Put Up or Shut Up:

I see the Romney camp has laid-out an ultimatum to Harry Reid to either report his sources regarding Romney's tax returns or shut up. One could predict that this was going to happen. But what the Romney camp forgot was that door swings both ways. It is also reasonable for Harry Reid to respond with show me your taxes and prove me wrong. The burden of proof rests with you, Mitt. If I'm wrong, I'll apologize.

Willard has no interest in a Harry Reid apology and there is no way he will release his tax returns. So the stalemate goes on. It's not in Romney's best interests to pressure Harry Reid because Romney does not want to keep his secret tax returns in the limelight. However, the Democrats will gladly continue to question what's in those returns.

The stalemate will likely be resolved by the investigative reporters who have serious questions regarding Romney's IRA's, the tax havens in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, and the tax rate Romney paid to the IRS. They will dig and dig, find a "deep-throat" who knows where to look, follow the money, and will hit pay dirt.

The big question is: Will significant information come to light before Election Day? I'll put my nickel on the investigative reporters.

Looks like Labor Secretary Broom-hilda Solis had the BLS cook the new jobs number for an upside surprise for Barry’s birthday present. Too bad the BLS chefs couldn’t cook up enough new jobs to keep the unemployment rate from RISING.

Would one of the FR lefty liberals tell me that fairy tale about how many months (26?, 27?) of private sector job gains there have been during the pathetic, anemic slow-bama “recovery”?? It’s one of my favorites and it might help take my mind off the fact that Barry has presided over 41 consecutive months with the unemployment rate over 8% and the fact that unemployment is now RISING.

You’re doin’ a heck of a job, Barry.

Nobama 2012 Really, Things Could be Worse

Give Me Four More years and I’ll Prove It

Economy Creates 163,000 New Jobs but Rate Rises to 8.3%

Posted By: Jeff Cox | CNBC.com Senior Writer

CNBC.com

| 03 Aug 2012 | 08:32 AM ET

The U.S. economy closed out an otherwise weak second quarter by creating more jobs than expected, with 163,000 new positions added, but the unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent. June saw 80,000 new jobs.

Markets reacted positively to the announcement, with stock futures indicating gains at the Wall Street open.

As the country struggles to gain growth traction, the unemployment rate held above 8 percent for the 41st consecutive month, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Economists had been expecting the economy to generate 90,000 new jobs, but even that number had been ratcheted down a shade in recent days.

The first quarter of the year saw an average of 225,000 new positions a month, a figure that has dropped off considerably in the second quarter and helped fuel the political debate over which candidate — President Obama or Republican Mitt Romney — is better suited to bring the economy out of its malaise.

While the figures themselves have been gloomy enough, there is considerable debate over whether the Labor Department's headline numbers present the true picture.

A measure that takes into account those who have stopped looking for jobs as well as those working part-time for economic reasons has hovered near 15 percent. The so-called "real" unemployment rate, or U-6 measure, is above 20 percent in Nevada and California.

What Is Willard "Myth" Romey's Report Card Grade?

R-money gave the President a failing grade which is another lie he told.

J-0-B-S --"F" ( OUTSOUCED JOBS; Would have let Detriot go BANKRUPT; AS Governor of MA WAS 3rd LAST OF 50 STATES IN JOB CREATION )

Universal Healthcare --"F" (will repeal Healthcare; if so Insurance can deny pre-existing conditions, drop a person too sick, children will not be able to stay on parents insurance untill 26)

Renewable Energy --"F" (favors big oil Barons like Koch bros to pollute earth who pay no or very few taxes)

LBGT --"F" (opposes DADT and Same Sex marriage)

War --"F" (Will start war with Syria and Iran)

Women's Issues --"F"

Repudiating conspiracy laden RWNJ lies --"F"

Trustworthy --"F" (tax returns, Bain, possible voter fraud, filing false statements with SEC; What is "MYTH" hiding?)

Claims President Obama economic policies --"F" (TAX Policy Center proved "Myth" wrong)

Claims President Obama has no Job experience --"F"(Obama worked as lawyer)

Newsweek dubbed Republican Mitt Romney a "wimp."

http://www.politico.com/gallery/2012/07/10-controversial-magazine-covers/000314-004076.html
=====================================================================
Talk about Failed Success for the middle class Mitt is it. Willard "Myth" Romney will appoint the most extreme RWNJ to Supreme Court. President Obama appointed 1st Lationa and another woman.

Willard "Myth' Romney" is a fraud!

Obama/Biden 2012

Meanwhile, the wealthiest group in the world...
Under the Romney plan, the top one-tenth of 1% of Americans will receive a $240,000 tax cut ~~ PLUS an extension of the Bush tax cuts.

Which is it Republican congressionals?
a) The economy will be hurt by taxes on the very wealthy going up a little bit more?
b) 98% of Americans will punished by GOP if the uber-wealthy don't get a big enough tax cut?

Time for the middle class to stand up to Republican games.

June, July and August are historically bad months for job growth so 163,000 jobs added in July is good news. BTW the forecast was only 100,000.

The average jobs added monthly for the last year is 150,000

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

http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001?output_view=net_1mth

You know they said exactly the same thing about Ronald Reagan after Jimmy Carter tanked the economy in 1970's. These so called experts so far don't have a good record of being right. There is one thing for sure though Obama's plan is SURE catastrophe.

163,000 New Jobs – Break out the Champagne!

The jobs number surprised a bit to the upside today, so the Obama apologists will no doubt be beating their breasts and singing the praises of their man. It was a decent number but not great, and I'm happy for all those folks who were able to find a job last month. But I remain much less happy for all those who couldn't.

What is so striking to me is that we are in a situation where some will actually celebrate an economy that can only eke out 163,000 jobs in a month. We've been battered so long by an economy that stubbornly refuses to get out of first gear that we are gratified by a number that would be viewed as mediocre in any other recovery. That my friends is the definition of the "new normal" in which we find ourselves: tepid economic growth, unemployment persistently above 8% and lackluster job growth.

And for this we should be grateful? For this we should shower the president with hosannas and bow as he passes us on the campaign trail? For this we should reward this man with a second term?? Good grief, give me a freaking break. Not only has Obama presided over the worst economic recovery ever, his policies have given us an economy entrenched in such a cycle of despair that mediocre performance is praised as progress. But the economy should be consistently generating twice as many jobs as it did last month and the pertinent question is why isn't that happening?

In a nutshell, that's the central issue in this campaign. And today's jobs number did nothing to change that.

Ron, Me, Bev, Jody, Dennis, a good Friday to all!

Incredible when we realize that:

"The 400 richest families in America today own more wealth than the half of all Americans combined--- more than 185 million Americans combined...

"In 1960 those 400 families would have paid around 50 to 70 percent of their income in taxes. Today they pay only around 15percent. Meanwhile, the tax rate for middle class Americans has increased in that period from around 14 percent to about 20 percent." (Rep. John Lewis (D-GA).

Congress is off for the next 5 weeks. Forget that we have a looming fiscal crisis, doesn’t matter. Vacations are much more important. Anyway, it looks like tax reform will be next to impossible as Congress members decide they are for reform unless it’s a tax break/credit for their special interest. For example:

.....a cash-incentive program for ­wind-energy projects that has been derided as benefiting foreign companies.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) defended an array of energy incentives, including a wind-energy tax credit that Romney has targeted for elimination.

Funny, but I recall Republicans trying to blame the Democrats for this credit. We now know the truth of who is really pushing for this credit, A REPUBLICAN.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/special-interests-win-in-senate-panels-attempt-at-tax-reform/2012/08/02/gJQASwL1SX_story.html?hpid=z1

A tough new Obama ad that -- surprise! -- is accurate

The rest of the ad concerns the new study by the Tax Policy Center, which examines whether the numbers add up in Romney's tax plan as described on his Web site. As we have noted, Romney has not detailed how he would cut tax rates by 20 percent and yet eliminate enough tax loopholes to keep the plan revenue neutral.

The study essentially concludes that, no matter what choices are made, taxes will be lower for the very wealthy while raised for most middle and lower income taxpayers. That's because there are not enough loopholes to close for the rich — and the real money available to boost revenue would come from getting rid of tax credits that mostly benefit middle-income taxpayers, such as the home mortgage deduction. The study came to this conclusion even after trying to grant every positive assumption to the Romney plan.

The ad accurately describes the main points of the study, using headlines such as from The Wall Street Journal to underline its points: "Study: Romney's Tax Plan Hits Middle Class."......

Washington Post FACT CHECK gives the ad a RARE

Geppetto Checkmark

The Pinocchio Test

This ad is tough, but we cannot fault the accuracy of its key points. To some extent, the Romney campaign has been hoist with its own petard by refusing to provide sufficient detail that shows how the numbers add up in Romney's tax and budget plans. So we are left with the judgment of a respected and independent third party.

We hold campaign ads to a high standard, particularly attack ads. If Romney releases the missing details, and a new analysis finds that Romney can meet the stated goals of his tax plan, then we can certainly revisit this analysis. But, until then, for the first time in this frequently nasty campaign, we award a rare Geppetto Checkmark for a campaign ad.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/a-tough-new-obama-ad-that----surprise----is-accurate/2012/08/02/gJQAuigQSX_blog.html?hpid=z4

This is good news. lol

Wait until the revisions.

Beverly: Feisty is having a great time. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Of course the republicans who screamed they would focus on jobs, jobs , jobs and then did absolutely nothing but name more things after Ronald Reagen, and propose ridiculous religious based social bills, bear no responsibility right. All of our woes are do to a single man, right. The truth is Obama will be re-elected, because republicans have failed this nation, not because he has. Say what you will about president Obama, but the country favors Obama over Romney, Obama's leads are widening by the week now.

ihateliberals-3787409

Actually, the Reagan administration didn’t have a great record to brag about. That's a fact!

http://themessageis.com/ronald-reagan-is-not-george-washington/

The ad accurately describes the main points of the study, using headlines such as from The Wall Street Journal to underline its points: “Study: Romney’s Tax Plan Hits Middle Class.”......

@DCIA

And can you supply the details of how we pay for the government we want if we don't tax the middle class more?

Chuck Schummer was put on the spot this morning and admitted that at the very least we have to go back to all the Clinton tax rates. Then in a surprising moment of honesty added AND we have to eliminate deductions.

In a further laugh out loud moment he then said we have to curb entitlements by paying doctors a salary so that they don't prescribe too many tests. I have to ask WTF was health care reform all about?

while unemployment rate ticks up to 8.3%

This is great news. lollll. Lot's of economists at NBC.

Ron Indiana

Put Up or Shut Up:

Halleluiah , Ron

The ball is in"MYTH'S" hands. He should prove it. How can he prove it if he doesn't release his tax returns? Didn't Senator Reid say more investors have said so too?

JiA: Looks like Labor Secretary Broom-hilda Solis had the BLS cook the new jobs number for an upside surprise for Barry’s birthday present. Too bad the BLS chefs couldn’t cook up enough new jobs to keep the unemployment rate from RISING.

Barry is wishing that Florida's electoral votes go his way as a birthday present to himself. He doesn't wish the economy will grow, doesn't wish people will have jobs, doesn't wish the debt/deficit will be paid down. No, he wishes that he get some electoral votes for himself.

Source: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2012/08/02/obama_says_he_wants_to_win_florida_for_his_birthday_present.html

Obama 2012 - "I think of me - Every day - All the time"

Real unemployment is around 16% and it has been since 2007, all economists not working for the govt.

@Comrade - I don't think that unemployment was that high back then, as it takes continuous unemployment to mask the fact that people either give up looking or they are uneligible for benefits. Being as we have 99 weeks of unemployment benefits (it varies) it was probably more like 2010 before the numbers got that high. I'm not stating from facts, just from gut feel, and could be totally wrong.

At any rate, the economy is in the tanks and we need consumer confidence to jump start it!

ixlr8: Sadly all of America is suffering now due to Obama's failures. : (

I cannot afford another spender-n-cheif warmonger president anymore.

Got support through Obama's extended unemeployment

Then maybe you could add up 'that' support and pay it back.

The labor force participation rate declined in April to 63.6 percent, which is its lowest level since 1981.

Here's how gullible you liberals are

I'm not sure 'gullible' is the word I'd use.

Just out of curiosity, why do pro-Romney / anti-Obama, viewers / readers, come to the MSNBC website? I try ever now and again. But, I am so upset with the juvenile name-calling that Democrat leaders do ... and then, come on this site and the Democrat leaders are given a pass for some reason ... I do not stay.

There are unemployed / underemployed people suffering, so I have a very difficult time defending someone who has managed to become a multimillionaire while in office ... Obama. And, my take on Obama's "You Did Not Build That" speech, was that Obama spoke his truth.

However, maybe I am missing something. Why does anyone who supports Romney come to this website?

@DCIA

Ask Romney why his PLAN doesn't hit the RICH. That's the real question.

He's ROBBING the poor and middle classes to pay for his TAX CUTS to the WEALTHIEST amongst us.

I know exactly what has to be done but I'm not running for President.

So explain to me exactly what is the purpose of increasing the tax rates on the those earning more than 250K?

It can't be to pay down the deficit because then you are reducing the economic demand by 70B a year and everybody knows you don't do that in a time of economic slowdown.

Maybe the government will spend it but then they are arguing that government is wiser at spending than the individual. And the President has alluded to this, because when he advocates the change he always adds that it's to pay down the deficit AND pay for investments. So is this the reason? Simply to fund MORE government spending on top of the $3.2T they spend every year?

Or maybe it's just for political reasons because the President has a notion of fairness and thinks that if you EARN more than average you have somehow gamed the system. You don't deserve your income because your smart, because didn't President claim there are a lot of smart people out there who don't earn a lot? (Probably thinking of all the academics he knows struggling on a professors salary). You can't deserve your income because you work hard, because didn't he tell us there are a lot of hard working Americans that are not high income earners. (Probably not thinking of academics here).

