The Effort, Seemingly, Has Borne Fruit

The "ignorance quotient" of the know-nothing zombies who have no grasp of basic facts, over @ FOX NEWS LIES is soaring as they try to put a spin on why "MYTH" Romney is not leading our President in swing states.

How Do Poll Truthers Explain Fox News Polls?

To them it's a liberal conspiracy.

http://cloudfront.mediamatters.org/static/images/item/tornoe-20120928-rushpolls.jpg

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

Yet , their own FOX POLL has our President up

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-five-over-romney-latest-fox-news-poll-221807576.html

As "MYTH" tries to put his game face on for the Presidential debate next, it's too late for "MYTH". Starting at the beginning of the campaign"MYTH" came off as a stiff, uncaring man a kin to a robot. Then came the "Etch A Sketch". The latest and possibly the most revealing aspect of"MYTH" 's caricature is him having to debate our President about the 47%. In the Mitt Romney off a battleground state of Ohio "MYTH" insistited his "heart aches" for struggling Americans and that he is better prepared than President Barack Obama to help those who are "hurting" under the tough economy.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PLEASE he WILL do nothing for Billy Bob.

4 more for 44

Once upon a time, Brownilocks took a walk in the forest. Of course, he didn't know it was a forest, because he couldn't see the forest for the trees. After walking for several hours, mostly in circles, Brownilocks saw a little house, which he entered.

There were three chairs in the living room. He sat down in one and said, "My goodness this chair is way too far left." Then, he moved to the middle chair, and he said, "I don't feel comfortable in the middle." So he sat in chair on the right, and he said, "Ahhh, this chair is just right. Very right."

He turned on a giant flat-screen TV made in China, which he tuned to a political channel. Brownilocks was learning about candidates. One was running for President. "Oh," said Brownilocks, "He's much too dark to be President." He saw another candidate running for the Senate, and he said, "Oh, she's way too white. The really important color is Wall Street green. Now, that's just right. Very right."

Feeling tired, Brownilocks decided to take a nap. There were three beds, and Brownilocks laid down in the bed on the left. "Ewww, this bed just doesn't work, and I feel so dirty." So he got into the bed in the center, but it just didn't look as cushy as the one on the right. So, he got into the bed on the right, and it was so soft and comfortable, and it made him hate the other beds.

Just as he was falling into his hard-earned slumber, there was a crashing noise and the door of the little house was splintered into a million pieces. Angry citizens looked down at him, and with a unified voice they said, "We have a Warren for your arrest."

And they sent him away, and he was never heard from again.

Isopraxism and the dead cat bounce.

Isopraxism (EYE-so-PRACKS-izuhm) is a phenomenon occurring in the natural world among a great variety of animal life, humanity included. More commonly called “mirroring” , it is an accepted tenet in psychological studies of human behavior. It is manifested by persons imitating gestures, body language, attitude, metaphors and other aspects of communication. Today, 39 days out from the Presidential election, isopraxism is becoming more common throughout the electorate.

You hear it in the speech of the candidates and the tone, tenor and carriage of their messages. President Obama looks relaxed, yet at the same time, determined. Candidate Romney looks overwrought, harried and desperate. However, this phenomena is deeper than the appearance of the candidates. Isopraxic behavior will now be exhibited among peer groups of the candidate supporters and extend into the Venn overlap group of their undecided peers. As more negative connotations become apparent in relation to candidate Romney, the isopraxic sequiter will be the generation of more negative feelings on a subconscious level. In relation to the President, the converse should be true as well, as the President’s confidence level becomes more apparent, so does it become in his supporters and into overlapping peer groups.

The exhibition of this isopraxic behavior will be manifested especially distinctly as people react to candidates statements in the company of their peers. Persons will relate their feeling in reaction to, for example, candidate Romney’s assertion about the “47 percent”, where persons might ask rhetorically, “Can you believe he said that?” or “Why would he say something like that?” in order to gauge the depth of similar or dissimilar feelings among their peer group. As for the President, while his supporters often evince disappointment in his lack of fulfillment of previous promises, they also sense his confidence in the face of setbacks and recognize their own determination “mirrors” the President’s. They might say, “He didn’t get it all, but he keeps trying”, or “He worked to get us this far, I think he’ll keep working.”

The phenomena exhibited in recent polling displays, I believe, the isopraxic nature of our fellow citizens. More of them find the President’s stance, while delivering his message, as positive, confident and exhibiting a “winning” attitude while see the converse in the nature of candidate Romney. Oddly, it seems that candidate Romney is actually overshadowed by his vice presidential selection in this aspect, but rarely, if ever, does the down ticket candidate influence the voters selection in a presidential contest. As more citizens see their peers breaking for selection of the President, the isopraxic nature of human behavior is re-enforced, and support for the peer preferred candidate swells.

Does this mean that candidate Romney is doomed to fail in the election? Absolutely not. There is always the possibility a gaffe or development beyond the President’s control could cause a shift in the nature of perception of his candidacy, leading to surge that could allow a shift toward candidate Romney and a reversal of the isopraxic behavior of the remaining undecided voters and previous opponent support that comprise a path to electoral victory.

But, as it stands today, 39 days out, the President’s lead is commanding and expanding, while the opponents position is ebbing and decaying. Might we see a rise in candidate Romney’s polling? It’s certainly possible, for remember, if you drop it from a great enough height, even a dead cat will bounce.

