsh^t trying to pass as a buttercup.
July 06, 2012
This tight one is starting to open up a little bit more in favor of Obama. So, my current Projection: (Currently the states that will continue to play the biggest in November are Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, and Florida andWisconsin. For now these states are remaining in the toss up status, while leaning toward Obama. However, if the election were held today, Obama would win the general.
The key months for this race are going to be September and October. And as far as the debates, Romney most likely will have a problem in this area, along with his lack of availability to the press/media.
For now, the new projected election out come totals are:
Projected Winner Obama 293
Projected Loser Romney 244
Don't think we can take 4 more years of this same bulls**t
Better than four more years of the policies that led to this recession.
Romney has no new policies, only the same old "tax cut and spend, deregulate everything" approach that failed under GW Bush.
More the reason to vote Republicans out.
holly - we can't take another 4 years of this BS so we're voting as many of the Grumpy Old Perverts out as possible in November.
Obama/Biden 2012
The Dems had 2 years to come up with a jobs bill, and all we received was this huge tax increase in Obamacare. Now the Repubs. are trying to increase jobs, but to only see Harry Reid hide them.
Romney/? 2012
Repubs and their private industry CEOs that own them are celebrating, probably will lay off tens of millions by November and hold all of America hostage while they sit on Trillions and Trillions of dollars in their Castles....kind of remind you of what your ancestors left Europe to get away from - the royalty and monarchs???
I know right? Why would you ever blame the President, for anything?.....
It will take about 3 democratic or independent presidents to clean up the economic messes the last repubs made...Haven't seen a repub president promoting business since Ike and he did a lot of it with government spending.
BigBearcatBill, well said; yes, it does remind us of why our ancestors left Europe and came here.
Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have anything to offer but bankruptcy, endless war, poverty and despair.
Our only hope is to vote for liberty.
Please vote LIBERTARIAN with me; even if only this once.
More bad news and hardship for the private sector. The Obama economic plan is working because those people in the private sector have it to good.
Bust out your black pom-poms, T-baggers! All your prayers for a weak American economy are being answered.
If only we could continue to deny healthcare to stupid sick people, deregulate everything, and cut the wealthiest's taxes to zero...
If only we could close more public schools, somehow allow more highways to reduce to gravel, and completely dismantle all social entitlements for everyone under 40 (all for the good of generations to come, of course!)...
If only we could quit with all this diplomacy... think of all the money we'd save if we eliminated the State Department all together! Anyone does or even says anything we don't like, we go to war. No talk. Talk is appeasement.
If we could just get these things done, everybody knows that mortgages will become priceless overnight, unemployment will fall into the negatives, and a golden renaissance of plentyful plenty will rain down on America forever.
So what are we waiting for?
ROMNEY/WHOCARES 2012
America you had better wake the hell up!!! This community organizer is trying to tell you we are making progress in our economy....but it is like your house afire and it is burning faster than the firemen can put the fire out....true, the firemen did make some progress in extingushing the fire, BUT, you now no longer have a house.
No, it is like GW Bush and Republicans lit your house is on fire, and President Obama is trying to put out the fire.
Romney claims the fire is not going out fast enough, so let's throw more gasoline on it!
You mean that community organizer who taught constitutional law at Harvard University? The successful author, the two term Senator, the President of the United States? That community organizer?
Give the talking points a rest will you?
Yeap Upset that is the same one I'm speaking of....wonder why he can't fix it??? He said he could in one term......just waiting. Uh and that two term senator.....is that one in the state and one in the US congress. You know the one he had served 140 days when he decided he knew enough to be prez, but we now realize he was wrong??? Uh you probably better check your facts also. He DID NOT teach at Harvard, he taught law at University of Chicago Law School. Big difference.
Give the talking points and lies a rest will ya???
Why is it none of the liberal run media outlets like NBC will tell everyone EXACTLY all the taxes that Obama has in his health care law? Like 2.5% on all medical devices such as stents ect. Or the capitol gains tax increase or several of the other taxes that kick in AFTER 2012?
You people who defend this clown have no idea just how much taxes are coming and only the ignorant ones will not see just how much it will hurt and cost us........
You really think they care how it affects anyone else or the Country, as a whole?
There is a trade-off. Remember, the additional coverage of some 30 million will mean additional sales of medical devices. Hadn't heard about the capital gains tax? Maybe you could list each and explain?
Larry -
I have read several articles in both my local newspaper and the US Today that clearly state the tax increases as well as the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.