So I'll reiterate. What exactly is the purpose of increasing the tax rates only on those who earn more than 250K? Notice I didn't say the wealthy because this is a tax on income not wealth.

So where are all these "Job Creators" I hear touted by No Plan Man "Mitt the Twit". Having made record breaking profits, they are holding back company growth in a effort to hang unemployment woes on Obama. I like how Mitt will unveil his plan when he "works with Congress". After all we have found out the top 5% have the right "Culture" to create jobs and growth. Pity the other inferior "Culture" of the remaining 95% doesn't hold up to Willard's standards.

Just out of curiosity, why do pro-Romney / anti-Obama, viewers / readers, come to the MSNBC website?

To do battle against the detritus that liberals spew.

Alan NJ -- You said:

And can you supply the details of how we pay for the government we want if we don't tax the middle class more?

Have you ever heard Romney say we must tax the middle classes more to pay for government? NO. He claims he will cut taxes across the board but we know this is not true as FACT CHECK points out. In other words Romney is lying. You should be complaining about that fact.

Ron Indiana:

"The burden of proof rests with you, Mitt. If I'm wrong, I'll apologize."

Your ignorance is showing again by making that statement. When you accuse someone of a crime the proof rests with the accuser, not the accused. I am sorry that the constitution keeps getting in your way, to bad.

To be in this economic mess, and want 4 more years of it, under any circumstances, is beyond my understanding.

It's not something I get either.

restoreCapitalism

Unemployment Remains Over 8% for 35 Consecutive Months

restoreCapitalism,

Have you seen "Myth" Romney's and the Republican tanking numbers? Where are the J-O-B-S the Republican's and T- baggers promised?

Since House Republicans have had the Speaker's gavel it has been 576 days and still counting. there have zero, nada, zilch, (0) J-0-B-S

http://www.whenarethejobs.com/

Obama/Biden 2012

On the lighter side of things:

Vacant Detroit becomes dumping ground for the dead

What we need are more union controlled, democratic cities.

I won't comment on whether what Harry Reid is doing is right, but I do find it funny that Romney feels he is in the positions to give out ultimatums on the issue.

Alan, the rich should pay more in taxes because we have a huge debt person, while taxes are at historical lows. I do not think anything about that doesn't make sense. If your argument is why does the middle class escape that? I do not have an answer to that probably to keep "morale" up during a recession. An optimistic outlook does help.

I just do not understand why some argue against the rich paying higher taxes. I know the government may not be the most efficient spender of money, but I simply cannot understand given our debt situation why tax increases should not accompany spending cuts.

I do not think eliminating deductions is quite a solution. Many of those deductions were enacted for a reason and you will be hurting more honest Americans financially than you would those gaming the system.

Have you ever heard Romney say we must tax the middle classes more to pay for government? NO. He claims he will cut taxes across the board but we know this is not true as FACT CHECK points out. In other words Romney is lying. You should be complaining about that fact.

He is also campaigning on CUTTING entitlements. I do not believe his plan will bring the budget into balance either but it is closer to reality than "if the rich would pay a little more".

Again, this morning, the truth got spilled a little when a commentator (Margret Carlson) said we should go over the fiscal cliff because the alternative is worse. This is the problem with this Administration. Their numbers don't add up. In other words the Administration is lying. They are the ones in power. If Romney gets there, believe me I will complain if he doesn't measure up fiscally. This is the 12th year of fiscal mismanagement and counting.

JS 1

FR: *** Put up or shut up: It’s now pretty clear that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is accomplishing what he set out to do: get under Mitt Romney’s skin.

More to the point Romney is getting under the electorates skin by refusing to submit his taxes. How is it that such a captain of industry, this so called financial wizard has no idea what his taxes were, and in 6 weeks can't determine that information. The fact is it makes him look like a lying fool and and his numbers are dropping accordingly, the nation will never buy what he is selling, Hi I'm Mitt Romney and I have the financial answers the country needs, but I can't tell you a damn thing about my own personal finances. I know what your tax rates should be, but I really don't know what my own tax rate is. He is making himself a laughing stock on the issue he was supposed to be strong on, the financial wizard that can't explain his finances, the super successful businessman, that can't tell you any details about his business. He is committing political suicide right before your eyes, and your just upset because democrats are giving him the political rope with which he is hanging himself with. BTW it is not just democrats he was soundly booed at the republican primary debates when he said he would not release his tax returns, this is a political loser for him in every aspect, he has discredited himself as a person and as a businessman, and it is entirely of his own doing.

One has to be an idiot to think there is good news here. U-3 (official unemployment rate) is up. U-4 (U-3 plus discouraged workers) is up. U-5 (U-4 plus all other persons marginally attached to the labor force) is up. U-6 (U-5 plus total employed part time for economic reasons) is up past 15%...again.

First Read, a bit of advice...you'll be taken more seriously as actual journalists once you take your "Obama 2012" t-shirts off.

#cheerleadingoutofcontrol

I just do not understand why some argue against the rich paying higher taxes. I know the government may not be the most efficient spender of money, but I simply cannot understand given our debt situation why tax increases should not accompany spending cuts.

Because its band-aid and purely for political. It serves no economic purpose other than to increase government spending. Every time Obama bring up this tax increase it is put in the context of investment in education, infrastructure etc. A laudable goal but more spending.

debt burden*

sadly, my first number of 35 months was incorrect. apologies.

With 42 consecutive months of unemployment above eight percent

Considering that the Party of No has obstructed EVERY attempt for the Obama Administration to create jobs (in favor of anti-women, anti-immigrant, and voter discrimination bills), Obama's policies have done quite well.

Don't Carry, to add more to your comment, the wind energy loan guarantees for Solyndra came under the 2005 Energy Policy Act signed by President George W. Bush. Romney's ad lies that Solyndra was part of the ARRA stimulus because it was not. In 2007, in his State of the Union address Bush mentioned the loan guarantee program again. Also in 2007, the Bush Dept of Energy issued final rules for the program with a list of 16 companies that made the cut to apply for the first round of awards, Solyndra was one of the 16. Solyndra was listed as one of three things that Bush pushed his Energy Dept to get done by Jan 15, 2009, but the credit committee held up Bush's request for more analysis.

Solyndra applied for the loan under the 2005 Energy Policy Act, Section 1703. The Obama Administration's ARRA stimulus simply added more funds to the Bush program for loans to a number of wind-energy companies but that is the only remote link between the ARRA and Solyndra. The Energy Dept said clearly Section 1703 & 1705 fall under the Loan Guarantee Program pushed for and signed by President George W. Bush. The Obama administration merely followed through with the Bush administration efforts to award Solyndra the grant loan.

Government loans to assist developing industries and technology was not something new to either the Bush or Obama administrations. Most are successful. The Government military-industrial contracts, while not designated as loan guarantees, provide tax-payer money to private industry to develop new aircraft, weapons, tanks, space craft, satellites, etc. The Hubble Space Telescope's success was not an immediate success; in fact, the lens was not correctly placed but through determination and effort, the problem was solved and fixed. We do not hear republicans complaining about the failures in defense programs, do we?

I applaud George W. Bush for his initial steps in the wind-energy development just as I applaud Barack Obama for continuing to push the country toward clean, renewable energy sources. It seems we should all spend more time thinking about all the successes rather than the few failures.

If our Olympic athletes failed once and quit as a result; if they didn't pick themselves up and continue, there would be no Olympics, no gold, silver or bronze medals. Seems to me that only through failure do we succeed. Or as that old saying goes,"if at first you don't succeed, try, try again".

Bob-1622113

Ron Indiana:

"The burden of proof rests with you, Mitt. If I'm wrong, I'll apologize."

Your ignorance is showing again by making that statement. When you accuse someone of a crime the proof rests with the accuser, not the accused. I am sorry that the constitution keeps getting in your way, to bad.

Sponge Bob,

On the contrary it's "MYTH'S" ignorance and your's for soaking up "MYTH" Romney's LIES. The only way "MYTH" can prove Senator Reid a lie is to show the tax record's.

How about "MYTH" proving he didn't commit voter fraud?

Did Mitt Romney Commit Voter Fraud In Massachusetts in 2010?

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-04-20/politics/31371937_1_ann-romney-massachusetts-governor-residency#ixzz22V6a8Ijo

4more years
Obama/Biden 2012

With regard to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:

It's time for the American people to stand up and say enough! I'd encourage everyone who's sick and tired of baseless accusations to flood Senator Reid's office with e-mail, asking him to release whatever information he has regarding Governor Romney's tax returns. Then we'll know.

Why, if Senator Reid really has information, doesn't he share it with the country? Because he has bupkis. And if he has information regarding Governor Romney's tax returns, I'm wondering how that was possibly obtained legally.

JoAnnaSmith1

I guess this is what passes for political commentary at NBC News (Motto: We Make Things Up). The majority leader of the Senate smearing, lying, and using innuendo in a campaign against an opponent. What lazy, incoherent, and false "reporting". Rather than challenging Reid on his source, the story is "Reid gets under Romney's skin"?

Speaking of lies, the media just shrugged when Romney lied about Obama's "didn't build that" comment, and when he lied about Obama claiming "if we talk about the economy, we'll lose", or when Romney lied to ABC when he promised to check his tax returns and report back whether he ever paid less than 13.9%. As far as I know, Reid is reporting what someone he finds credible told him. That's not lying.

If Reid is supposed to reveal who his source is, then Romney should reveal his tax returns. But that's not going to happen because there's GOT to be something in them that would be devastating to Romney's chances of winning the election.

8.2 % unemployment is NORMAL?? and 8.3% is good? I guess it is if you are not one of the 8.3% or the people that quit getting benefits! If 8.2 is the "new normal", this country is in worse shape than even I imagined. How can we support the people not working, if 47% of people are not paying any federal income tax?

I'm no math wiz, but somehow this seems hard to swallow...

Considering that the Party of No has obstructed EVERY attempt for the Obama Administration to create jobs

And this is why I'm here. Folks, the govts job is not to create JOBS.

Ok kids, today's contest is to identify which rightwing troll retread is "restore capitalism?" Hmmm?

He's (She's) been a member since...uh, today. So which banned troll is back this time? NBC/NEWSVINE, don't you think you ought to look into this? Might I suggest a 30 day waiting period before allowing a new member to post something on the vine without verification of their identity? How 'bout that?

Man, you've got to love Harry Reid. Watta guy. You Harry, you go. You've got Mitt right where you want.

I loved Mitt's double-speak defense and attempted counter-attack. He didn't DENY it, he just tried to splash it back on the President. What a marooon (to quote Bug Bunny, who really has more dignity and honesty than Romney).

Ok, today's prize for the correct answer to our little riddle is a years supply of Ovaltine and a bootleg video of Romney crying on Ann's shoulder because nobody loves him. Waaaaah.

Obama/Biden 2012

Do you think the tax increase would actually go to those things Alan? We are in a huge fiscal crisis so I dont believe it. We can argue all day about where it will be spent, but I do not personally think that is the issue. We fought two unfunded wars, introduce huge healtchare legislation with medicare part D, also unfunded, and at the same time cut taxes. Taxes need to increase, I do not see any way around it.

Of course no one should be happy to have tax increased, but what the issue has come to is ridiculous. At the time we are not even arguing about a tax increase, its about the reversal of a tax cut.

For all the Harry Reid supporters, this is his feelings toward you ... he stated this in December, 2008 at the Capital Visitors Center:

""My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true."

So, if you meet Harry Reid, and his nose is twitching, you will now know why.

It's real simple all Romney has to do is produce his tax returns, and then if they are all in order he can stick it right up the democrats rump. Obviously he feels that in the end that the truth will hurt him more than Reid or Obama. Until then he looks like quite the fool, the big businessman that knows all about business, except of course his own personal finances. Mitt's the guy that can tell you all about about how taxes should be re-structured but can't discern his own personal tax rate, Ha it's just too funny (for everyone but hardcore republicans).

Obama in 2012.

OBAMA in 2012 "GUARANTEED"

LOL, just as I thought. They posted another article earlier about the great number of jobs created in July, as thought it was suppose to be such an attention grabber. And now I know why. Hence, the article you have just read. Gotta make it look as though our great leadership in Washington actually earned their pay. Both the MSM and Washington is full of nothing but bought off jackasses.

restoreCapitalism

To be in this economic mess, and want 4 more years of it, under any circumstances, is beyond my understanding.

restoreCapitalism

the U.S. economy added 163,000 jobs in July, more than double the figures from the previous three months, and nearly double the predictions from economists going into this morning.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/08/03/13103195-job-growth-picks-up-steam-in-july-far-exceeds-expectations?lite

restoreCapitalism

And this is why I'm here. Folks, the govts job is not to create JOBS.

Except when the jobs are with the military industrial complex. The Republicans are having fits over the looming sequestration of Pentagon funds and are complaining about all the JOBS that will be lost if Uncle Sam cuts back on payouts to defense contractors. Not that the Repubs would give up a dime's worth of the tax cuts for the wealthy to pay for what the Pentagon wants. The Republicans do have their priorities, and the wealthy are still Number One.

NASA is another Republican sacred cow. They don't care about the science that NASA spacecraft produces. The evidence of global warming gathered by satellites is a "hoax," and the geological evidence from the Moon and Mars that the solar system is more than 4 billion years old conflicts with biblical teachings. But the Republs do like the idea of a NASA astronaut planting the flag on other planets before the Rooskies do. Interplanetary jingoism before science.

Reid and Obama are SO transparent ... though, they do not mean to be. For 8.3% unemployment numbers to come out ... which no doubt Obama and Harry were given a heads up about ... so, Obama and Harry divert attention to good old Mitt Romney's tax records.