Good morning David,

"President Obama's proposals include enacting the portions of the American Jobs Act that Congress has not passed, including investments in surface transportation infrastructure, funds to rehire teachers and first responders, and school modernization, as well as a temporary business payroll tax credit for hiring and wage increases, extension of bonus depreciation, and credits for advanced energy manufacturing. President Obama's budget proposals allow the upper-income Bush-era tax cuts to expire and cap the value of certain tax expenditures for upper-income households.

Mitt Romney's Plan for Jobs and Economic Growth, cuts both taxes and spending. The plan would continue all Bush-era tax cuts, repeal the estate tax permanently, reduce the top statutory corporate income tax rate from 35 to 25 percent, and repeal taxes and spending associated with the Affordable Care Act.

In addition, Romney proposes to cut non-security discretionary spending by 5 percent, cut federal Medicaid spending, and cap federal spending at 20 percent of GDP."

http://www.epi.org/publication/ib343-obama-romney-job-growth/

Joe,

George Soros has given 2% of what Sheldon has and 7% of what the Koch brothers have given.

The Koch brothers combined wealth is 3 times that of Soros.

My fellow Americans,

Did I just hear that repubs were caught in attempted voter fraud in FL? the firm hired by RNC were caught with at least 108 fake registered republicans.

So we now know how much republicans cared about voter fraud (hint hint: to disenfranchise minorities, women, gays and white dems from voting)...

How disgraceful!!! and shame on republicans for disenfranchising voters!!!!!

Sirie -- You must have missed the article on government investment that helped bring about the fracking boon.

Industry says they couldn't have done it without government help over the decades. In fact they say fracking won't last and government SHOULD invest in alternative energy.

In other words, THEY DIDN'T BUILD THAT. Government investment did.

Read:

http://news.yahoo.com/decades-federal-dollars-helped-fuel-141648115.html

Dennis, Tunde, Don't Carry, have a great weekend,

“The difference in job creation we estimate is driven by the respective approaches to federal spending in the near term – the Obama budget calls for temporary increases, while the Romney plan calls for steep cuts,” said Fieldhouse.

“Given that the primary constraint on economic recovery is insufficient spending, both public and private, budget plans that cut federal spending will slow recovery and plans that boost it will lead to more rapid growth,” said Bivens.

http://www.epi.org/publication/ib343-obama-romney-job-growth/

“The difference in job creation we estimate is driven by the respective approaches to federal spending in the near term – the Obama budget calls for temporary increases, while the Romney plan calls for steep cuts,” said Fieldhouse.

What temporary programs have ended under the Obama Administration?

Foreplinger,

Great post, but icky image.

Now I will be looking for the "dead cat" bounce on debate night. LOL

Sirie -- Absolutely. But the fact that these guys are stating it TOOK government help over DECADES to get the technology to do that is what's important.

Alternative energy MUST continue to be supported through government because as the gas industry says, WE NEED ALTERNATIVE sources for energy in the future. When business won't invest in research GOVERNMENT SHOULD.

DCIA - fracking? isn't that what the ecologist are all against, because it hurts the enviorment?

No. You're thinking of Republican Fracking. Democratic Fracking is actually a green technology that helps the environment.

With Election Day coming soon, already several states have started voting and more will commence in the next week or so we can only hope that things will go smoothly.

In Florida, a major swing state, the overseas ballots are already mailed and the absentee ballots will go out on Oct 2^nd voter registration ends Oct 9^th. In the past few days we have a state of chaos in the making. The Tampa Bay Times in this morning’s editorial write:

“Gov. Rick Scott's administration has sent another error-riddled list of potentially ineligible voters to county elections supervisors. The governor's determination to suppress the votes of minorities and low-income Floridians is surpassed only by his administration's ineptitude. If the courts don't put a stop to this clumsy charade, elections supervisors should not remove a single voter from the rolls without personally reviewing every file themselves".

The editorial continues: “There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Florida, and Scott's search for ineligible voters is looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. Out of more than 11 million registered voters, state officials started with a list of potential suspects of more than 180,000. Then they sent a list of 2,625 suspects to elections supervisors that was so flawed the supervisors put a stop to the purge effort. Then the state agreed to abandon that list, ran names through a federal database of noncitizens and finally emailed a list Wednesday of 198 potentially ineligible voters. That's 198 out of 11,446,540 registered voters".

These potential voters have to be mailed a letter to which they have 30 days to respond….that brings us to Election Day, with questions hanging over voter eligibility there will most likely be many using provisional ballots further slowing down the process.

Then this:

Wednesday, in Palm Beach Co. the Supervisor of Election, turned over 106 questionable voter registrations collected by an operative for a company hired by the RNC and its Fl counterpart. As I write , according to Chuck’s Todd’s ‘ Daily Rundown’ there is an investigation ongoing that appears to be spreading to include 6 additional counties, even at this, the RNC fired the firm and this morning the RNC and the Fl RSC are scrambling to cover their behinds.

These shameless tactics are a further dark cloud over Florida’s voting results. What’s amazing to me is that Republicans I have talked with seem not to be fazed by these attempts at voter suppression.