Most television news programs don't take the time to do into the details of anything - viewers would get too bored and change the channel.
Maybe oyu should turn off the TV, read a little bit, and get factually informed on the issues.
TNSEVOL
Reading, the lost art. The old in depth information one would get from a newspaper. I miss that.
Phinephancy -
I do too! I still try to read at least one newspaper a day. I am extremely fortunate in that our local newspaper actually deos a fairly decent job of presenting both sides of an argument. They even still have investigative journalists that research local issues like charter school fraud and unscrupulous funeral homes, and dig into bigger issues like PTSD.
Even if what I am reading is biased I still have more time to critically analyze the presentation of facts and make my own decisions.
I would recommend reading the Vanity Fair piece on Mitt Romney's finances. They do a "fairly" good job of presenting the facts on where Bain gets their money and how Romney invested his wealth. It gets a little dry in the technical details, but as an accountant I appreciated the "facts and figures".
Stone6 -
Why so lazy?
Google "Affordable Care Act," go to section 9001 and read the taxes that will be levied nest year.
Well, that's on tenth of Obama's illegals who have jobs. Only ten more months to go and Obama's illegal Mexicans will all have jobs, then perhaps there'll be jobs for Americans.
Hey, maybe all the illegals can get jobs moving Obama's stuff out of the White House.
Most of us would help on a volunteer basis, but we do need some jobs...
Obama has already deported more illegals than Bush deported in (8) years.
Actually, this should read: "Obama has already deported more illegals each year than Bush deported in each of his (8) years."
what the Dr said is true, but Jem your comment is false. Through FY2011, Bush deported 2X the total number of illegals that Obama has.
But Jem, Obama does have Bush beat a couple ways. Obama has more illegal alien relatives evading deportation than Bush and Obama has given more illegal aliens work permits than Bush did.
The president has done about all he can to create jobs, but the congress has to do more, like quit being obstructionists.
A three-part question to the conservatives:
1. How many people do you know have numerous overseas bank accounts to dodge U.S. tax laws
2.How many people do you know who write $77,000 dollars off their taxes for a dressage horse as a "business expense"
3. How many people do you know who own 7 (or is it 8) multi-million dollar homes.
Romney is completely out of touch with the average American, has no scruples, and is willing to say anything to get elected.
Uh Ed, perhaps you should address Harry Reid who is sitting on so many bills sent to the senate that he will not allow to come to the floor. He is the obstructionist!!! Compromise must come from TWO sides, not just one!!!
In answer to your 3 part question....I know no one who has that much money, but do I hate him for having it. Hell no!!! He worked for, just as our community organizer has (maybe) worked for his MILLIONS. I ask you now Ed, how many people do you know that are worth $10 million dollars???
When my government has been high-jacked wasting my money and spending like drunking sailors with their partying in vegas, I want to find an off-shore account to put my hard earned cash so they can not get to it.
There was a time when we respected success like that. No we berate it? Obama has truely divided us.
Excellent points, Ed. Recycle, you're right on one point, Romney has money. Ed's point was because he is so far removed from what mainstream America goes through on a daily basis, he really is inept to be a leader. I want someone who's walked my walk, or portions of it, who's struggled with loans and bills to pay. Romney has never had that experience and I can't stand it when people who have no clue about my daily life try to tell me how to live it.
Maybe we should go down the list of politicians that make more than the average family, that own more than one house, that are worth more than a million. Sorry, but if you make more than a million, it doesn't matter how many zeroes you have after that, you're out of touch. So that makes the majority of our politicians in washington (including obama) out of touch.
Stop beating on Romney for his money when the rest (both parties) are no better.
Answers:
1. Most of the members of Congress
2. This is obviously only Romney, but the rest of Congress has equally ridiculous write-offs (all legal by the way).
3. Many members of Congress have more then 2 (who needs more than that?).
Be careful when you get out the tar and feathers you might have to apply them to people you like.
Neal,
1. Incorrect - most members of Congress (and most politicians in general) do not have money invested in off-shore accounts, they would find it politically inconvenient.
Romney not only has money in Cayman Island accounts, he has money invested in CORPORATIONS he owns (solely) that are Cayman Island investment companies and not subject to US laws.
2. Partially correct - most members of Congress have some dubious write-offs but listing oyur horse as a "business expense"? Really? If you look at Romney's other tax shelters they are "legal but dubious" according to tax experts.