Will someone please, the next time you either see Obama or Reid, tell them for me that Mitt's Tax Records Do Not Help Me Get Employed! Nor Does Obama and Reid's focus on Mitt Romney's Tax Records!

Obama and Reid: HELLO! Anybody HOME! We've go 8.3% UNEMPLOYMENT. PLEASE FOCUS ON JOBS!!!

Thank you.

Poll for Republicans

McCain vetted (sort of) Romney for the VP role back in 2008 but chose Sarah Palin, was it because:

1) there was something in Romney's tax returns that scared them or

2) Sarah Palin was a better candidate

Which is it? Have fun!

Ah yes....another set of 'rosy' numbers for the koolaide drinking faithful to swoon over. Too bad they will be quietly revised downward next month, as usual.

"Poll for Republicans

McCain vetted (sort of) Romney for the VP role back in 2008 but chose Sarah Palin, was it because:

1) there was something in Romney's tax returns that scared them or

2) Sarah Palin was a better candidate

Which is it? Have fun!" - Rod_Father

Poll for Democrats

Obama vetted (sort of) Hilary Clinton for the VP role back in 2008 but chose Joe Biden, was it because:

1) there was something in Hilary's closet that scared them (Bill?) or

2) Joe Biden had the better clown suit

Which is it? Have fun!

Spin it all you want MSNBC...8.3% sucks...and so does our current POTUS

ABO 2012!

Romney “Has Fallen Short” On Issues Of Economic Development And Job Creation

“Paul Harrington, An Economist At The Center For Labor Market Studies At Northeastern University,
Agreed That Romney, With A Strong Business Background, Has Fallen Short On The Issue Of Economic
Development.” (Brian C. Mooney, “Criticizing Romney On Jobs, Patrick Often Stretches The Truth,” The Boston Globe, 10/25/06)

Harrington: “We elected a business guy, but he did not undertake the economic business of the state…” (Brian C. Mooney, “Criticizing Romney On Jobs, Patrick Often Stretches The Truth,” The Boston Globe, 10/25/06)

Harrington: “I think you’ve got to just say that on the development side, we didn’t get the job done in the state.” (Stephanie Ebbert, “Bay State Exodus Second Only To New York,” The Boston Globe, 4/20/06)

Harrington: “We’re among the poorest performing states in the country in terms of our ability to recover [economically]. The state of Rhode Island did pretty well over this period of time. They had a governor down there that worked hard at the business of job creation …” (Stephanie Ebbert, “Bay State Exodus Second Only To New York,” The Boston Globe, 4/20/06)

Waltham Daily News Tribune: “For All Mitt Romney’s Capitalist Credentials, His Administration Didn’t
Bring Home Many Jobs.” (Editorial, “Patrick Tabs A Permitting ‘Ombudsman,’” The [Waltham] Daily News Tribune, 1/25/07)

Nation Has Added Jobs At Four Times Rate Of Massachusetts Since Third Quarter Of 2003. “Since the third quarter of 2003, the nation has added jobs at four times the rate Massachusetts did, said [Northeastern University economist Paul] Harrington.” (Stephanie Ebbert, “Bay State Exodus Second Only To New York,” The Boston Globe, 4/20/06)

Massachusetts Has “Become An Underperformer In Job Creation.” “Massachusetts remains a magnet for research funds and venture capital, but it’s become an underperformer in job creation. And while the state continues to lead in many categories of research and development, other technology-oriented states are closing the gap. Those were some of the conclusions from the 10th annual Index of the Massachusetts Innovation Economy, set to be released today by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s John Adams Innovation Institute, a state-chartered group focused on the knowledge economy.” (Robert Weisman, “Report Calls Mass. A New-Jobs Laggard,” The Boston Globe, 12/18/06)

Hmmm...it looks like Mitt is all foam and no beer when it comes to creating jobs. That sure sounds like Bush Lite to me. So, if Romney's the answer, it must have been a pretty peculiar question.

Mike in SA,

Obama chose Biden because Hilary Clinton was going to make a superb Secretary of State, and she has been outstanding in her role as Secretary of State.

Houston: If Reid is supposed to reveal who his source is, then Romney should reveal his tax returns. But that's not going to happen because there's GOT to be something in them that would be devastating to Romney's chances of winning the election.

Just like with Reid, do you have any proof? Romney has released his tax returns, for 2010 and 2011. He's paid quite a lot in taxes now hasn't he? Like Joey Biden says, it's patriotic to pay your taxes. Looks like Romney is a true patriot.

You see Houston, you can speculate all you want, it doesn't make it true. Just like how the insane birth-ers ranted about Obama's birth certificate, you're doing the same thing with Romney. Anything to distract anyone from Obama's horrible record is fair game to the Loony Left these days.

Jody -- Excellent post. So many times we have heard the righties on here distorting the truth about the energy loan program so it's good to see facts. The program is very successful. The right also complains a lot about the wind credit. The wind credit is issued through the tax code and is championed by Republicans. The right used this tax credit against Obama saying that it benefits foreign companies. Here's the kicker, it's their fellow Republicans pushing for that credit that benefits foreign companies. Ha.

Bill 1488 -- Why is Romney not running on raising taxes then?

Does anyone care that we are now looking at QE3, I no the Stock Market does, and they are happy little clams.

Forrest,

Are you OK with Harry Reid throwing accusations out, not once, not twice, but now three times and not once naming a source. People here are always asking for a source, and if you don't provide one you get chastised for it.

Now its ok?

Has anyone noticed that ironically, Romney is guilty of PRECISELY the same sin that Reid is? When he was expressing his outrage at Reid in the usual softball Fox News interview, he claimed"the White House" put Reid up to making his allegations about Romney not paying taxes. Not one peep from the media about Romney's baseless accusation. What causes wailing and gnashing of corporate media teeth when Reid does it is OK when Romney does it. Apparently, the media is so much in awe of all the money Romney made that they give him special dispensation.

Obama and Romney are just two bad choices, not sure how you choose who not to vote for.

Maybe their bumbling will give a 3rd party a chance. Gary Johnson?

Mike in SA - don't know where SA is but clearly you don't know much about the US. The Dems in Congress couldn't block anything in Congress for 2 years because they didn't have control of Congress except for 7 months - during which time Kennedy was ill, so he didn't vote and there were many recesses. So, they had "control" of congress for a mere 4 months. They actually made the mistake of trying to work with the GOP during that time. After that, the GOP filibustered everything that was tried to help this economy.

To all my liberal friends - hello and happy Friday. I see the usual trolls have crawled out from under their rocks. I find it interesting that none of them have any problem with Romney hiding his taxes but most screamed for our President's birth certificate. I'd say "hypocrite" but that's way too mild. These people are disgusting at best.

Has there ever been a more dishonest or dishonorable idiot running for President than Mitt Romney? NO! With all his millions he is still just so much trash that most people wouldn't spend 5 minutes with because he is lacking in every area - no personality; no class; no honor; no integrity; no nothing.

What's even funnier is that even Republicans can't stand him. A large number will not even show up to vote for this imitation man. But THIS is the BEST the GOP has - pathetic!

JAS - as usual, you're a liar. Romney released partial taxes for 2010 and has not released anything for 2011 as he filed for an extension. He won't file his taxes until October - how conventient.

Rod - clearly it's both - he found things in Romney's taxes that were troubling and - and I say this while laughing - Palin was a better candidate!

Obama/Biden 2012

no bill.

I would should show you my taxes and prove otherwise, because I have nothing to hide

Oh JS 1 it has far less then what I personally would think of Romney's taxes that it does the general electorate, thinks of Romney failing to do what all presidential candidates have done for many, many years. But if you must know here is why they are obviously important, because the electorate feels they are important, the left is not causing Obama's numbers to go up dramatically, those are independents and republicans abandoning him, the left was already in Obama's corner, he is losing the support of others, you know the kind of people who want to see long form birth certificates, evidently they also like to see long form tax returns. Basically Romney has "taken the fifth" on this issue, and you know how people feel about someone who "takes the fifth", he is within his rights, but nevertheless it is political suicide solely of Romney's choosing, not political murder as you wish to suggest.

JoAnnaSmith1

Just like with Reid, do you have any proof? Romney has released his tax returns, for 2010 and 2011. He's paid quite a lot in taxes now hasn't he? Like Joey Biden says, it's patriotic to pay your taxes. Looks like Romney is a true patriot.

Looks like we'll never know, since there is zero evidence to back that notion of Romney's patriotism.

You see Houston, you can speculate all you want...

Yes, I can.

..., it doesn't make it true.

It doesn't make it false, either, and he's definitely hiding something. There's grounds for suspicion regarding Romney's tax returns because Romney is acting suspiciously, just like someone who ducks into an alley when a cop walks by.

Just like how the insane birth-ers ranted about Obama's birth certificate, you're doing the same thing with Romney.

That's the most moronic attempt at false equivalency I've seen yet. Obama released his short and long form birth certificate, and there were birth announcements in Hawaii papers. There is proof beyond any reasonable doubt that Obama was born in the U.S. We don't have to rely on Obama's word. But we DO have to rely on Romney's word that there's nothing in his taxes that would be politically damaging. And with Romney's track record of lies and equivocation, his word is totally worthless.

Anything to distract anyone from Obama's horrible record is fair game to the Loony Left these days.

Yeah, like the 160,000 jobs added last month. We're all trying real hard to divert attention from that.

The number is better than expected, but because of the timing of the Lehman collapse, there have been problems with seasonal adjustments for some time. With a beat that large, there must be some real job growth, but how much? From UBS:

Payrolls
– Most guesses running between 85,000 and 110,000. Wild card continues to be Lehman impact distortions on
seasonal adjustments, which we have discussed over the last few months. Pundits confuse with their convenient "warm
winter" payback thesis. (The previous winter was anything but "warm" and was followed by similar distortions.)
The real key to the payrolls will be whether they are deemed to be large or small enough to trigger, or speed, a Fed move.
That will likely be pundit topic of the day.

Bill in Fairfax wrote:

And for this we should be grateful?

Damn right you should be grateful for any UPTICK in employment.

Thetotas I stated that Reid was out of line on a post a few days ago, because personally that is just not my style, but is this any different than Trump's unnamed sources with regards to Obama's birth certificate, where was the republican outrage that he would make those kinds of accusations without revealing his source. One difference is that Obama shoved that birth certificate right up Trump's butt, Romney has the same opportunity if he wishes to do so, I suspect he feels that releasing them will hurt him more than it would help him because even republicans have urged him to release his records as presidential candidates have done for years. Until he does, he suffers grave political consequences with the American electorate, and when and if he does it seems that he believes it may just get worse.

JoAnnaSmith1

So just to be consistent, you and Grumpers will be demanding that Reid release his source, correct?

And you'll demand that Romney release his evidence that Obama orchestrated this conspiracy with Reid. Correct?

By the way: This isn't the first time the corporate media let Romney get away with accusations with absolutely no basis in fact. A couple months ago, Romney claimed he read some "reports" about how Obama was plotting to impose the "religion of secularism" on America. That's a vicious allegation far worse than Reid's accusation that Romney payed no taxes. But the media once again, gave Romney special treatment they wont' give Reid, and they didn't demand any evidence for the huge conspiracy that Romney claimed and they didn't get on their high moral horses over it. The corporate media apparently believes that Mitt's money gives him special privileges to lie and cheat, and make any false allegation he can think up on the fly.

Akeem 1.72 -- Can you tell me your opinion at which level someone becomes rich?

@Akeem

Of course no one should be happy to have tax increased, but what the issue has come to is ridiculous. At the time we are not even arguing about a tax increase, its about the reversal of a tax cut.

But the President is arguing that he does not need to raise taxes on the middle class, only the rich. This is my argument his numbers don't add up. DCIA claims Romney is going to raise taxes on the middle class. The next Administration regardless of party will HAVE to raise taxes on the middle class. As I said above Schummer let the cat out of the bag by stating that we have to return to the Clinton rates AND eliminate deductions AND curb entitlements.

Let the real debate begin.

"Obama chose Biden because Hilary Clinton was going to make a superb Secretary of State, and she has been outstanding in her role as Secretary of State." - Rod_Father

Whatever makes you sleep better at night dude. That's laughable.

jim-1455434

Houston, You have a problem ... as usual you like to distort the truth !

You're problem is that you're an idiot.

The revised report will be out later and the revisions seem to have this "nasty little habit" of being revised DOWNWARD. Last month's initial report showed 80,000 jobs "created" only to be revised to 64,000 later.

Yeah, they have a nasty habit of being revised downward except when they're revised UPWARD as they were for several months during the winter. But cheer up. The world economy still could tank before November because Europe can't get its act together, and you can blame it on Obama if it impacts the U.S. economy, which it certainly would.

1. Back in 1961 people of color were called 'Negroes.' So how can the Obama 'birth certificate' state he is 'African-American' when the term wasn't even used at that time?

2. The birth certificate that the White House released lists Obama's birth as August 4, 1961 lists Barack Hussein Obama as his father. No big deal, right? At the time of Obama's birth, it also shows that his father is aged 25 years old, and that Obama's father was born in " Kenya , East Africa".

Well, RestoreCapitalism, maybe it is because President Obama is truly African (Kenyan father) American (American mother). Nevertheless, the president's birth certificate does not state that he is African-American. It does, however, state that his father is African.

Still confused? Try the link below rather than a doctored birth certificate from people who want to delegitimize President Obama's presidency. smh

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate-long-form.pdf

skip,

I loved Mitt's double-speak defense and attempted counter-attack. He didn't DENY it, he just tried to splash it back on the President.

Perhaps you can explain which part of "It's untrue, dishonest and inaccurate. It's wrong." is not a denial.....