In my opinion, if you are a Republican, regardless of where you live, you should be outraged. There is nothing to be proud of in these efforts.

You and NBC ignore voter fraud engaged in regularly by the left, but you sure are screaming loudly now, no?

For anyone interested in the truth, try this;

Fraud by individual voters is both irrational and extremely rare. Most citizens who take the time to vote offer their legitimate signatures and sworn oaths with the gravitas that this hard-won civic right deserves. Even for the few who view voting merely as a means to an end, however, voter fraud is a singularly foolish way to attempt to win an election. Each act of voter fraud risks five years in prison and a $10,000 fine - but yields at most one incremental vote. The single vote is simply not worth the price.

Because voter fraud is essentially irrational, it is not surprising that no credible evidence suggests a voter fraud epidemic. There is no documented wave or trend of individuals voting multiple times, voting as someone else, or voting despite knowing that they are ineligible. Indeed, evidence from the microscopically scrutinized 2004 gubernatorial election in Washington State actually reveals just the opposite: though voter fraud does happen, it happens approximately 0.0009% of the time. The similarly closely-analyzed 2004 election in Ohio revealed a voter fraud rate of 0.00004%. National Weather Service data shows that Americans are struck and killed by lightning about as often.

http://www.brennancenter.org/

So yeah!

I wonder why the sudden urgency to fix something which isn't broken...?

Alan NJ - No. You're thinking of Republican Fracking. Democratic Fracking is actually a green technology that helps the environment.

those freaking republican frackers!! -- LMAO!

You know the RWNJ's are out of gas when they resurrect the "Soro's Scare-Crow"... lol

Nice to know the RNC e-mail got out in time this morning!

I don't even think those dead people in Florida will vote for Romney.

I don't understand why no one is mentioning the portion of Romney's speech at his donor gala in Boca about his Chinese investments. He glowingly described his tour of this manufacturing firm and the way the workers lived. He described the dormatory-style buildings that housed 12 girls (not women, not adults, but children) per room in beds stacked up against the walls with one bathroom at the end of the hall. He didn't say this with disdain. He said it in awe of their style of treatment of the labor force.

Is it all over but the shouting? I think so. 9 Battleground States "love President Obama." What does that tell you. It's all over. Romney and the Repugs are betting on the debates to save their bacon and pull out a win. Never going to happen. Even if by some miracle Romney won all 3 of the debates he'd still lose. The Country has made up their mind. And it's for our President. Plus early voting is going on and the President is obviously getting the majority of the votes.

So, goodbye Mr. Romney. We (the Nation) won't miss you.

OBAMA IN 2012.

Another day, another conservative trying to give advice to Mitt Romney and his campaign. Today’s example: The Washington Post’s Charles Krauthammer. And his advice: Go big.

Krauthammer ought to have given Mitt this advice instead: GO HOME.

Soon the Mutt will cease his yapping for good.

Countdown to sanity: 39 days.

Romney ought to emphasize his experience as a job creator in his 4 years as Governor of Massachusetts. He inherited a job growth ranking of 37th out of 50 states and a budget deficit. An excellent opportunity for him to show off his job creating skills.

He used austerity strategy and cut aid to education, local governments, job training programs, and trade assistance. He avoided raising taxes, making Grover Norquist very proud.

But he did increase user fees on a wide range of government services. These "fees" hit those, that could least afford it, very hard.

So, how did this all work out?

In 2002, Massachusetts ranked 37th in job creation.

When Romney left in 2006, his state was up to.... my mistake,

down to 47th in the country in job creation.

And the state had a 0.9% growth rate (national average of 5%).

Romney failed at creating jobs in Massachusetts.

Feisty- I've got to know. Based on your note regarding "voter fraud" by the GOP in Florida, are you ready for voter ID requirements?

Last I heard there was a huge lobby that voter fraud wasn't an issue, but your note implies that it is a real and important issue. Which is it? I don't care what party you are in, voter fraud deminishes all of our votes- whether it's a vote by an illegal immigrant, a person voting in multiple precincts, a person voting multiple times using fake names or dead people's names, a person voting using another person's identity, etc. It all deminishes your/my vote and that's just not right. We need to protect valid voter rights.

Again- I don't care which party you all are in. For the sake of a discussion (novel attempt) ask yourself the following before you step into a voting booth: Do I like the government's current path (spending, debt, ethics, etc.)? How would that best be changed? Which candidate is most likely (in all elections on the ballot) to act the way I believe? Where do I see the US going in the next two years- the rest of the world? Are we/they stable? What is likely going to happen with world debt? What is likely to happen in Iran/Israel/the Middle East in the next 4 years? What's happening to the price of oil? Are you financially more/less stable now then 4 years ago and where do you see things going? How about inflation? Illegal immigration? If riots were to break out in the US, how should they be dealt with and whom would do that?

Just ask youself some honest questions. Thanks.

Bill in Fairfax's feelings must have gotten hurt yesterday. I don't recall David Walker's post attacking Bill personally though. The fact that Bill feels a need to make it personal says a lot about Bill. As Feisty said:

Mr. Me First Broccoli Bill's comments grow longer and more desperate each day!

Backhouse -- Good morning! Terrific post at top. The righties hate reports because they show the FACTS!

He glowingly described his tour of this manufacturing firm and the way the workers lived.