3. Its not only the number of homes, but how Romney uses his homes. In 2010, Romney lived in California but made a special trip back to Massachusetts to vote in the special election to replace the Ted Kennedy. Although Romney did not own any property in Massachusetts, he listed an address in his son's basement as his place of residence. According to Massachusetts law, a residence for voter registration purposes as “where a person dwells and which is the center of his domestic, social, and civil life” and anyone found guilty of committing voter fraud faces up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
So the moral of the story is Mitt Romney bends the law as he sees fit - maybe never breaking it but getting too close for my comfort. He is definitely no the kind of man I would want as President.
@Layton - no kidding. Last we heard from Romney was borrow a couple bucks from your parents and go to school and start a business. Well, I guess that is easy when you are a Romney son. As reported by Vanity Fair, the Romney's kicked in a cool $10m to help him start his own company. Now I don't know about anyone else (if fact I don't even know anyone in this pool of people), but my parents don't have a cool $10m sitting in some offshore/overseas account begging so be spent on a capitalistic venture. My guess is that if I asked mumsie and daddies for just 0.0001% of their wealth to fund a start up - they might be able to fork over $50 bucks.
. Its not only the number of homes, but how Romney uses his homes. In 2010, Romney lived in California but made a special trip back to Massachusetts to vote in the special election to replace the Ted Kennedy. Although Romney did not own any property in Massachusetts, he listed an address in his son's basement as his place of residence. According to Massachusetts law, a residence for voter registration purposes as “where a person dwells and which is the center of his domestic, social, and civil life” and anyone found guilty of committing voter fraud faces up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
So the moral of the story is Mitt Romney bends the law as he sees fit - maybe never breaking it but getting too close for my comfort. He is definitely no the kind of man I would want as President.
TNSEVOL
So I guess a President who doesn't defend the laws he is supposed to uphold, go around Congress and the Constitution is okay with you. Wonder if MA had voter id law would Romney have been able to vote.
TNSEVOL -
People who own/breed horses routinely claim them as a business expense. Some others claim cattle (certain bulls are worth hundreds of thouseands). It's called business for a reason. I realize that is a a dirty word to some, but you can't survive without it. Look at Greece
Just because Pres. Obama got his way with healthcare & criminal immigrants doesn't mean that he'll get the votes from that. I'm really pissed that the healthcare bill was upheld. It doesn't help anyone. It doesn't reform anything. True reform would get health insurance purchasing out of the hands of employers and into the hands of the consumer. It would stop covering every sneeze & sniffle and start covering more significant illnesses. Can you imagine how expensive your auto insurance would be if it covered windshield wipers & new tires? That is what most Americans think their health insurance should cover & then are shocked when the insurance bill is so high.
And giving special status to criminal immigrants who have been here since they are children is ridiculous. What laws am I allowed to break? Oh- right- none because I'm a citizen.
I don't want to vote for Romney, but I'm seeing that I really don't have a choice. I'll vote for Romney if it helps keep Obama from another term.
As usual all the tea people Koch republicans are cheering the bad jobs report. And the media is stupid enough to keep saying their not hoping for and counting on the economy getting worse. Wake up media and tell the truth for once, it's the tea people Koch republicans that are doing everything in their power to depress the economy. And that's the truth, whether you scared little media people want to admit it or not.
It's time to tell the truth about the do nothing congress. And quit trying to pander to the tea people Koch republicans media. Or maybe you're just trying to be the do nothing media. So far it's working.
When will the Koch brothers make more money....in a strong economy or in a weak economy?
Give you a clue...it's not when the economy is tanking every day.
mlkyunderwear ...
what a stupid post! Like anybody really cares if the Koch brothers make money? Does that keep you up at night? GAH!
No, my point was that capitalists make more money in strong economies, so they have an inherent interest in having a strong economy. Same as you or me. We have jobs and make money, and create demand, in strong economies.
Note that I don't refer to you negatively on a personal basis, even though we might disagree.
mlkboneunderwear-
Savvy investors can "short" stocks and currency and make money in a down economy, things like unemployment rates don't really matter to them. High unemployment actually keeps the cost of labor low and improves profits for some companies.
If they can keep the economy suppressed for the short term, and in the long term they get significantly lower taxes, where is the downside?
mlkboneundrwear
I think it's safe to assume when they can personally spend 100's of millions on an election,...the idea of making MORE money doesn't appeal to them nearly as much as obtaining governance control - you know for the FUTURE.
noted ... nor did I you ... just your post. And from what I've read lately, the DOW has done quite well under President Obama.