JoAnna....

You asked of another poster, in regards to Romney's tax returns, "Please, in great detail, explain why they are so important. Please include how you would nit-pick them trying to find something else to talk about rather than talk about Obama's record."

1) They are important because it is the normal practice of Presidential candidates to release several years' worth of tax returns. That he decided to release only ONE YEAR is worthy of scrutiny. Even many in his own party are practically screaming for him to release more. If there's nothing to hide, wouldn't that merely shut the detractors up? If every other candidate has done it up to this point, what is the harm of following suit?

2) Don't you think it's fair that those who might not particularly care for Obama's leadership, but are uncertain (as I am) as to whether Romney would be an acceptable replacement have the right to scrutinize Romney's past history? You on the far right who are screaming "Anybody but Obama" fail to see that you could be jumping out of the frying pan straight into the fire. And if you don't believe that, see what 8 years of Bush and Republican leadership did in 2008 - we got Obama. I want to be one of the few people that makes an INFORMED vote, not just a vote against someone.

We were losing more than 500,000 thousand jobs a month for the last two years of Bush's term, if we gained one single job in a month it is a 500,000% improvement over the previous administration. The previous administration lost massive amounts of jobs each month, and this administration has gained jobs each month, those are the facts, even as republicans have done everything they can to thwart the success of this president.

@Alan

Many won't like this, and its awful terminology but I say trim the fat first. The middle class is struggling and according to reports shrinking. I think we start with bringing the Clinton rates to the rich first and slowly phase them back in to the rest of the population.

The argument that someone who makes 300k deserves a tax increase and someone who makes 200k doesn't is a hard one but a line has to be drawn somewhere. You can argue that the president claiming the middle class deserves a tax break is disingenuous, but you would have to be equally, if not more, upset that Romney claims he will lower taxes across the board, when in reality his plan raises taxes on the middle class while lowering taxes for the rich.

Personally I am not a big believer in trickle down economics, so if I had to chose I would rather give the break to the middle class. If the tax increases are equal across the board I am not mad about it, and that would mean I would have to pay in to them personally.

My gosh... all this speculation about Romney's tax returns. Because a candidate refuses to show something that isn't necessary, all these accusations of wrong doing pop up by those who aren't going to vote for him anyway... What a bunch of garbage!! For 3 years we were trying to get the issue of Obama's birth certificate out in the open... FINALLY Obama produced some junk paperwork that was supposed to pass off as his real birth certificate... but it sure is funny there are errors on it... The left felt vindicated. Questions still remain, but who cares now because the right will do everything in it's power to vote him out of office...

I thought we lived in a country where you were innocent until proven guilty. The left seems to have tossed that idea out the window. Not surprising considering how the left is appearing more anti-American every day. They side with Obama in his quest to fundamentally change the Constitution... They make accusations about their opposition without proof and without valid reasoning... a person does NOT have to cowtow to the wishes of people that have something against that person just because false accusations have been thrown out there. Liberals... how about becoming Americans again instead of these pseudo-Marxist type people. I guess that's too much to ask considering how desperate you've become to not admit your prince has turned into a frog.

Houston: And you'll demand that Romney release his evidence that Obama orchestrated this conspiracy with Reid. Correct?

Nope. I don't waste my time with trivial matters. I'm more concerned about things like an 8.3% unemployment rate, out of control deficits and debt, and crumbling entitlement programs.

But do carry on chasing windmills Don Qu . . . , ehh, Houston.

"Mike in SA - don't know where SA is but clearly you don't know much about the US. The Dems in Congress couldn't block anything in Congress for 2 years because they didn't have control of Congress except for 7 months - during which time Kennedy was ill, so he didn't vote and there were many recesses. So, they had "control" of congress for a mere 4 months." - SeekingSanity

Your fantastical stance would be somewhat believable except -- and this is a huge "except" -- the Dems were able to shove Obamacare through during the period you claim they didn't have control. That the Dems could cram Obamacare through in the face of fierce opposition completely blows away your imaginary theory that they somehow didn't have complete control. They did. Their policies sucked. Accept accountability for the state we're in and live with it.

"They actually made the mistake of trying to work with the GOP during that time." - SeekingSanity

In response to complaints by Republicans that none of their ideas were coming to the floor for consideration:

"Yes, we wrote the bill. Yes, we won the election." - Nancy Pelosi

"We won" - Barack Obama

In what unicorn-filled world is that "working with Republicans"?

Also, as previously mentioned the Republicans couldn't actually "filibuster" anything as proved by the Obamacare debacle. All the Dems had to do is attach some minor budgetary language and improperly invoke Senate rules like they did with the mandatory health insurance law and walla! No possible filibuster. They could have done the same with any other piece of legislation so your argument again is a complete fail.

BTW, on a serious note, I do sincerely hope that you -- some day -- find the sanity you are so diligently seeking.

Beverly In Chicago. Thank you for making clear what your affiliation is. LWNJ. Cut down on the drum banging some. You look a bit rediculous.

You would grade Romney F's on all of those points that you brought up, but your answer for it is by re-electing a man who also grades on F on everything. Really? You base your grades on lies? And miss information? Cant you think for youself? Cant you read and make your own judgement on matters? No i guess not. Your just like the Fox News crowd you Lefties hate so much. Just as ignorant and easily spoon fed info too

Did you attend Colombia Ido? If President Obama received mediocre grades at elite schools so what? I am not sure what your next step in logic is. Are you insinuating he did not deserve to be there, and arguing it was due to affirmative action? Even though he was able to graduate and be as succesful to become the President of the Unite States. Or are you claiming he never went there at all? I am not sure what would be accomplished one you received it?

Houston -- Only in the world of Republicans is a positive jobs number bad. Looking around the world we should be grateful that jobs were added. People found employment despite a global slowdown and the mess in Europe.

Despite the slowdown, Buffett says the U.S. economy is still doing better than "virtually any other big economy" around the world.

Obama isn't creating Jobs, Romney wont be creating Jobs, it's mostly up to congress, and their inaction is why our job growth and economic growth rates are so erratic and gloomy. We've had job's bills proposed in Congress, but they were filibustered or shut down for whatever reasons i can't fathom. more importantly, those who are voting against the jobs bills are the ones who choose not to propose their own, or want to tack on non-jobs related issues into their bills. We had an infrastructure bill, but that was pushed aside because some congresspeople decided that infrastructure is served best with anti-abortion and anti-women legislation, or just otherwise anti-job legislation.

JoAnnaSmith1

Well then you must be the happiest Grump in the world because you and the Libs see this as killing Romney's chances. Yet you want to help Mitt by advising him to release his records. Odd that would you do that when you view this as a path to an Obama victory.

Everybody knows about Romney's returns for 2010 -- a year when he was already running for president and knew he had to cut back on the usual legal tax dodging the wealthy indulge in. And even then, he only paid 13.9% of his income in taxes.

You're just like the birth-ers Houston. No difference at all.

I pointed out the glaring differences between the PROOF of Obama's birth and Romney's suspicious refusal to release any tax returns for years when he wasn't running for president. If you can't understand that, then it's because you're a nitwit. That's your problem, not mine.

JAS1

Romney' taxes mean what to you FG? Please, in great detail, explain why they are so important

at least 3 things:

1. if he ever paid ZERO in taxes since he will not answer this question - he keeps dancing around it instead of saying YES OR NO.

2. what was his role at Bain between 1999-2002 since he claims he didn't have one.

3. How did his IRA get up to between $21 million and $102 million in his individual retirement account during the 15 years he was at Bain Capital LLC -considering that the annual max is $5000.

You're just like the birth-ers Houston. No difference at all.

there is a huge difference:

you have seen Obama's birth certificate, have you not? Have you seen Romney's tax returns besides the one he decided to release?

billybob - my guess is you have Monday's underwear on today and see nothing wrong with it. Is it the filthy excuses for human beings like you that give the Republican their rightly deserved status as the lowest class of buffoons in the US. Your lack of honor and integrity is overwhelming and your willingness to post it for everyone to see speaks volumes.

Obama/Biden 2012

Mike in SA,

What is your answer to the poll?

Akeem -- Your post #1.143 is spot on. Well said!

I find it disgusting that Romney would take money out of the pockets of people making $41,000 or below to offset his tax cut to the rich.

@ Don't then you should be disgusted that the Democratics took all those politcal contributions from evil Bain. LOL

Pardon me, but would somebody please explain NBC's contention that a rise in the unemployment rate is good news for Obama? Otherwise, I'll have to give NBC's boys the Most Ridiculous Statement of the Day Award. And also, could you tell me if Chuck and the gang write this crap with a straight face?

Obama isn't creating Jobs, Romney wont be creating Jobs, it's mostly up to congress, and their inaction is why our job growth and economic growth rates are so erratic and gloomy. We've had job's bills proposed in Congress, but they were filibustered or shut down for whatever reasons i can't fathom. more importantly, those who are voting against the jobs bills are the ones who choose not to propose their own, or want to tack on non-jobs related issues into their bills. We had an infrastructure bill, but that was pushed aside because some congresspeople decided that infrastructure is served best with anti-abortion and anti-women legislation, or just otherwise anti-job legislation.

Absolutely bogus. Obama has only proposed a second "stimulus" which was such a miserable failure that even left leaning analysts have trashed it. His plans have as much Congressional support as do his budgets.

The President does have some power over this because his cabinet runs the various departments whose actions have immediate consequences to the business environment. Obama's administration has been very hostile to business through over-regulation.

FG: Basically Romney has "taken the fifth" on this issue, and you know how people feel about someone who "takes the fifth", he is within his rights, but nevertheless it is political suicide solely of Romney's choosing, not political murder as you wish to suggest.

JS 1

Well then you must be the happiest Grump in the world because you and the Libs see this as killing Romney's chances. Yet you want to help Mitt by advising him to release his records. Odd that would you do that when you view this as a path to an Obama victory.

I'm simply describing the nature of the electorate, releasing his taxes if they were all in order would boost him, it only hurts him if he feels they are politically damaging, democrats are not calling for anything out of the ordinary, Romney is breaking a long standing tradition, going back many years, hell even his father released his tax returns.

Brianb, innocent until proven guilty is for a court of law, this is politics, where perception counts, and the perception is that Romney has lied and changed his position on every issue and even his own health-care plan. The perception is once he releases his taxes and people see what is own paper, he will not be able to change his story, it will be what it is, and obviously Romney does not wish for the electorate to know what it is. So as long as he "takes the fifth" he suffers the political consequences and those political consequences are devastating him in the swing states. One more time this is political suicide solely of Romney's choosing, not political murder, he has chosen to break with a long standing tradition that the electorate has come to expect of it's presidential candidates, this is nothing the democrats or liberals invented for this campaign. He portrays himself as a wizard of business and tax policy but refuses to explain his own business dealings or taxes.

PS sorry about the double post but somehow this wound up a part of another thread and I intended for it to be here.

spider-737231

Pardon me, but would somebody please explain NBC's contention that a rise in the unemployment rate is good news for Obama?

very simple spider, compared to 2,600,000 jobs lost in 2008 and another almost 2,000,000 between January and March of 2009, Obama's numbers look great.

But hey, if denial works for you, that's great....

Rod_Father, you haven't answered mine. Is it #1 or #2?

billybob - I think President Obama experimented with drugs in high school as many young people do. I also think by college he was past that - unlike the crackhead, raging alcoholic George W. Bush who still struggles with both addictions even today! My guess is you never complained about Bush - even as he took the economy down the tubes. So Republican - so dishonest!

And, just for the record - you'd have to stretch upward, very high, to even touch the soles of Harry Reid's shoes!

Obama/Biden 2012

JS1 "Obama plays dirty"

Ha, do me a favor would you JS1 and say that with your bottom lip turned down. Say it with the boo boo lip my kids used to have when they skinned their knee.

SeekingSanity

billybob - I think President Obama experimented with drugs in high school as many young people do. I also think by college he was past that - unlike the crackhead, raging alcoholic George W. Bush

not only that, Bush was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol near his parents' home in Kennebunkport, Maine, and Bush was convicted in a Midland, Texas court on a vague “unlawful practice of medicine” charge aka cocaine. Luckily for George, his daddy knew people who knew people so cocaine became "medicine."

...forgot the AWOL missing records.

But hey, President Obama had the balls to admit hat he experimented as a kid what according to the hypocrites on the right is the end of the world. At the same time, they give a pass to lying hypocrites like Bush and Romney.

seeking -- thanks for playing. barry experimenting, i don't believe that for a second. the guy is clearly a druggie, you just cannot make the choices he as made if you have any common sense or experience.

wait a minute. he doesn't have either of those. just the drugs

In spite of Republican foot dragging, the President has achieved some positive public good.

4 more years.

Joanna,

I guess this is what passes for political commentary at NBC News (Motto: We Make Things Up). The majority leader of the Senate smearing, lying, and using innuendo in a campaign against an opponent

for the first time in a long time honey, your right.

I seem that i remember the same kind of smearing that started in 07 and finally ended last year it was about the presidents Birth certificate. for 3 years this was all we heard where is the birth certificate, he was not born here is was born in Kenya, until he finally produced his birth certificate.

well Joanna, Romney can put a end to this once and for all, show us your tax return, just show us the same way Obama got off his ass and showed us his birth certificate.

Hey everybody, on this date August 3rd 2012 Joanna finally has a good point.

MITT ROMNEY SHOW US YOUR TAX RETURN SO YOU CAN PUT TO BED THE SAME WAY OBAMA DID WITH THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE SO YOU CAN LIKE OBAMA SHUT EVERY BODY THE HELL UP.

very simple spider, compared to 2,600,000 jobs lost in 2008 and another almost 2,000,000 between January and March of 2009, Obama's numbers look great.

But hey, if denial works for you, that's great....