Oh, yeah...Massah Mitt done treat da slaves real good!

He'd treat American workers the same way if he had the power to do so. We need to deny that opportunity to him. It's bad enough that he's happy to treat foreign workers like slaves.

OBAMA/BIDEN 2012

Ms./Mr. "Sewage" Mouth,

The line-up of experts in the The Center Foundation is beyond stellar:

http://tcf.org/about/experts

About the EPI: "The Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a non-profit, non-partisan think tank, was created in 1986 to broaden discussions about economic policy to include the needs of low- and middle-income workers. EPI believes every working person deserves a good job with fair pay, affordable health care, and retirement security. To achieve this goal, EPI conducts research and analysis on the economic status of working America. EPI proposes public policies that protect and improve the economic conditions of low- and middle-income workers and assesses policies with respect to how they affect those workers."

http://www.epi.org/about/

Exactly! You and NBC ignore voter fraud from the left, but you sure are screaming loudly now, no?

Nice attempt (and that is being simply too kind) Fool's Gold. The GOPTP declared War on Voters, much like their many many other wars they love to declare, and now you attempt to deflect and spin it into a Democrat party issue. The GOPTP declared War, so be prepared to defend that war. Of course you could always act like the real yellow-bellied cowards you are, pull out the white surrender flag, and scurry off.

Anyone else notice that the RWNJ's are not even attempting to discredit polls anymore?

They've simply moved on to ignoring them... lol

Do so at your own risk!

4 MORE FOR 44!!!

Joe in Albany

I’m soooooo looking forward to ALL the regular FR lefty liberals condemning billionaire George Soros for trying to “buy the election” for Barry.

Don't hold your breath Joey

4 more 4 44

The only way Willard's getting to the white house would be to deceive, cheat and corrupt the voting machines. Something the GOP is very adapt doing. If there's a game changer it will be a scam organised by R&R's puppet masters.

Fiesty..."Anyone else notice that the RWNJ's are not even attempting to discredit polls anymore?"

At about this same time in a prior election, Carter led Reagan just like Obama now leads Romney.

In the long term, today's polls are meaningless.

The GOP supporters are MADDDDDDD! Very Mad by these comments, I guess Flipper is not all that he is supposed to be.

Fairfax Bill:

How does a chiding to my fellow liberal/lefty-types for collapsing/deleting a post turn into a victory dance? Explain that, Your Pretzelness.

As far as the Romer admonition that the report she co-authored with Jared Bernstein, regardless of your protestations, that report - as you show in your own post - preceded her press briefing. The "CYA card" is what's known as a disclaimer. Further, as I pointed out earlier, NO ONE knew the extent of the incredible plunge in GDP. The continuing stream of horrible data explains perfectly the quote from Ms. Romer you included in your post. Sure looks like you have memory problems.

As far as your contention that my statement that ARRA was/is a success is a rebuttable presumption - I'll leave it to the reader to make their own judgment. They may simply type, "Was ARRA a success" in a search block.

Your screed about Keynesian Economics only supported what I wrote. NO, a Keynesian Economic approach has never been implemented anywhere in the world. Additionally, contrary to your simplistic view, Keynes' model includes a great deal more than you understand.

Governments DO NOT run surpluses. What actually happens is that an economy generates revenues in excess of current government expenditures.

Your reference to Keynesian inspired debt is ridiculous in the extreme. I'm going out on a limb on this one - I don't want to hear any chain saws - but I really don't think Keynes was talking about starting wars and creating an unfunded Medicare Part D into perpetuity when he was referring to government stimulus.

The housing crash/bubble has been explained ad nauseum, and you and your low-information buddies refuse to accept facts. The bubble was the result of pure unmitigated greed, completely separate and apart from government POLICY. CRA had nothing to do with the bubble. Nothing. As far as Fannie's and Freddie's role in this meltdown, don't hold your breath waiting for me to defend their incompetence.

Romney already has a game changer.

"Election officials in six Florida counties are investigating what appears to be "hundreds” of cases of suspected voter fraud by a GOP consulting firm that has been paid nearly $3 million by the Republican National Committee to register Republican voters in five key battleground states, state officials tell NBC.

The suspected fraud included apparent cases of dead people being registered as Republican voters, said Paul Lux, the supervisor of elections in Okaloosa County and a Republican. He compared the suspected fraud to the alleged acts of ACORN, the liberal activist group that became the center of a national controversy several years ago."

All this being done by workers who were hired to register Republican voters for $12 an hour and then tried to "cheat the system."

Feisty -- News is there's a website out there FEEDING the right's nonsense. When they got nothing they blame the media!

There's a piece in WaPo by Robinson this morning that speaks to this it's titled:

Republicans deluded by "skewed" polls

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-republicans-deluded-by-skewed-polls/2012/09/27/b3dd7d40-08d3-11e2-afff-d6c7f20a83bf_story.html?hpid=z2

Nobamastank how do I know if you're that stupid or if you just being paid $12 an hour for that opinion?

I just don't know anymore.

Anyone else notice that the RWNJ's are not even attempting to discredit polls anymore?

I personally would like to see the same numbers with the turnout demographics of 2010, and a median demographic between the two. I do not question that they they are oversampling voters who identify themselves as Democrats but I would be interested in why they are using the 2008 turnout in their models. They actually had a discussion on this last night on CNN and the Democratic pollster did not come up with a reasonable answer as to why they are using the 2008 numbers, but I am not a statistician so I am interested in the explanation.