Milk bone. Have you even looked at the profits of the Koch brothers in this tea people Koch republican generated weak economy? For your information (and I know you're not interested), they've made record profits over the last three years. Gee's man get some facts before you post.
To all above, thanks, but I disagree entirely.
Business (including Koch) does better when the economy is strong.
Business is hanging on to their money right now because of increased costs and uncertainties.
Proof the 'commoners' in the republican party have a fact-proof bubble around their brain. Prove to them the wealthy are wealthier during a down economy, they claim otherwise. They will go to there grave believing the pack of lies fed to them from their beloved republican party, their paid media spokesman - Fox News, and their think tanks A.L.E.C.
Red, I'm proud to be a common citizen of the US.
Some capitalists make money no matter how the economy performs, but those are a distinct minority.
Most businesses in the US produce products or services. Those are the backbone of our nation.
They do better in a strong economy.
And (Koch excluded since they're privately held), if you have a 401k or any kind of pension at all, your money is invested in these corporations you love to rail against.
But they're not reinvesting or hiring because of your buddy.
Oh, and I don't watch Fox, nor listen to Limbaugh or Savage, and I make up my own mind. Do you?
Another one-liner that cannot be supported with any sort of proof. Exactly what has 'my buddy' done to stop reinvesting or hiring? And please don't attempt to use the regurgitated rhetoric of too many regulations and high taxes on corporations and wealthy.
Sorry Red, I live in the world where business is conservative in nature (not politically) and risk averse. Obama has not shown himself to be a friend of business, and has added cost to their books. Since they have to sell to a market price, they have to control cost in order to make a profit.
When they're alarmed about what they see from this president, Obamacare among other stuff, and it seems (at least to this businessman) his primary interests are in supporting his social agenda, business will hang onto the dollars they have, and not reinvest or hire. The economy is just a casualty of this presidency, and we need him gone.
Then you live in a small world indeed - let me guess, your insight comes from Disneyland, where everyone holds hands, skips, and sings "It's a small world after all".
The economy is not a casualty of this president, this economy is a casualty of many things, one of the primary forces being high-risk investments schemes cooked up by Wall Street and the financial industry, which in turn failed, which in turn crashed the economy. Any businessman claiming the current economic failures are based upon health care access for all, the repeal of anti-gay legislation, the support of equal pay/benefits for women, fighting against voter ID laws or the repeal of abortion protections deserves to be gobbled up by a vulture capitalist. Clearly, they know nothing about business.
Actually, i come from a state where unemployment is below the national average. We sell to OEM's and small business. Almost to a person, each of them tell us their business got a little better...they hired more people...and then things flatlined and are now backing up. They are not yet laying off folks, but there is a real sense of helplessness to effect positive change. Again, almost to a person, each of them lay this at the feet of Obama. Since we talk to literally hundreds of people, and the common theme is Obama, I think their opinions represent a reality your guy is going to have a very tough time overcoming. And this is in a toss up state.
At the end, it doesn't really matter what the real reasons for today's economy are. Obama is going to wear this like a shirt.
Well congratulations - you have finally admitted the truth. You don't care about cause - you only care to blame the current SCOTUS. So it doesn't matter what Congress does, what international business does, or what Wall Street and the banks do - if it doesn't net a positive gain, you and your cohorts will blame SCOTUS. Which begs the question - will you ever give him credit when positive gains are seen? I doubt it - you see with your crowd, Obama is basically screwed. He receives the blame as things go backward or level off, you will reap praise on everyone but Obama when you experience gains. And therein lies the hypocrisy of the right. Blame Obama for everything negative - assign praise to anyone but Obama when things are positive.
What? I'm not blaming the Supreme Court for anything. I do worry that our individual rights have suddenly taken an unexpected turn...essentially now Congress can pass any bill they consider as our public welfare and tax us for either doing or not doing something, but to me that just leaves it in the hands of the people...maybe where it should have belonged all along. I'm much more concerned that those rights have become a tennis ball...batted back and forth each election cycle. All the Supremes did was let the citizens know they darn well better vote and hold their representatives accountable.
Regarding corporations, I believe if we don't like what corporations are doing, either join with fellow investors and affect the board's behavior, or vote against them with your wallet. Since many us still employed have 401ks or pension plans, we should be able to unite and vote our shares. Control the board, control the behavior.
Obama will get the credit when he's earned it, not just because he makes 30,000 ft level statements that don't change anything. For heaven's sake, as a president he has to lead everyone, and either be effective or get out of the way. Blaming everyone else is what my kid does.