What you are saying is that it is merely horrible compared to catastrophic. High praise indeed.

No other presidential candidate has had to reveal more than two years worth of tax returns. It has never, before now, been considered a requirement. Why now?

Because that's all the Obama campaign has. They have no record to run on. They have not been able to give the American people a reason to vote for them. They have only one tiny and completely irrelevant issue. Old tax returns.

Good luck on that reelection. :D

Q22

What you are saying is that it is merely horrible compared to catastrophic. High praise indeed.

yes, because hemorrhaging over 600,000 jobs PER MONTH is comparable to gaining 163,000 in one month.

Tell me Q22 is making $163,000 in one month ose to losing $633,000 in one month? Because that's a difference of 800,000 in ONE MONTH!

Q22

No other presidential candidate has had to reveal more than two years worth of tax returns. It has never, before now, been considered a requirement. Why now?

the president released 10 years worth, clinton, both bush's and even the untra consertive hero reagan did as well, so if it was good enough for them why not ronmey?

First Thoughts: Better (but still not great) jobs news for Obama

What? How is a slow down in job creation - read that as an increase in unemployment - "good news"?

Unreal MSNBC unreal...

The 8.3% unemployment is because the TeaWackos in Congress are Sabotaging our Nation !!!!!!

Q22

No other presidential candidate has had to reveal more than two years worth of tax returns. It has never, before now, been considered a requirement. Why now?

your little picture fits you perfectly because you have as much clue as Homer does:

No presidential candidate has to release ANY tax returns at all - they have done it in the past as proof that they have NOTHING TO HIDE...except Romney of course.

So the point is not that they have to do it, the point is why is Romney breaking the tradition? If he has nothing to hide, why not release them? Is it because he is better than his predecessors including his father?

George Romney on why releasing 1 year of taxes is totally USELESS:

"Release of the document, while it might serve a political purpose, would not prove very much, he argued. One year could be a fluke, perhaps done for show, and what mattered in personal finance was how a man conducted himself over the long haul." [...]

Job numbers and the overall economy are looking much better. Odd, that this news would anger the republicans so much. Proves they haven't a gwaddamn thing of substance to run on. With their record, who would have guessed it? Romney has stolen so much for so long, yet, He cannot seem to escape "Sh^t Creek.

the president released 10 years worth, clinton, both bush's and even the untra consertive hero reagan did as well, so if it was good enough for them why not ronmey?

That is untrue. The first tax returns from Clinton were 1992 - he took office on 1993, for HW Bush he took office in 1989 and that was the first year he made his tax returns public, GW Bush took office in 2001 and only revealed a summary of his 2000 tax returns, Reagan never made his tax returns public until he was in office. You know why? No one ever made it a requirement until now.

billybob - your posts read like your name! Our President is past the juvenile stage of trying drugs - clearly you're not. Too bad. But, maybe when you grow up - if ever - you can carry on an intelligent conversation - doubtful - but maybe.

Obama/Biden 2012

Repubs and rt wingers whine about Reid....Of course he has a source. The ol boxer is just hooking lefts away at Mittster with body punches, as Mitt says one thing and drops his guard down lower to protect from body punch(Known person who knows Romney did not pay taxes 10 years) Reid will come over the top for a knockout! If Romney does not respond to body punches, he goes down.If Romney does try to explain, he is wide open for the knockout punch because he paid no taxes and will try to spin it retroactively in his mental wayback machine.

"Rocky" Reid and the Obama/Biden Team of America 2012!

yes, because hemorrhaging over 600,000 jobs PER MONTH is comparable to gaining 163,000 in one month.

Tell me Q22 is making $163,000 in one month ose to losing $633,000 in one month? Because that's a difference of 800,000 in ONE MONTH!

But we are still not gaining enough jobs to keep up with incoming demand. It still sucks - but not as bad as it has sucked in the last 2.5 years. Yipeee. Run on that!

Mac, It is obvious you are smoking something other than Marlboros. With unemployment rate increasing to 8.3%, only a liberal could spin that into "looking much better". Or were your expectations that low of Obama to begin with ?

“U.S. employers added 163,000 jobs in July, a hopeful sign after three months of sluggish hiring. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate rose to 8.3% from 8.2 % in June. July's hiring was the best since February. Still, the economy has added an average of 151,000 jobs a month this year, roughly the same as last year's pace.” As we said before, anything above 150,000 new jobs per month is good news for Obama.

It's about damn time we saw a good jobs report; this economy could use a boost.

Bill, Fairfax VA

What is so striking to me is that we are in a situation where some will actually celebrate an economy that can only eke out 163,000 jobs in a month. We've been battered so long by an economy that stubbornly refuses to get out of first gear that we are gratified by a number that would be viewed as mediocre in any other recovery. That my friends is the definition of the "new normal" in which we find ourselves: tepid economic growth, unemployment persistently above 8% and lackluster job growth.

Oh for God's sake, the last three recoveries were slower than the preceding one. The reason why: stagnant middle class wages. With the real job creators (consumers/middle and lower class) having less disposable income, they cannot spend as much money, and the jobs created are negated by the jobs outsourced. And yes, Bill; a lackluster recovery is the new "normal," unless we seek to reduce income inequality and increase wages for middle class Americans, which we all know will not happen under a Romney administration. And by the way: this the biggest recession since the @!$%#ing Great Depression!!! Of course the recovery is going to be slow; you should be glad that it ain't gonna take 10 years. For God's sake, read a history book...

And for this we should be grateful? For this we should shower the president with hosannas and bow as he passes us on the campaign trail? For this we should reward this man with a second term??

Well, yeah. Considering all of the challenges he's faced, he's done a respectable job.

Good grief, give me a freaking break. Not only has Obama presided over the worst economic recovery ever, his policies have given us an economy entrenched in such a cycle of despair that mediocre performance is praised as progress. But the economy should be consistently generating twice as many jobs as it did last month and the pertinent question is why isn't that happening?

Hahahaha. If you haven't noticed, previous recoveries have become to slow down, in part due to stagnant middle class wages caused by supply-side economics and pro-business/anti-labor policies. And technically, had Obama's policies of government spending to boost demand and growth been expanded and extended, the recovery would be a lot better. But thanks to obstructionist Republicans and Austerians, that hasn't happened. Stop trying to pour water on the fire for once, Bill. Let's just accept this as a blessing and leave it at that. For God's sake, does your partisanship know no bounds????

Alan, NJ

@DCIA

Ask Romney why his PLAN doesn't hit the RICH. That's the real question.

He's ROBBING the poor and middle classes to pay for his TAX CUTS to the WEALTHIEST amongst us.

I know exactly what has to be done but I'm not running for President.

So explain to me exactly what is the purpose of increasing the tax rates on the those earning more than 250K?

I would say that it would serve to be a first step in reducing income inequality in America.

It can't be to pay down the deficit because then you are reducing the economic demand by 70B a year and everybody knows you don't do that in a time of economic slowdown.

Technically, since the money is only for the top 2% of Americans (who do not have as big an effect on jobs as the middle class, or middle 60% of Americans), the impact on the economy will be small. At most, it will reduce GDP by 0.45%, not a huge amount. And you also don't cut spending during an economic slowdown, although most people (Republicans) tend to only focus on the tax side.

Maybe the government will spend it but then they are arguing that government is wiser at spending than the individual. And the President has alluded to this, because when he advocates the change he always adds that it's to pay down the deficit AND pay for investments. So is this the reason? Simply to fund MORE government spending on top of the $3.2T they spend every year?

I would argue that it will be used for both. And, not to offend the individual, but considering the fact that not all Americans are good at finance, I would say that the govt. is about equal with the people, with the people having a slight edge.

Or maybe it's just for political reasons because the President has a notion of fairness and thinks that if you EARN more than average you have somehow gamed the system. You don't deserve your income because your smart, because didn't President claim there are a lot of smart people out there who don't earn a lot? (Probably thinking of all the academics he knows struggling on a professors salary).

Technically, the tax increase would have been for millionaires and billionaires, yet the revenues were too small. Essentially, people who have made million, billions, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars every year have not necessarily gamed the system, but have prospered over the past 30 years while everyone else has essentially stagnated or worse. Income inequality has increases, and so this tax hike is a first step to reducing it.

You can't deserve your income because you work hard, because didn't he tell us there are a lot of hard working Americans that are not high income earners. (Probably not thinking of academics here).

Is this what you will do to every tax hike on the rich??? Calm down dude; this is just a way to reduce income inequality (which is a major issue and the central issue for organizations like Occupy Wall Street).

So I'll reiterate. What exactly is the purpose of increasing the tax rates only on those who earn more than 250K? Notice I didn't say the wealthy because this is a tax on income not wealth.

Mostly decreasing income inequality.

And to everyone complaining about the bitching about Romney's tax returns, grow a pair and just accept it. Presidential candidates are going to be vetted and will have to release private info so the public doesn't think that they are hiding something. For God's sake, Romney's own father started the damn precedent!!! For his own son to disregard that is really disconcerting. Besides, Romney is rich, and so his tax returns will be under even more scrutiny, especially after he paid a 13.9% tax rate and may have paid much lower during the recession. And if Obama had to reveal his birth certificate because some people (mostly Republicans) thought he was a foreigner, Romney ought to reveal at least 10 years of tax returns. It's only fair. So for all those birthers and Romney supporters out there, you brought the tax return fiasco on to your own damn selves. If Romney can't release his tax returns (like many others have done so), how the hell can we expect him to be a good president????

OBAMA BIDEN 2012

seeking -- carry on an intelligent conversation with you? not possible. you are so far up that you no longer see the light.

i think if you ever achieve a level of sanity that permits you to engage without the childish name calling and insults we could try.

i will leave that to you to obtain a calmness that permits

Irish21: You may want to do some fact checking about the stuff you're spouting off about....most everything you've said is a myth according to factcheck.com. Do some research before you continue to show your ignorance.

BrianB

Look what happened last month... Dropped from 140,000 to 80,000 in revisions. If you actually believe the numbers that were released today, screw your head back on.

Do you ever get tired of being wrong?

Q22

yes, because hemorrhaging over 600,000 jobs PER MONTH is comparable to gaining 163,000 in one month.

But we are still not gaining enough jobs to keep up with incoming demand. It still sucks - but not as bad as it has sucked in the last 2.5 years. Yipeee. Run on that!

yes, it's slow but it's still positive numbers so why do you want Romney who not only sucked in job creation in Mass (47th!!!! which mean 46 other states did better) but want to go back to Bush-like policies?

You remember Bush, don't you? The one that all Republicans want to pretend didn't exist?

The point is that YOU are not happy with a small increase but you are FOR a guy that couldn't wing it in a teeny-weeny Massachusetts, turned around Olympics only by taking taxpayers' money and did great as a CEO of a company that had no job-creating strategy or objective! The role of Bain was/is/will be to make money. Job creation or elimination is a pure by-product of Romney's/Bain short-term + long-term decisions and has nothing to do with Bain's mission statement!

TYLER and SALLY....

Too many collapsed comments here simply because some folks disagree.

Disagreement is not hate allowing this to continue is destroying your credibility

yes, it's slow but it's still positive numbers so why do you want Romney who not only sucked in job creation in Mass (47th!!!! which mean 46 other states did better) but want to go back to Bush-like policies?

Romney took office in Massachusetts on January 2003 - the unemployment rate that year was 6%. In 2004 it was 5.3%, in 2005 it was 4.8% and in 2006 it was 4.8% and in January 2007 when he left office it was 4.5%. That's a 34% decrease. How does that measure to Obama??

You remember Bush, don't you? The one that all Republicans want to pretend didn't exist?

The unemployment rate at the end of 2008 was 5.8% with 66% of people over 16 working. at the end of 2011 the unemployment rate was 8.9% with only 66% of people over 16 working. The deficit for 2008 - with TARP 1, mind you, was 458 billion. Obama's deficits have been 1.4T, 1.3T, 1.3T and projected 1.3T for 2012. I wouldn't bring up Bush.

The point is that YOU are not happy with a small increase but you are FOR a guy that couldn't wing it in a teeny-weeny Massachusetts, turned around Olympics only by taking taxpayers' money and did great as a CEO of a company that had no job-creating strategy or objective! The role of Bain was/is/will be to make money. Job creation or elimination is a pure by-product of Romney's/Bain short-term + long-term decisions and has nothing to do with Bain's mission statement!

First - it's not increasing. If it cannot keep up with incoming labor then we are still falling behind.

Second - where was the money for the Olympics SUPPOSED to come from? You leave out that the prior head had mismanaged and wasted all the funding that had been allocated. Exactly where was more money to fix things supposed to come from? A bake sale?

Third. Bain is a business that was run ethically and morally. It's object was to make money but it's goal was to invest in promising start-ups and buying and turning around distressed companies. Not every venture worked but most did, Compare that to Obama's record of using the government as a venture capital enterprise (Solyndra &etc.). Who has made wiser choices?

For God's sake, read a history book...

I would encourage you to do the same. Then you would know that the American experience has been the deeper the economic downturn, the stronger the economic rebound -- at least that was our history until Obama came along.

Damn right you should be grateful for any UPTICK in employment

That's a perfect expression of why one of us is an idiot. I'll leave it to the readers to determine which.

Bill in Fairfax --

Actually Bill, I chose those exact words just for you.

You wrote:

Then you would know that the American experience has been the deeper the economic downturn, the stronger the economic rebound -- at least that was our history

And I bet you believe dinosaurs still roam the earth. Nothing changes in your world, every that was still is.

correction above:

every thing that was still is.

JoAnnaSmith1

Houston: And you'll demand that Romney release his evidence that Obama orchestrated this conspiracy with Reid. Correct?

Nope. I don't waste my time with trivial matters.