@DCIA

Robinson's does not offer a logical explanation either. He simply opines that the Republican brand is damaged so that less people self-identify as Republican. Hardly scientific.

Happy Friday, Chris, Backhouse, David W, Feisty, Bev, Foreplinger, Tunde, DCIA, fellow leftie libs! Terrific way to end the week.

As for the class clown, Albany Joe, why should liberals fuss about Soros giving $1 million to a SuperPAC. I oppose SuperPACs without rules, without requirements to reveal who the donors are but refuse to accept the GOPer whining that Soros is bad yet Adelson, Koch, Rove are a-okay and good. Why should democrats not do exactly as republicans do; what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

I fully support a Constitutional Amendment to rid us of the outrageous Citizens United decision. Oh, and thank you Chief Justice John Roberts for opening the floodgates of unlimited and secret, unregulated money to buy elections.

Fairfax Bill outdid himself today. I give him credit for posting his arguments in a reasonable manner even if the arguments are rooted in his conservative ideology rather than logic. One can find just about any article out there to support said chosen beliefs and/or talking points right or left; however, it is suggested that Bill take a refresher course in Econ 101, it appears he didn't pass the first time. Have a good weekend, Bill. Good post even if I totally disagree.

At about this same time in a prior election, Carter led Reagan just like Obama now leads Romney.

Except the problem for you is, President Obama is NO Jimmy Carter and Willard Robme sure as hell isn't Ronny Raygun!

@DCIA - Thanks for the link!

Not surprised they need a website to fuel their frenzy!

They're not bright enough to do it on their own! ;o)

Fool's Gold

How Do Poll Truthers Explain Fox News Polls?

Bev:

Unlike liberal pollsters, Fox will occasionally point out this flaw in their calculus.

Surreee, just lke they pointed out the way Fox & Fiends clarified its dishonest Unemployment Rate Graphic?? Or Doofus Steve Doocy and bitter Martha MacCallum thought Iraq borders Afghanistan
FUX news gets a "F" in the graphic department; but its dumb audience gets an "A" for attention.

FYI: If the producers would concentrate more on the truth instead of slick graphics and dumb bleached blondes as eye candy, they wouldn't need to make so many corrections!!!

4 more 4 44

Obama/Biden

I wonder why the sudden urgency to fix something which isn't broken...?

I kind of wondered the same thing about the $1 million boost that Soros gave to the Obama campaign. If he has it soooo wrapped up sooo positively that no one is going to change their minds, what is the need for more money? Grass roots folks stop giving their pittance? Methinks a desperation call went out and the recipient of that call was Soros.

Albany Joe (quoting) --

Billionaire financier George Soros has committed $1.5 million to "Super PACs" backing President Barack Obama and Democrats running for Congress in the November 6 election, officials with those groups said on Thursday.

Kind and gentle Joe, speaking for himself --

I'm soooooo looking forward to ALL the regular FR lefty liberals condemning billionaire George Soros for trying to "buy the election" for Barry.

After all, if it's "dirty, angry, money" when it goes to a Republican-leaning Super PAC, logic and reason would dictate that it's EXACTLY THE SAME THING when it goes to Dem-leaning Super PAC's. And everyone knows lefty liberal thinking is always based on logic and reason.

Oh, please. Logical Larry you're not.

You tolerate without making a peep Sheldon Adelson's dumping $25 million into the race on behalf of Romney, and the combined SuperPac power of Karl Rove and the Koch brothers, which will be somewhere around $700 million, in favor of calling out Democrats because George Soros decides to place a puny $1.5 million into Obama's SuperPACs.

Talk about projection, deflection, and hypocrisy, all rolled into one neat little package.

If I'm doing the math correctly, I'd make that about 500 to 1 in terms of spending, and that's not counting all of the other multi-millionaire Republican donors OR the US Chamber of Commerce which launders corporate campaign contributions so they at least don't APPEAR to be "dirty, angry" money.

What else you got, Joe?

Nothing? That's what I figured.

So much misplaced sanctimonious self-righteous, so little time.

Willy Wonker, you are.

DERP DERP DERP FIRST READ!

Advertising posts for candidates. NOT a discussion board!

Carry on, non-thinkers.

To Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL

I couldn't agree with you more about voter fraud. Keep up with those great posts.

Hi Backhouse...

When I looked up the EPI on Wikipedia (it's Wikipedia, so take it for what it's worth...I'm too lazy to go anywhere but there right now. LOL) this is what I found:

The Economic Policy Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C.^[1] EPI presents aliberal^[2] viewpoint on economic issues. EPI has a sister organization, the EPI Policy Center, which is a 501(c)(4) non-profit.

EPI conducts research and analysis on several issues that affect the economic status of low- and moderate-income families in theUnited States.^[1] The institute also assesses current economic policies and proposes new ones that protect and improve the living standards of working families.^[1]

EPI was founded in 1986 by economists Jeff Faux, Lester Thurow, Ray Marshall, Barry Bluestone, Robert Reich, and Robert Kuttner.^[1]EPI's President is Lawrence Mishel, a long-time member of Democratic Socialists of America.^[3][4]

^...