And specifically regarding my last comment in the post above, people perceive him as having a negative impact on economic recovery which we must have to fund any social programs. So that perception is reality when we go into the voting booth. I will say though that I'm a firm believer in limited government and that lasting change happens when we each choose to make it happen. It can't be shoved down our throats.
"I live in the world where business is conservative in nature (not politically) and risk averse."
So how were the business folk in your area attributing the burst of the housing bubble, the collapse of the construction industry, and the stock market crash of 2008? Because Obama wasn't president then.
They were correctly blaming it on Dodd/Frank
I meant POTUS vs. SCOTUS - thanks for pointing that out.
Blaming Dodd/Frank for the financial collapse is rather odd considering the legislation was passed in 2010 to reform the industry in response to the collapses of 2007/08.
What do Americans expect with a school teacher running our country. We need more illegal immigrants, class warfare, food stamps, welfare, unemployment benefits, higher taxes, trillion dollar stimulis programs, government-union bailouts for the states, government run healthcare.
Forget the jobs.
That's just what the tea people Koch republican do nothing congress has been doing for two years cgent47.
The rest of your post was just pure radical tea people talking point lying crap.
WOW! 80,000 new jobs which means there's only 1,292,000 unemployed people left (plus the new legal illegals).
Now THAT'S hope and change moving forward, ain't it?
Obama's handling of the economy reminds me of that old joke from South Carolina...
What are the most common last words just prior to fatal traffic accidents?
"Hold my beer and watch this..."
Mr Obama, we're tired of holding your beer.
Redneck humor can be funny when delivered by J. Foxworthy or the Cable Guy, but not so much when delivered by a guy with off-white/skidmark underwear.
The better delivery line would be from Bush - "Let me finish this 8th shot of Tequila, get behind the wheel of Bus USA Economy, and watch me navigate that cliff..."
Obama is an easy target. His health care plan has stalled the economy, his energy policy does not create jobs, and his ROI on spending is easily the worst in history. Nonetheless, after Romney's pathetic attempt to cover up his own health care by defining it as a penalty, it is time to pick on him a little bit. Romney seems to think if he criticizes Obama that he can win the election strictly based on Obama's incompetence. Of course, Obama is back to blaming Bush- his argument being that claiming to be better than George Bush is the only qualification he needs to get re-elected.
Romney's tendency as a finance guy- never take a risk and don't show anybody your own plans- is a big mistake. It also begs the question whether we will stuck with another Bush or Obama- a president who does not possess the ability to change when things aren't working. (On the other hand just because Romney is a quiet guy doesn't mean he would be a bad president).
Yes, the jobs report is awful and if Obama is re-elected it will only get worse. We thought George Bush was bad and we got worse with Obama. In other words, Romney needs to share his plans with the American people. (He does have them, he's just not talking about them). The advantage, however small, that Obama has is that a government subsidy is attractive to people in tough economic times.
Romney, if he's capable of it, needs to come out his shell and start communicating directly with America. Conservatives are already seeing a pattern of having to push somebody to make the tough decisions just as we had to do with Congress after the 2010 elections.
Romney is a fraid of his own shadow., he doesn't even want it to ask him challenging questions like:
"What's your plan for America, Mr. Romney?"
He can't even answer that.
This is the fundemental problem with this guy, he cannot answer (or answer truthfully) any question that's put forth, no matter how easy it is to answer. If you ask him if the sky is blue, he has to "get back to you on that."
What have the Republicans done to create jobs?
They've spent plenty of time screwing around with abortion rights, voter ID, and allowing more tax breaks to big business (re: PA Budget & $300M in tax breaks), and NOT one of these things has created one damn job.
If you can prove that it has, please post a link.
Educate me how giving big business more tax breaks has created jobs. Find me a stellar example of that plan in action.
I'm waiting.
Jeff, good comment. If Romney wants to have any chance at all, he has to lay out his plans, even if some of them may be unpopular. Otherwise, he's toast.
Great Job Obama! Your revenge is almost complete.
If your in business you know that the first of the year.......companies hire.....as summer rolls around jobs diminish except for retail jobs. This will pick back up in August and September. Considering what we all except for the high rollers have experience we are slowly recovering. I was a republican and found they are way off track. The takers on both side of the isle need to be FIRED. I know that cannot happen, but we can vote them out. There is no simple answer. The rich need to pay there fair share and not until that happen will we see a change.................so wake up......pay attention...........do the right thing.
That's nuts.
Tax the wealthy for every dime they make and it only covers a few months of Obama's spending craze.