Sorry, when a presidential candidate of a major political party like Romney babbles about conspiracy theories as whacked out as birtherism, it's NOT trivial. We don't need a president who's barking mad, or pretends to be to pander to the nutjob wing of the Republican party.

I'm more concerned about things like an 8.3% unemployment rate, out of control deficits and debt, and crumbling entitlement programs.

Get off it. You care nothing about the unemployed. You're elated when the unemployment rate goes up by 0.1%, and not at all pleased that the rate of job growth has more than doubled from June to July.

It's amusing how JAS1 gets her knickers in a twist over Reid reporting what someone he trusts telling him Romney paid no income taxes for ten years, but when Romney makes the sensational but baseless claim that Obama is plotting to impose a "religion of secularism" on America, it's no big deal. When it comes to selective outrage, she's an expert at it.

What happen the last time this Clown Romney ran for President, History repeats itself.

Q22

Romney took office in Massachusetts on January 2003 - the unemployment rate that year was 6%. In 2004 it was 5.3%, in 2005 it was 4.8% and in 2006 it was 4.8% and in January 2007 when he left office it was 4.5%. That's a 34% decrease. How does that measure to Obama??

overall, Romney's record is 47th out of 50 so even though there was a teeny-weeny decrease in unemplyment, Romney still gets a D- because 46 states did better. Nothing to be proud of. And Romney had an economy that was pre-Financial Meltdown. Can you imagine Romney in 2008 if he couldn't wing it when it was easy?

Tell me Q22, why isn't Romney talking about Massachusetts? Is he too modest or is it simply because there is nothing to brag about?

The unemployment rate at the end of 2008 was 5.8% with 66% of people over 16 working. at the end of 2011 the unemployment rate was 8.9%

yes, and considering that Bush's starting point was 4%, he had a nice easy job yet he f*cked that up. 2008 lost 2.6 million jobs, Jan-March of 2008 lost another 2,000,000 jobs. Not a good record, is it?

Again, tell me Q22, if Bush did so great, why are the Republicans treating Bush like a venerial disease?

And if I quote Romney:

Americans "ought to give, whichever president is going to be elected, at least six months or a year to get those policies in place."

and subtract the first 6 months from President Obama's record, he actually is doing well especially since he had to deal with the economy that bottomed out in Fall 2008 and early 2009.

Second - where was the money for the Olympics SUPPOSED to come from?

so why is Romney taking credit - it should go to taxpayer. BTW, why is Romney anti-bailout then? It's ok for him to use it but not for Obama?

Third. Bain is a business that was run ethically and morally.

hahhaha, tell that to companies like AmPad!

The President's solution to unemployment problem is the stimulus bill. The President said that the stimulus bill "did its job", so if that is correct, jobs should no longer be a problem. According to i report issued by our President's own administration, unemployment has been worse than if the stimulus bill were never passed.

The President's solution to our economic troubles has been to increase federal spending through the stimulus bill and a general increase in federal budgets. Party on GSA. I hope that the unemployed are taking advantage of improved transportation to get to those jobs that they do not have. I hope that everyone has had a chance to ride the new high speed trains provided for by the stimulus spending bill. I can't wait for the government to install Solindra solar panels on my roof and hence end global warming.

The President is a fiscal conservative. He went on and on how bad deficit spending was and he vowed to cut the federal deficit in half by the end of his first term. To keep the President's promise, the 2012 federal deficit cannot exceed 229.27 billion dollars but the President's own White House is predicting that the deficit will exceed 1.3 trillion dollars. The fiscal year is almost over. The President needs to reveal how he is going to keep his promise regarding the deficit and what it is eventually going to cost the tax payers to pay all of this money back. Al hail the Chief!

The President needs to be reminded of some words of wisdom that were spoken back in March of 2006. The words were as true then as they are today.

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006

overall, Romney's record is 47th out of 50 so even though there was a teeny-weeny decrease in unemplyment, Romney still gets a D- because 46 states did better. Nothing to be proud of. And Romney had an economy that was pre-Financial Meltdown. Can you imagine Romney in 2008 if he couldn't wing it when it was easy?

I think that claim is B.S. Massachusetts went from an unemployment ranking of 31 when Romney took office to 27 when he left. In fact I checked every state during that same time frame and found that 26 has slower job growth than Massachusetts. I don't know what your source is but I wouldn't be surprised if it was some left wing group like Think Progress.

Q22

I think that claim is B.S. Massachusetts went from an unemployment ranking of 31 when Romney took office to 27 when he left.

overall means for his entire tenure - like a grade point average for 4 years. Instead, you are talking 2 snapshots of time - it does not equal to overall.

Romney's overall job growth is 47th out of 50

Romney's net job growth was flat under his tenure.

Bill, Fairfax VA

For God's sake, read a history book...

I would encourage you to do the same. Then you would know that the American experience has been the deeper the economic downturn, the stronger the economic rebound -- at least that was our history until Obama came along.

Ahem; the Great Depression technically lasted (including the relatively jobless recovery) around 10 years; this recession has lasted half of that, with another 5 years to boot. Plus during the Great Depression there was (1) a president who was able (to a higher degree than now) to enact major programs to help the recovery (unlike now, with one party seeking to use obstruction in the face of widespread suffering to overthrow an incumbent president) and (2) a major conflict that led to industrialization on a scale not seen (comparatively) since the Civil War.

Damn right you should be grateful for any UPTICK in employment

That's a perfect expression of why one of us is an idiot. I'll leave it to the readers to determine which.

I wouldn't really put it that way; one of us just knows their long-term history well; but let's leave it to the readers to decide....

OBAMA BIDEN 2012

overall means for his entire tenure - like a grade point average for 4 years. Instead, you are talking 2 snapshots of time - it does not equal to overall.

Romney's overall job growth is 47th out of 50

Romney's net job growth was flat under his tenure.

Site your source. Mine was from the Department of Labor. Yours is....Daily Koz?

Ryan,

LMAO

Harry Reed, was arrested in NO, 3 weeks ago, in a woman's dress.

They released him with out charges, when thy found a picure of Obama taped to his belly.

LMAO, LMAO

@jim-1455434#1.183: Sigh, surely as many times as this information has been presented by all the news media you would know the answer to your question. Those who have quit looking for jobs, and unemployment benefits expired, are not counted in the unemployment numbers. Generally, when fractional hiring commences, these people re-enter the jobs market where they swell the unemployment measurement. The numbers out today say that the economy added 163,000 jobs in July, but enough of an overage applied for those jobs to raise the unemployment figure from 8% to 8.3%. I believe our true unemployment figure is likely closer to 10%, but is, in fact dropping, be it ever so slowly. Our mess from 07,08 was indeed deep, wide and scary. I'm actually surprised the President has been able to do as well as He has, given the scope of the mess, and the absolute vulgar craziness of the republicans reaction to both Him and the mess.

What is so striking to me is that we are in a situation where some will actually celebrate an economy that can only eke out 163,000 jobs in a month.

Well, that's because we still have the last Republican president as a contrast:

Jan. 4, 2009 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. economy lost more jobs in 2008 than in any year since the end of World War II as firings rippled from homebuilders and automakers to banks and retailers, a government report may show this week.

politifact.com -- ...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.

As far as "actually celebrate an economy that can only eke out 163,000 jobs in a month" you can download the data from BLS website and check Bush's performance yourself. I did and the numbers are shocking! Over the entire 8 years - 96 months - George W.bush's administration produced less than 160,000 jobs for 75 of those 96 months.

If Bush had maintained an average of 160,000 jobs per month during his entire 8 years he would have added 15.4M jobs. Instead, the US only gained a little over 700,000 jobs during Bush's entire 8 years. The numbers are easy to verify - look it up!

Now what's truly sad about all this is that Mitt Romney claims to be able to add 12M jobs in his first year as president using the failed policies that George W. Bush did!

Republicans right now suffer a severe disconnect from history.

Q22,

The Globe reviewed numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and found Fehrnstrom’s and Cutter’s seemingly irreconcilable figures are, in fact, mostly compatible and true. But the campaigns present the numbers in different ways.

In its review, the Globe examined seasonally adjusted, nonfarm jobs, the most commonly accepted employment measure.

The statistics show that Massachusetts’ job growth ranking improved dramatically from Romney’s first year in office to his last, but its cumulative ranking during Romney’s four-year term was markedly lower than it was under his predecessor.

The assertion that Massachusetts under Romney ranked 47th out of 50 states in job growth is true, and the Romney campaign has not disputed its accuracy. If the District of Columbia is included, Massachusetts’ rank was 48th. Over the four-year period 2003 to 2006, Massachusetts jobs grew by 1.26 percent, well behind the national median of 4.84 percent. In the previous four-year span 1999 to 2002, job growth in the Bay State was just 0.89 percent, but its national rank was 35th.

http://articles.boston.com/2012-06-04/nation/32009282_1_job-growth-romney-campaign-mitt-romney

Q22, this is a common knowledge - unless you've been living under a rock.

Even if you live in your little made up world, and don't believe the info out there, ask yourself this: WTF IS ROMNEY NOT TALKING ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS???Simple - he can't because he sucked at it.

The state’s total job growth was just 0.9 percent, well behind other high-wage, high-skill economies in New York (2.7), California (4.7), and North Carolina (7.6). The national average was better than 5 percent.

Mass suffered the second-largest labor force decline in the nation: Only Louisiana, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, saw a bigger decline in its labor force than Massachusetts during Romney’s tenure as governor. The US Census Bureau estimated that between July 2002 and July 2006, 222,000 more residents left Massachusetts for other states than came to it. That decline largely explains the state’s decreasing unemployment rate (from 5.6 to 4.7 percent) while Romney was in office, according to Northeastern University economics professor Andrew Sum. At the same time, the nation as a whole added 8 million people to the labor force.

Mass lost 14 percent of its manufacturing jobs. The loss was double the rate that the nation as a whole lost manufacturing jobs.

There was not one measure where the state did well under his term in office. Mass was more comparable to Rust Belt states like Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio than it was to other high-tech economies it typically competes with.

Hey, Gaining even 163,000 jobs is slow, but a lot better than the rapid loss of 750,000 a month at the end of Wacko bush's term!

I'm visiting my son and family and when my daughter-in-law picked me up in Minneapolis I couldn't believe the number of homeless Vets, some in uniform, walking and begging the streets. We stopped and gave some $ to one and found that he was homeless since his return from the Gulf War. Let me remind you all that this was bush's war and jobs were being lost at 750,000 a month when bush left office. Now, although small, we are gaining 163,00 + jobs a month. Let's not go back to what didn't work with bush and a new name in Romney!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic (a federal agency and not a Republican organization), there were 142,415,000 employed in June 2012 and 142,220,000 employed in July 2012 or a job loss of 195,000. That would explain why the unemployment rate went from 8.2% to 8.3%.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistic (a federal agency and not a Republican organization), there were 142,415,000 employed in June 2012 and 142,220,000 employed in July 2012 or a job loss of 195,000. That would explain why the unemployment rate went from 8.2% to 8.3%.

No, it doesn't. The number of "employed" goes down every summer because schools either don't work in the summer or work with significantly fewer people. That doesn't mean those jobs won't come back when school starts in late summer.

That's why seasonal adjustments matter, and it baffles me that conservative folks are quick to invoke the concept in the winter (when temporal jobs are created, which is also already factored into the number the government gives us) but suddenly forget it in the summer (when jobs temporarily "disappear" as the school year is over). They matter because you can't make judgments out of a number that doesn't take those conditions into account.

The net gain of 163,000 jobs means that more jobs were created than lost — specifically, by 163,000. If 500,000 jobs were lost, those layoffs were more than offset by 663,000 new positions added. That's not a wonderful number, but it's a step in the right direction, especially with respect to the previous months. It's something a truly patriotic American should be able to see and appreciate to some extent, regardless of political orientation. I'm not saying let's break out the champagne, I'm saying let's be thankful it was 163,000 gained and not 53,000, as the trend indicated it may well have been.

There are two ways the unemployment rate can go up: one, jobs are lost; two, more people start looking for a job. In this case, it was number two. The number of jobs added was offset by the number of people who decided, "Hey, maybe it's time to look for a job again." Most of these people were alive last month and also unemployed, but last month they were not looking for a job; this month, they are. That's why the unemployment rate is a poor way of measuring the performance of the economy.

Here's an example: suppose there were a big event on the first day of the month where a huge company announced they would create a million jobs and, indeed, a million net jobs were created that month (no layoffs elsewhere), but at the same time two million people who had previously given up their hope of finding a job suddenly put themselves back in the job market, then two things would happen: (a) the job market would register a net gain of a million jobs and (b) the unemployment rate would tick up, probably more than a half percentage point. Would this be good for the country? Hell yes, it would be good, because a million more have a job. Would this be good for the president? Supposing the majority of the country is uninformed about how the unemployment rate works, it would probably be bad, as people would see it go up and think we're doing much worse than before.

I'm sorry if my explanation is much too redundant, but it's kind of impressive how people here go out of their way to distort a simple statistic and make it look as if we were actually worse off in July than June, which is decidedly not what the numbers indicate.

The US economy generated jobs last month at the fastest pace since February. This means that the economy is resilient enough to grow modestly even as (and despite the fact that) the rest of the world is slowing down.

SA,

You act just like Romney. Deflect then misdirect.

My poll came before yours. You felt that you needed to copycat mine, therefore, answer mine first.

Jody and Backhouse: Two outstanding posts. Well done ladies.

Thanks, Jody! Curious that Lech would entertain Romney seriously at all. He can't possibly know that Mittens has a main goal to destroy worker's rights and unions. You would think someone might have told him that.

NDD, Walesa probably agreed to the meeting out of respect for the United States not for Mitt personally.

You beat me to a lot of this Jody. What the hell, time to double down.