^{Eight labor unions made a five-year funding pledge to the Economic Policy Institute at its inception: AFSCME, United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers, United Mine Workers,International Association of Machinists, Communications Workers of America, Service Employees International Union, and United Food and Commercial Workers Union.[10]}

There are definitely some good economic minds in that organization, but their findings should be taken with a grain of salt. Interestingly, they were originally set up by the Tobacco Institute to oppose excise taxes.

Have a good Friday! :-)

(Derek...LOL!)

Alan NJ -- It's an opinion. It gives some insight to the right's talking points.

From First Read this morning:

Politico: “It isn’t the chair or the ho-hum convention. Or the leaked video. Or Stuart Stevens. Or the improving economy. Or media bias. Or distorted polls. Or the message. Or Mormonism. It’s Mitt.

I agree the PROBLEM is MITT ROMNEY.

I see Fairfax Bill has stopped talking about voodoo statistics that even Rasmussen has disputed and is back to his specialty, voodoo economics. There was more terrible news for him and the Mittster yesterday:

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/09/27/922251/explaining-todays-great-jobs-news/

Romney probably will stop attacking the president for net job losses, now that Obama's policies have resulted in a net jobs gain. Or will he? Romney and the truth don't seem to be on speaking terms, so maybe he'll just keep making the net job loss claim anyway.

come on, really?

Romney already has a game changer.

"Election officials in six Florida counties are investigating what appears to be "hundreds” of cases of suspected voter fraud by a GOP consulting firm that has been paid nearly $3 million by the Republican National Committee to register Republican voters in five key battleground states, state officials tell NBC.

The suspected fraud included apparent cases of dead people being registered as Republican voters, said Paul Lux, the supervisor of elections in Okaloosa County and a Republican. He compared the suspected fraud to the alleged acts of ACORN, the liberal activist group that became the center of a national controversy several years ago."

All this being done by workers who were hired to register Republican voters for $12 an hour and then tried to "cheat the system."

How about that...an 'October surprise' and it's not even October yet!

Thanks for all the gifts, Party of Old White Men.

Q: Why does the GOP rabidly support gun rights?

A: They need all those guns to shoot themselves in the foot.

Oh. I got SO excited about Joe's whiny post that I almost forgot what I came here for the first place, which was to spread the good news that Wisconsin's new Voter ID law will not, in all probability, be overturned in time for the election.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/wisconsin-supreme-court-won-t-take-up-voter-id-for/article_c56e1652-08ea-11e2-84df-0019bb2963f4.html

The Wisconsin Supreme Court said Thursday it wouldn't hear challenges to the state's voter ID law until an appeals court hears the cases, a setback for Republicans who wanted voters to have to show a photo ID to vote in November's election.

The high court's decision means it's highly doubtful that the photo ID requirement will be reinstated in time for the Nov. 6 election.

Early voting begins in Wisconsin on October 22. Looks like, just maybe, Governor Scotty won't be able to fulfill his obligation to fix this election.

And it also looks like someone on the Wisconsin Supreme Court just had a John Roberts moment.

Things are looking up.

@ kaybeetoys -- What a big October surprise, indeed. Not.

But you've just made my day. That news will steal the news cycles all the way up and maybe through the debates.

What goes around comes around.

Joe NY. A Voter ID would not rid the system of fraudelent registration of voters such as what took place in Florida and who knows where else. The Romney consultant firm in FL allegedly completed bogus voter registration forms which means they cheated; I suspect the firm had people lined up to vote using those registrations except they got caught.

This is the same owner of a firm caught in Nevada and FL in 2000 and 2004; he just changed the name of the business. It is the same guy who in FL registered voters but filed only the GOP registrations and shredded the democratic ones.

Good Morning Backhouse

SO MUCH FOR Mitt Romney's fabled "12 million jobs"!

Backhouse; great post

Just wait until the righties find out the Bureau of labor Statistics revised the job numbers. President Obama has created more jobs than (gasp) GW Bush.

The BLS benchmark revisions means that there has been a net jobs gain since Jan ’09. Romney can no longer talk about job losses under Obama.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/27/economist-obama-now-in-net-positive-territory-on-job-growth.html

4 more 4 44

Obama/Biden 2012

Fox: Obama 48%-43%

where is Brianb to complain that polls are fake because they lean liberal???

Romney should try telling the truth- that would be a game changer. Oh wait, he already did with his 47% comments.

I find the large differences in the various polling groups very interesting. Some of the recent widely publicized polls give Obama a commanding (insurmountable?) lead at this point, but others have the election essentially a toss-up, with a slight Romney advantage giving historical trends of undecided voters this late in the cycle.

Personally, I put more faith in Rasmussen since they have been better than other polling services in recent elections.

Also, my understanding is, the polls giving Obama a large lead are selecting voters based on the 2004 and 2008 voter turnout - which had very high Democratic voter turnout and low Republican voter turnout. This seems like a flawed approach since even a lot of Republicans didn't like Bush by 2004 - but Democrats were up in arms in both elections. Today, I think Republicans are slightly more energized than Democrats - if true, this would invalidate the polling methodology of the polls giving Obama a big lead.

Fool's Gold --

( maybe because Republicans don't register dead people, pets and illegal aliens?),

You mean like they did in Florida?