After that, Obama's coming after you and me...oops...he already is.
JLC, I doubt that you were a republican....but, if so, former congressman Artur Davis will cancel your vote. He saw the light when he realized that he shares the beliefs of the republican party. He also seconded the official nomination of Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. So this is quite a conversion. Welcome Artur Davis!!!
Hate to break it to you, but we all get taxed on every dime we make. My word, do these right wing nut jobs have any valid posts?
I can think of only two ways to improve the job picture: increase consumer demand and/or spend more borrowed money for infrastructure updates.
I would imagine consumer debt left over from the housing bubble may still be too great to allow for a substantial rise in personal savings, which in turn could bring back consumer credit and "demand." And, Congressional Republicans have blocked additional stimulus packages for jobs to be created via additional government borrowing and spending.
The result will be very slow employment growth, particularly for the low educational and low-skilled unemployment.
Enforcing our immigration laws is simple and effective.
Also, what is low-skilled to the left? Anyone who got theor education in the real world and not college?
stone - we have reached the point where additional government spending will not do much other than create more debt. We are long past the point where infrastructure spending means pick and shovel jobs. When Obama stood in front of that bridge over the Ohio river needing repair asking for more money for infrastructure projects, someone pointed out that if they had the money today, it would take until 2015 before any actual work could be done on that bridge. We have huge regulatory hurdles to overcome when building infrastructure, including environment impact analysis and approvals. There is design work that must be completed. Most importantly, you need to pre-order all the steel/concrete beams, and you need to line up all the contractors and their heavy equipment, including cranes and big earth movers. Most of those are currently in use. There really isn't anything that is really "shovel-ready".
It was not road and other infrastructure construction that took the big hit during the recession, it was home construction. You don't use carpenters, plumbers, electricians, sheetrockers, roofers, etc. to built roads and put in new sewer pipes.
Peter - I am sure the projects could be found. More school renovation or replacement, for instance. And, a major infrastructure project for the roads and bridges must start at some point, even if the shovel ready jobs aren't ready until later. Sorry, but failing to start something that is needed because it takes too long to complete it is not, in my opinion, the "we can do anything possible today; the impossible takes a little longer," spirit we once had.
And, of course, it is particularly disheartening to hear that from one presumably dedicated to free enterprise.
lvingbarefoot - long term, the country needs younger workers. We have an aging population. On college vs. experience, there are many jobs for which there is simply no substitute for a college degree. Carpenters can't become brain surgeons, at least not without a lot of education and training. Levels of education and skill classifications aren't "a left" thing. They're definable by the Department of Labor. And, in fact, that is where unemployment is worst.
Good Morning toa all,
Well I guess Fox News was a bit optimistic this past week about the Jobs report. They actually were more optimistic than MSN. This is bad news for everyone not just for the US but also Globally.
I, and others like me are sick and tire of so much restriction on Businesses, in particular small ones. Folks when you have an illness and you are dying, you try everything there is for a cure. It is time that our President open up to some of the suggestions that he is so much against.
You first...then, if the President's plan doesn't work, we'll talk about yours...which was? Oh yeah, deregulation and lower taxes. It worked so well before...at least up until December 2007...then it produced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
If you think that is the solution then why is it that in The southern states that did that had their fruit rot on the vines because there was no one to pick it?
crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/alabama-harvests-bitter-fruit-its-ha
usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-01-20/georgia-alabama-farmers-immigration/52699204/1
outsidethebeltway.com/georgias-new-immigration-law-leading-to-crops-rotting-in-farmers-fields/
Peter17, If you don't get started they will never be shovel ready. But as you said:
All those things that need to be done before the actual construction employ people--jobs created.
You also said:
This is also totally incorrect. Don't you think the streets and bridges have lights--need electricians, new sewer pipes-need plumbers etc.
And by restrictions, you must mean that small business tax credit offered under the healthcare affordable act. Funny when you ask the right about which restrictions, the best they can cough up is regurgitated rhetoric.
I wonder if Obama hates he gave what few jobs that were left to the illegals for a couple votes....looks like a back fire on him.
Chuck Todd is a pompous idiot who just loves to hear himself talk. 80,000 jobs added means that 80,000 more Americans who didn't have jobs before June are now working. 80,000 added beats 750,000 lost a month in any book. The media is all too ready to concentrate on the negative and not on the positive.
Exactly. And those jobs were added in spite of the Republican Congressional economic sabotage tactics.
as a anti american liberal i see you forgot to mention the 375,000 that applied for 1st time unemployment!!