What is it about the current GOP that brings out the wackos who think that playing the xenophobe card is the road to victory?

First we have Bachmann and her cohort calling for investigations. The Muslim Brotherhood is taking over witch-hunt. This is followed by a couple of gals in Tennessee, Diane Black and Ann Zelenick having a catfight over the terror of a mosque being built, screw the 1^st Amendment.

Not to be outdone by these Femme Fatales, the do nothing House decides that this is a great time to open up committee discussions on making English the only official language of the Federal Government. Who in god’s name decided that was the way to close the 48 point gap the President enjoys among Latino voters?

Does the GOP hate postmen? They certainly love post offices. 60 Bills passed to rename them but when it comes to making sure that the postal service is funded … nah, it’s time for vacation.

We cannot leave Romney out of this with his slur at Palestinians being of a lesser culture. Not to fear posters, he has hired Michelle Davis of BP Spill fame to paint him a lighter shade of white.

Great wrap-up Jody! So many candidates for the "Chitspa" award this week. Who is your favorite?

"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly

Fool

Yeah Jody, that would explain why Walesa turned down Obama's invitation to meet with him last year, right?

Walesa has an ego larger than Poland and was probably miffed at not getting a one-on-one meeting.

Ron,

You must mean "laddy" (and lass) there...

Jody,

Fantastic that you are back with your round-up, and going LIVE >>>>!

It came out this week (or first I heard) that Romney was busy retroactively rewriting his taxforms to say he was living in MA - so that he could be elegible to run for governor of MA.

He had to testify, so it was all under oath. When it came to the domicile box, his signature was on there - and of course he had been living in Utah for all that time.

So the ruse failed and the lie exposed.

But this is pattern behavior. We keep seeing it over and over again from Mr. Rombley.

Oh, I can't wait until the so called job creators Bush tax breaks to end. We need to go back to the Clinton rates.

Job1 hi,

So we do. We do.

The top bracket, that is. After the first $250K, that is.

GOP freebies for 1% is growing !!!!!

Medical records

Romney should show his medical records.

He seems to have short term memory lose.

Obama 2012

He seems to have short term memory lose.

Memory "lose" seems to be a pervasive problem these days. All of you Obama supporters have already forgotten the last four years.

Mark from Lake Tahoe

On another note there is has already been a feisty dumb fux sighting in Vegas.... a short, fat woman with an obvious wig, the color of carrots... was arrested this morning for disturbing the peace. She was holding an empty bottle of Southern Comfort and yelling 'You didn't build this' at the Bellagio Hotel Casino! She also had a old 'Hope and Change' Obama bumpersticker on her very large bumper!

Nope, that was a Feisty wannabe. The give away was a bowling bag from Lake Tahoe full of Chik-Fil-A.

sandy #2.17, I second that big time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jody of I " Barbara Boxer pointed out that 98% of climate scientists agree global warming is real."

You are correct, this is why I was disgusted with bailing out the auto industry. The president had a real chance to degrease the green house by forcing change. Instead he paid off the Auto Union.

It's a pathetic commentary on the men in this country who continue to be so envious of this president they can't wake up a single day without bashing him. You guys all addicted to Obama bashing? Time to hit bottom. RoMONEY is about to lose the election. And when he does what, pray tell, will you fool testosteronies bitch about then? You guys act like Johnson rods in too-tight Fruit of the Looms. Grow up.

Most Americans don't start in on a president the day the election is called. Jerks and pea-green envious testosteronies do. If we are all fed up with the right wing bitch brigade out there, maybe there's a rational reason: None of you make a particle of sense. You don't want bigger government. You don't want the rich to pay their fair share. You don't want the Corporate Nanny State to get off their addiction to our taxes and you use hot button BS spin like "welfare", "liberal" and the rest of the garbage baggage loaded down on those needle brains about to implode.

Quite frankly, when, not IF, President Obama is re-elected, you try and circumvent forward movement and it will be ass-kicking time in GA and any other DogPatch state that wants in on their share of an ass-kicking fest. Middle Class Americans are NOT your safety net. If you can't run your businesses without addicting yourselves to our tax dollars, you don't belong in business. If you can't learn to live within YOUR means the way you expect the Middle Class to do, get used to a long unending run of shunning from those of us fed up with Big Babies of the Bully Boi breed.

Instead he(obama) paid off the Auto Union

Correction, barry o nationalized the auto industry... we can now refer to General Motors as Obama Motors! lol! Purchasing votes is a time honored tradition amoung liberal thieves! And Barry Obama is a very proud thief!

It's a pathetic commentary on the men in this country who continue to be so envious of this president...

correction ewent, most of us have the urge to vomit when obama talks.... no educated American is 'envious' of that guy! He's well on his way to ruining the country and sheep like you continue to graze... lol

ewent,

I don't believe the President would support your comments. You are pretty degrading and have a low option of your fellow Americans. The problem we have is a nation divided. We all know a nation divided is a weak nation. The people need to say enough is enough and get rid of both parties. They are so polarized it is scary!

Thanks, everyone. I do enjoy annoying conservatives whenever possible. Judging from the naybobs today, they are annoyed by how idiotic their legislators and wannabees appear to the rest of us, who know, maybe even to them but admitting it, nah.

Well, Mark of Tahoe, Elliot, and the other whiners, there's an ignore button available on FR, use it. That way, you won't find it upsetting to read about the wacky and the silly in the GOPTP these days.

How mature do people have to be to be led by the nose and think that tax records are the most important issue when juxtaposed against 8.3% unemployment, billions of taxpayer dollars gambled on private business, Democrat males messing around with women's BREAST milk, the government telling people what size drinks they can have, national security leaks coming from a White House that will not investigate, in public schools all children can use vouchers to transfer to better schools ... except for white children are not allowed, the White House and Obama's campaign pay women staffers less than men ...

I do not care one whit about Romney's tax records. I am old enough to know when I am being played. So, Obama and Reid, stop trying to divert attention from your hurtful, disastrous record. Those who are living / surviving it ... you cannot divert our attention.

Who's Money, how do you explain President Obama signing the most restrictive new environmental regulations on the auto industry in decades? Did you miss that one or simply choose to ignore it because it doesn't fit your narrative?

To put it more bluntly, it is a conundrum that conservatives who claim to love American private industry, who speak of American exceptionalism, capitalism and the free market crowd would rather have seen the US auto industry collapse and die just because they do not like President Obama. If George W. Bush had loaned the auto industry money to save it during a near depression, I would have said "good job, President Bush" and meant it.

Jody - as always - great wrap-up!

Obama/Biden 2012

Jody:

As always, thanks for your wrap. I must confess to some ambivalence this week. It is somewhat amusing to read about Romney. It's simply impossible to avoid the conclusion that he will say absolutely anything to get elected, and honestly, I have to wonder why he wants the job anyway.

That said, what I truly wonder is how the left and the right can be so completely at odds. Romney's tax plan is mathematically impossible, yet it has defenders. The unemployment rate is 8.3% and is criticized roundly, without anyone explaining why another number is desirable or even if it is possible to achieve. If you suggest limiting magazine capacity, you are anti-gun. If you think women should not be penalized for being women by insurance companies, you are anti-woman.

I really don't get it.

So I'm guessing if RoMONEY's tax records aren't important, we could all just let Madoff out of prison and the GOP could make him VP? Get a clue. RoMONEY is going to have to divulge more than two all too selective records of his taxes. Like GWB once said (regarding wiretapping)...if you've got nothing to hide...you've got nothing to worry about...President Obama submitted 11 years of his tax records. Why doesn't Privilege Boi think he's above the rest?

Nice post. Its a pity the cowards and trolls who regularly criticize the President (elliot, fool's gold and the other trolls-you know who you are) don't have the courage to make their own post so they could have some comments directed right at them. Their whining is just so pathetic. How awful their little lives must be! And just think every day is a day that Obama is president! It must make them feel so good when they wake up in the morning. If obama wins again whatever will they do? They could always move to Texas.

So, Jody, on to bigger and more important things......

With Ohio State and Penn State in a world of hurt, how are the Hawkeyes looking this year?

You know what's awesome? - For all of Jody's, Outhouse, NutJob 1 and Unpatriotic Unamerican's complete gibberish, that's only 4 votes for the incompetent-in-chief. It probably makes them feel better to come to this liberal cesspool and spew their garbage, but it's still only 4 measly votes!! And you know what, it won't matter because Mitt is the deodorant for America's BO problem.

MORE PROOF REPUBS TRYING TO TAKE THE ECONOMY DOWN!

WHERE ARE THE JOBS REPUBS PROMISED? OH YEAH...STILL OVERSEAS WHERE THEY WANT THEM. THAT WAY THEY PUT PROFITS IN OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS AVOIDING TAXES!

How did repubs just keep more jobs out of America? 7-19-12 Repubs blocked the bill to remove tax breaks for the companies taking jobs offshore and in the same bill they blocked giving tax breaks to companies that would bring them back.

Republicans are anti America. Repubs hate American workers, they support Romney taking jobs overseas and then hiding those profits in offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes. Repubs want the economy to get worse because 14 republicon politicians met the night President Obama took office and pledged to vote against every bill that would make Obama look successful. Newt Gingrich was among them and said it was the seed that was sown for the 2012 election. Pledging to take America down for republicon elections 4 years away! Record filibustering is all the proof they have done as they said!!!

Obama/Biden and team America 2012

WheresCongress, if you don't think it is important for presidential candidates to be transparent, it is you who misses the point. If you don't think knowing that a presidential candidate, for the first time in our history, has millions hidden in off-shore tax havens, legal or not, to avoid paying taxes is an ethical and moral question, it is you who lacks maturity. If Romney is this secretive and unwilling to provide proof he has nothing to hide, a thinking person gets that he must have a great deal to hide from voters. Unemployment is important but it is not the only issue. Trust, honesty, character and willingness to invest in the public good is far more important to America's future than the unemployment number is today. Perhaps if the GOP had actually put Country First instead of Party and elections, the conservative argument would have more merit but the GOP obstructed and continues to obstruct every effort to create jobs and stimulate economic growth in private business just to win an election. GOP Patriots? GOP love of country? If the GOPers were patriots and loved their country, they would not have sat on the sidelines for 3 1/2 years hoping the economy failed and working to make failure happen. Selfish, arrogant, ignorant fools is what I would call the GOP legislators with few exceptions to those descriptions among them.

David Walker, haven't had much time to spend sorting through the news lately to do a wrap and I doubt I'll be doing one every week. I've wondered why Mitt wants to be president myself. Maybe it is time for journalists to resurrect the question that once was part of every presidential race and tripped up a good number of the: Why do you want to be President?

Obama/Biden 2012.

Bill Thomas - it is posters like you who remind us of the intelligence level of the Republican party. You also remind us that the GOP has absolutely no class. Thank you!

Obama/Biden 2012

Better (but still not great) job news for Obama: 163,000 jobs added in July

to those of you not happy with the numbers, please explain how the alternative is better:

2,600,000 million jobs lost in 2008 alone

663000 jobs lost in March of 2009

651,000 jobs lost in February of 2009

655,000 jobs lost in January of 2009

681,000 jobs lost in December of 2008. That made December's losses the worst on record since October 1949.

And Romney wants to be GWB2 so please explain, how is the alternative better? Especially since Romney couldn't create jobs in Mass either!

Right on starsailing ... Republicanism is a mental illness and a plague on America worse than AIDS or anything else I can think of. The fact that Republicans have done nothing since winning the House to stimulate job creation (the platform they ran on) is treasonous. Their one and only goal has been to defeat Obama and roll back women's rights, among other things, to further their conservative agenda. Obama is clearly NOT the problem.

Obama/Biden 2012

Tebow15, so, in your narrow world only those who agree with you are Americans? Thought we fought the Revolution so that people living here could have freedom and liberty from the tyranny of those who thought the same as you.

CPO Sharkey, the Hawkeyes look pretty good this year....so far!

Jody, Iowa

NDD, Walesa probably agreed to the meeting out of respect for the United States not for Mitt personally.

Walesa is pro anti-missile shield to be located in Poland by Bush but Bush ran out of time. In 2009, it was announced by the Obama administration that plans for the project had been scrapped, and the decision was met with mixed reactions in the US, Poland and the Czech Republic, but praised by Russia and Western European leader leaders. Walesa, being anti-Russia, wanted the shields.

Walesa also wanted Obama to eliminate visas for Polish citizens. Obama's Administration did not deliver it either claiming Poland does not qualify for the waiver.

And that is why Walesa does not like President Obama but to be fair, Walesa to most Poles is like Joe the Plumber is to us. He was the symbol of Solidarity but should have stayed at that.

You also remind us that the GOP has absolutely no class.

sinking insanity.... it is liberal posters like you who are so close-minded you couldn't see the truth if it hit you in the face! How can you possibly defend obama given his failed presidency of the last 4 years? And don't blame Bush... that excuse never was the answer to obama's dismal record!

You (and obama) really believe if you repeat a lie over and over again that it becomes the truth.... I'm sorry, it doesn't work like that! God bless you liberals... someone has too!

Robin hot in NM

that excuse never was the answer to obama's dismal record!

since you claim to know it all, please answer my post 2.38. How do you go from losing jobs at a rate of 600,000 per month to gaining jobs???? How do you go from the economy bottoming out to people hiring and making record profits? How do you go from losing your 401(k) investments (that many stashed for decades) to returning it to pre 2008 collapse?

You guys kill me, it took Bush 8 years to pretty much destroy this country financially but you have this wet dream of Obama fixing this $hit in less than 4.

Hey tell me, is it quicker to take out your mortgage loan to buy a house (spend the moneyborrowed) or is it quicker to pay off your mortgage (pay back the money borrowed)?