Oops. Looks like egg all over your face today.

Fool's gold, indeed.

@ kaybeetoys -- What a big October surprise, indeed. Not.

But you've just made my day. That news will steal the news cycles all the way up and maybe through the debates.

What goes around comes around.

Congrats on your good news in Wisconsin, Anna Molly!

I'm sincerely starting to wonder if the Republicans aren't secretly working behind the scenes to re-elect President Obama!??

I mean, you have to wonder... It's either that or the Romney/Ryan campaign is the most inept, crooked, delusional election effort in modern American politics.

The daily write-up in their attempt to sway undecided voters that Obama is doing great and NC polls even favor him. Really?

The fact of the matter is they're polling a majority of Democrats that obviously will vote Obama.

If you are an undecided voter and want the truth on what's happening in the polls, go to Fox News. They ARE fair and balanced, as indicated in the number of viewer, which BTW they continue to be no. 1 while the others are falling.

Not only will you get the truth on the polls, you will also get ALL the news and not just the positive issues on a candidate. We all should be suspicious of all reporting that implies that one candidate can do no wrong while the other is being criticized on a daily basis.

The many issues facing our Nation is never mentioned and certainly no mention of this president's failed policies.

This election will determine the fate of America for years to come. Let's not be influenced by some that wish to continue on the path we're on for their own personal gains or agendas.

I find it interesting that for the highly paid reporters and writers who speak about jobs and job creation, their mantra continues to be almost universal that big business is holding back on growth plans and hiring because of the "gridlock" in congress and the debacle of the debt ceiling impasse last summer that led to a downgrade in the USA's credit rating. What I have yet to hear in these redundant diatribes is that it was by-in-large the same big businesses and wealthy donors who supported obstructionist far right politicians from the moment President Obama was elected. Particularly people like Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor, John Boener et.al who have made it crystal clear that their agenda is to attack and obstruct Obama at every level possible.

The teaparty movement was based on complete obstructionism and refusal to compromise at all with democrats at all levels or anyone else. They thumped their chests in pride at the ability to stymie every initiative that the President and democrats in congress attempted, even the ones they had previously supported. For them to blame Obama for the slow recovery in GDP and employment, while laying the blame on the gridlock in Washington, D.C. is the absolute height of hypocrisy and a double down bet on believing the majority of Americans are too blind to see their hand in the very issue they use to explain why they are sitting on huge profits yet refuse to use those profits to expand business, GDP and create jobs. The mendacity and ruthless self-serving calculations of the far right, corporations and their plutocratic owners are astounding both in the breadth of their deceit and the magnitude of their disinterest in the well being of the American public.

The contention that Carter was soundly beating Reagan "by eight points" in all of the polls in 1980 is just one of many myths that Republicans have profulgated over the years.

In fact most polls right before the 1980 debates predicted a close race, and some polling suggested that Reagan was up.

Gallup had Carter up only within the margin of error, 45 to 42 percent. John Anderson (I) had 9 percent, 5 percent undecided.

ABC News had it reversed - Reagan up 45 to 42 percent, Anderson 10.

Time magazine had the race about equal, Carter up 42 to 41 percent.

Although Reagan won in an electoral landslide, he captured 51% of the popular vote - Carter had 41% and Anderson had 7%. It is an ongoing argument whether Anderson's candidacy helped Reagan or hurt him.

Alan NJ -- It's an opinion. It gives some insight to the right's talking points.

Eugene Robinson can hardly be considered an objective source for insight into right wing talking points. This is why I look for cases where left wingers disagree with left wing talking points and right wingers disagree with right wing talking points.

Except in the case of Newt Gingrich who I just ignore.

David Walker

I laughed out loud at your Brownilocks story!

In Maine, the pressure is on for Independent candidate Angus King to move to the LEFT. This is because latest polling shows, Republican attack ads have reduced his support among Democrats. Now some folks are urging King to say he will definetly caucus with the Democrats in the Senate, in order to win back the liberal vote.

You wouldn't believe how much money the right is pouring into Maine to defeat the Independent candidate - these attack ads run morning, noon and night. Latest polling shows King is still ahead by double digits, but not as far as before the Republicans began pummeling him with ads.

How about that...an 'October surprise' and it's not even October yet!

Kaybee,

I have to wonder how many more Willard "unleashed" tapes are out there floating around...? ;o)

Backhouse said,

"Conclusion: The impact is clear.
Romney's budget causes massive job losses and increases the Deficit.
President Obama grows jobs, grows the GDP, and decreases the Deficit."

Here is the REAL impact of the Obama's policies over the last 3 months...

More Americans Added to Food Stamps Than Find Jobs

By DANIEL HALPER

An alarming data point from the minority side of the Senate Budget Committee: More Americans are being added to food stamps than are finding jobs. The data is detailed in this chart, provided by the committee:

As the chart shows, between April-June 2012 (the most recent three month block for which government data is available), only 200,000 jobs have been created while 265,000 individuals have been added to the food stamp rolls. Additionally, in that time period, 246,000 workers were awarded disability.

Another chart shows that the last three month block is part of a larger trend. The chart, also from the minority side of the Senate Budget Committee, shows that "Workforce Shrinks Since January 2009 While Millions Sign Up For Disability And Food Stamps."