Considering that the Party of No has obstructed EVERY attempt for the Obama Administration to create jobs (in favor of anti-women, anti-immigrant, and voter discrimination bills), Obama's policies have done quite well.

bayllie - robin (who's never been hot in her life) posts her usual diatribes every once in a while. Hardly worth the time it takes to read theml She - like so many Republicans - thought it was President Obama's job to click his fingers and "poof" all the trashing of the economy done by Bush would instantly be undone.

As anyone with a brain knows (that leaves barely lukewarm robin out) it will take more than a decade to fix the economy and it will only work if the GOP decides to actually work to help - not obstruct.

Obama/Biden 2012

1936 FDR re-elected with high unemployment rate, because of 8 years of GOP caused too much damages (Great Depression), and the economy did not come back to life until after 1945 (Remember the effect of WWII on the economy)

2012 O'Bama our Irish American president will be re-elected even with this bad economy, because of 8 years of Bush (GOP) caused the worst recession since Great Depression.

4 more years!

seeking sanity.... over the months you have become very bitter and contentious! If you were a bit open minded you would see the viterol from the left is far more vicious than whatever the conservatives could come up with. But that's also true of Obama's TV attack ads which are filled with so many lies that he too is hoping that voters will eventually start believing those ads! For the sake of the country I hope this doesn't happen... 4 more years of his socialist agenda will turn America into a shell of itself. We'll be like the Argentina of the 70s, once the economic powerhouse of S. America... the socialist policies of Juan Peron turned that fine country into a depressed welfare state.

Obama is succeeding in turning America into his welfare state... and I don't want to see that happen!

And before you cruely slam Robin from NM again... she has explained already that the 'hot' in her name has to do with the temperature of S. New Mexico... she and her husband moved there from Alaska a few years ago.... perhaps you should think before disparaging someone again.... but that may be too much to ask...

Seldom ... please go back to school or purchase two brain cells to rub together. The GOP is the problem, NOT Obama.

Obama/Biden 2012

Jody, Iowa

IMO, based on Obama's original war against Romney ... Obama changed the war to a war against the rich ... and, wanting to see Romney's tax records will show that Romney is rich.

And, despite the disgusting fact that Obama has become a multi-millionaire as POTUS (that should infuriate everyone), if Romney is foolish enough to release his tax records, then everyday those records will be all Obama focuses ... no more focus on unemployment, no more focus on debt and deficits, no more securing the border, no more new business regulations and breast milk regulations (wait, that's is a good thing).

Democrats are the new establishment. And, being the anti-establishment type, I left the Democrats because the Democrats left me.

In the meantime, while Democrats were becoming the establishment, the Democrats created so many regulations that the job market is in freeze frame at 8.3%. And, businesses are afraid to invest because they do not know what more regulations that the monster Democrat ESTABLISHMENT will come up with tomorrow.

Between the two parties, IMO, Republicans have become the lesser of two evils.

The 8.3% unemployment is because of the TeaWackos in Congress trying to get their Clown Elected, this sick group of Crazy people are destroying our Country !!!!!!!!

Bill Thomas....so you sit on the toilet....... with a picture ..........of .......President Obama huh?..........

starsailing

Technically, the Tea Party did not exist during Obama's first 'Summer of Recovery' in 2009 and the next 'Summer of Recover' 2010. The only common denominator for the lack of recovery is Obama.

SeekingSanity

As anyone with a brain knows (that leaves barely lukewarm robin out) it will take more than a decade to fix the economy and it will only work if the GOP decides to actually work to help - not obstruct.

and that's why I gave her a simple enough example of paying down a mortgage which, for most, takes 30 years. But who knows if Robin can or want to understand...

it's amazing how some don't comprehend how long it takes to dig a country out of a ditch, that someone else created, while recovery is being obstracted.

We witnessed almost total financial collapse that spread through the USA, Europe and the rest of the world but these idiots want President Obama to waive his magic wand. Idiots!

CPO,

The Hawkeyes are in the other sub conference from Penn St and Ohio St. Wisconsin will have no problem winning that sub conference. Iowa, on the other hand, are on the other side with Mich, Mich St, Nebraska, and Minnesota (who they have not beaten the last 2 years). They have quite a few coming back from last year but lost some key players to graduation and their fullback to discipline issues.

Thanks for the update, now that the Big 10 has split, I get confused over which side Iowa is on, though I thought they kept Ohio State with Michigan for the rivalry?

I remember the days that Iowa was a really tough team, I believe the coach's name was Peyton Fry, or something like that.

Never should have let Nebraska in the Big 10, those players are HUGE. I think they use them instead of tractors to harvest the crops.

Maybe with the drought the Nebraska players won't be so lean and mean this year......

Seldom Seen Sam Colorado

seeking sanity.... over the months you have become very bitter and contentious! If you were a bit open minded you would see the viterol from the left is far more vicious than whatever the conservatives could come up with.

Well, considering the bipartisanship of name-calling and personal attacks (Obama isn't American, Romney is a corporate shill, Obummer, Mittens), I'd say we're about equal with the conservatives.

But that's also true of Obama's TV attack ads which are filled with so many lies that he too is hoping that voters will eventually start believing those ads! For the sake of the country I hope this doesn't happen... 4 more years of his socialist agenda will turn America into a shell of itself.

In case you haven't noticed, ROMNEY IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH. His party has brainwashed millions into worshiping the wealthiest Americans in the hopes of prosperity trickling down (and we're still waiting). He even said that his tax cuts would make the wealthy pay the same amount or more, which is false according to the Tax Policy Center (the same "liberal" site that he used to attack rival Rick Perry's tax plan).

We'll be like the Argentina of the 70s, once the economic powerhouse of S. America... the socialist policies of Juan Peron turned that fine country into a depressed welfare state.

Hmm, apparently you have a negative outlook on welfare states. Well, let's take a look at the "most socialist nation in Europe," Germany. Having strong labor laws, massive government spending on social programs (over 26% of GDP), and universal healthcare (both government and private systems), they have unemployment below 6%, a well-structured infrastructure system, AND a huge manufacturing sector. Apparently "socialist Germany" is doing pretty damn well compared to supply-side America.

Obama is succeeding in turning America into his welfare state... and I don't want to see that happen

I do; wanna know why??? Because welfare states are GOOD for the economy; look at the Fatherland.

OBAMA BIDEN 2012

Better (but still not great) job news for Obama: 163,000 jobs added in July

As usual, you have to put this number in perspective. You can download jobs data from BLS website and check this number against George W. Bush's performance. I did and the numbers are shocking! Over the entire 8 years - 96 months - George W.bush's administration produced less than 160,000 jobs for 75 of those 96 months.

So, in short, last month's number of 163,000 added jobs actually exceeds George W. Bush's record for 75% of his entire two terms.

Now what's truly sad about all this is that Mitt Romney claims to be able to add 12M jobs in his first year as president using the same failed policies that George W. Bush did!

Republicans right now suffer a severe disconnect from history.

Right-on newday: A Romney presidency would be a disaster.

Positively, Ron.

Obama or Romney = America will lose either way.

Can I vote for none of the above? I'm not a millionaire so I really cannot afford anymore failure warmongers in the White house.

Interoffice Memo

To: All Libs Treehouse Members in Las Vegas

From: Those Left Behind at DDI

Re: 2012 Convention

Please make all members aware of the following instructions from management:

1. Important Security Alert! Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Surveillance cameras have reported numerous sightings of suspected espionage. Fortunately, suspects are easily identified, as they are lurking behind the potted palms in the lobby wearing "Obummer Sucks" t-shirts. ***UPDATE: Look out for the one reading British tabloids and wearing the "Obama Shelved in 2012" shirt. Subject appears visibly angry and bitter.

2. Please instruct new members as to the proper procedures for submitting expense accounts - in triplicate and with three forms of photo ID - to BOTH the Obama campaign and MSNBC, otherwise payment will NOT be issued. Don't forget to indicate whether new member is:

a. A Grade C regular employee

b. A Grade B professional shill, or

c. A Grade A Cerified Hack.

3. Please take at least five minutes away from the fun and games and eating and drinking and enjoying the companionship of good friends to do at least one thing sinister and subversive. Existing conspiracy theories from last year's convention are sadly outdated and in need of completely updated material.

4. Most important! If this year's "Betty and Floyd Crash A Wedding" photos do not include a neon-lit wedding chapel and at least one Elvis impersonator, there WILL be severe repercussions.

5. Drive safely and don't forget to tip your server!

Evidence found suggesting GOP TeaWackos are Destroying our Economy for Political gain !!!!!!

NewDay,

It is the 'One Rule just for RomneyRyan-ites' -- that they think is in effect.

Inequality is the thing du jour, and the RRs think we will serve it up to them on a platter - we won't.

PS. Please send me a link to your Romney Rafalcar horse comment...So you know, Rachel is doing something special on that tonight.

sadly, my first number of 35 months was incorrect. apologies.

With 42 consecutive months of unemployment above eight percent

JoAnne: IR left me the keys to the Dew Drop Inn. Party on for those of us holding down the fort.

Bringing pulled pork and all the fixings, and does it EVER smell good!

Romney's trip brought disgrace upon our Nation, this Clown is Nasty !!!!!!!!!!!!

Backhouse: It is on the Romney is Robin Hood in Reverse thread, post 3.

Still can't post a link for some reason.

Hey NDD--sounds like a great time, as usual, at the DDI. Perhaps we can have an interesting discussion about the mormon "White Horse Prophesy" whilst enjoying the pulled pork!

"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly

RoMONEY >>>>>NO Money...RoMONEY is just doing the CEO act. Oscar award winning performance too. Too bad we don't need a businessman in the White House. We already had one...for 8 years. Next GOP BS line gone bad?

CEOs ALL detest transparency. So..what we have here isn't just "failure to communicate". It's a CEO who wants to pull off the same script he did as Cheney and Bush both did...that CEO Perp walk...all while they swindle and snooker the Middle Class until it collapses into two classes in this country only...1% and 99%. No matter what any Republican these days tries to tell you to the contrary, all you need to do to see where they are going with their CEO in the White House BS is look at who each candidate chose for Keynote Speaker...The GOP? That Big Mouth from MY state...Chris Christie doing his impersonation of Tony Soprano on Steroids...While the Democrats chose the top Dem who is the world's most loved president...Bill Clinton. Gee..and wasn't it all the same testosteronies who blasted Clinton and his wife and now they can't take what they dished out?

ewent - I'll agree with you on most of your post except Romney isn't even good enough to run for the Oscars. He's only fooling the fools in the GOP - real people see right through him!

Obama/Biden 2012

Patriotic American U.S.A.

Romney's trip brought disgrace upon our Nation, this Clown is Nasty !!!!!!!!!!!!

Dont worry - our POTUS will go apologize to the world for him.

Newday and Nurse -

Mmmmmm, that does sound good. Bet it beats anything they've got at those crappy all-you-can-eat Vegas buffets, too! Not that we're, like, jealous or anything, right? :(

nurse, Joanne: Jealous, not us! We will make our own fun!

Jonathon....love that video of Bush getting shoe thrown at him.......Love that video of Bush drunk throwing up on Japanese oficial,...love that video of Bush drunk in China Olympics wher he was trying to grab ass the women vollyball players and Secret Service grabbed him and shoved him back in the chair. Now we have the Mittster........dubbed as "Nowhere man, Mitt the Twit, etc. and all those videos of his follies to watch forever!.......More to come as Romney hired 17 of 24 of his advisors from Bush Cheney regime!

Obama/Biden Team America 2012

NDD, terrific. JoAnne, love the humor. No doubt our friends in Vegas have already had a Snookie sighting! IR left me the keys to the back hoe, so we're good to go at DDI tonight in case we need it due to a swarm of swoop and poopers.

In honor of the Olympics, IR said he stocked up on Tequila GOLD.

Slow growth in our Economy doesn't surprise me with the TeaReTards in Congress !!!!!!!!

The Douglas Vote Dem., The winning team for U.S.A. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OBAMA / 2012 "Guaranteed"

Romney failing fast and going down in flames. Repubs still have hope because of laws they are putting in place.

REPUBLICONS CREATE VOTER SUPPRESSION LAWS TO RIG ELECTIONS IN THEIR FAVOR!

Republicons creating voter suppression laws in states all over the country. 16 states now have laws in place that will prevent millions of voters from voting. The laws are aimed at the elderly, the young and the poor. Why? Studies show the majority of these people vote for their interests, the democratic party.

In Pennsylvania the repubs celebrated when they passed their voter suppression laws and bragged that now that they put voter suppression law in place so Romney can win the election. Over 758,000 voters lose their right to vote in Pennsylvania, and there are also republicans in that group having their right to vote taken away!!

These laws and plans to take away your right to vote crafted by Rove and Alec( group of corporations that meet and decide twice a year what laws repubs can pass for them) That's right...repubs taking away your right to vote. Maine putting in voter suppression laws when they only had two cases of fraud in 38 YEARS!!!! Millions of dollars spent creating and implementing laws for one reason. To rig the elections by removing voters! Why rig the elections?....It is all about the $$$$$$ for the top 1%. They want it all. They want to privatize Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Post Office. They want all that money regardless of how those programs help America better than having it in their bank accounts.

Obama/Biden and Team America...save you right to vote!

" A Vote for Romney is a Guarantee to Economic Collapse" !!!!!!!!!!!

The bottom line on Romney - he's a liar, a cheat and a tax evader.

And those are his good points!

The newest research from Nate has it as:

“Obama chance of winning 70.2% Romney 29.8%”

News98

Proof of what other than you are 100% deluded with 0% chance of remission? Watch out for those commies now, they want to eat your brain ... oops commies are also deluded.

And boy we gotta love our Neo-Nut Right Wing Drones friends, who go crazy over and claim the President is a radical.