As the chart shows, since January 2009, when President Barack Obama took office, the net change jobs has been negative (-1.3 million), while 5.7 million workers and dependents have been awarded disability and a whopping 15.1 million have been added to the food stamp rolls.

"A total of 46,670,373 Americans are now on food stamps," according to the minority side of the Senate Budget Committee. "The food stamp program has doubled in size since 2008 and quadrupled since 2001."

And the government program isn't cheap: "Spending on food stamps alone is projected to reach $770 billion over the next decade."

These are FACTS and the real impact of Obama's policies...

It's time to turn the page on this failed presidency...

The middle class and your children/grandchildren can't afford 4 more...

Grimey,

Ideologically, you don't like the reason a brilliant Institution originally got started up. But now it is 2012 and it has taken fire, doing great things, and great analyses. And collaborating on those findings.

THE FACTS are the EPI is non-profit, non-partisan, and full of stellar contributors from all areas.

And I wish You a good Friday, too.

Anna Molly

good news that Wisconsin's new Voter ID law will not, in all probability, be overturned in time for the election.

Yikes! What will the Republicans do now? How will they try to win the election? I guess they could hire a company that will register more Republican voters, and I hear Strategic Allied Consulting does a great job at recruiting....

Also, my understanding is, the polls giving Obama a large lead are selecting voters based on the 2004 and 2008 voter turnout -

That is an incorrect assumption. Voters in my state are polled from current voter registration rolls. Many of the people who voted in 2008 are no longer living in this state. Many others moved into the state after 2008, and many of our current voters were not yet 18 in 2008.

That the voters polled tend to come more from Democratic than Republican ranks is simply indicative of the vastly higher number of registered Democrats in this state.

Houston, good news about job creation; almost another half million more jobs were created than previously thought! 450,000 more. Guess Mitt will change the subject again today.

Anna Molly, thanks for the update on WI's voter ID, good news indeed.

Kaybee, the hits keep on coming for the GOP. The vendor has been in trouble before for fraudulent voter registrations, only the name was changed. The Bush administration's DOJ didn't bother investigating the activites in 2000 and 2004--if its GOP fraud, don't bother but if it's ACORN, send in the O'Keefe faux pimp.

Derek-381097

DERP DERP DERP FIRST READ!

Advertising posts for candidates. NOT a discussion board!

Carry on, non-thinkers.

Derek,

You are wrong.

Free Coffee At 7-Eleven

In case you hadn't heard this is a promo for President Obama I think since most of the Obama cups are gone

The free 20-ounce beverage will also get customers a free vote in this year's 7-Election. Just choose your candidate's cup to cast your vote in 7-Eleven's unscientific presidential poll.

In case you're curious, President Barack Obama is leading challenger Mitt Romney with 58 percent of the 7-Eleven coffee-drinking vote nationwide, and with 57 percent of the vote in Illinois. I just went and got my FREE CUP. there sure are a lot MYTH Romney cups there. President Obama cups are nearly gone. Also, there is a long line waiting for a FREE CUP of Obama Java. See if you can save your boy MYTH.

BTW: Did FOX NOISE mention this?

http://www.7-eleven.com/7-election/

4 more 4 44

Obama/Biden

Exactly 2 years ago in 2010, the same polls who have Obama leading now had all of the Democrats leading in the congressional and gubernatorial races. Gee, how did that work out?

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL

You know the RWNJ's are out of gas when they resurrect the "Soro's Scare-Crow"... lol

But it's not the Soros is not the scariest boogyman hiding under Romney's bed. It's the tens of thousands of small donors that contribute directly to Obama's campaign that should be giving Mitt nightmares. Romney gets most of his money from the big money boys, many of whom have already maxed out their $2,500 limit. Obama's small-money donors have kept on giving.

And according to Rachel Maddow last night, election law requires TV stations to give huge discounts to ads run directly by the campaign. Obama can get ads for a time slot in Ohio for $125,000 that would cost a super PAC over $900.000. That means a dollar donated to Obama made by a school teacher or a member of some other less affluent group can be worth as much as SEVEN times more than a dollar donated by Soros -- or Sheldon Adelson -- to a super PAC.

The far-right Supreme Court will probably overturn the law that imposes the discount. Since corporations are people, too, we can't have this poor oppressed minority discriminated against by making their money worth less than the money human-type people. Now, can we?

kaybeetoys

Also, my understanding is, the polls giving Obama a large lead are selecting voters based on the 2004 and 2008 voter turnout -

That is an incorrect assumption. Voters in my state are polled from current voter registration rolls.

What I meant was, some polls are choosing the % of Dems/Reps they are polling based on the % of Dems/Reps voted in 2004/8. So, it doesn't matter if someone moved out/in - what matters is the % of Dem/Rep voters they include in the polls.

Also, I don't know about every state, but most of the data I've seen has a slight uptick in people registered as Reps and a down-tick in Dems (as compared to 2008). Of course, I'm referring to national numbers, so the numbers will vary by state.

Hi Backhouse...

Nope...no issues with how it started up...honestly just found it kinda interesting how it started as one thing and then was able to stay alive and morph into something completely different.

I just question their non-partisan nature...as both the LA Times and Washington Post (neither exactly conservative publications) describe the EPI as a liberal think tank. There is nothing wrong with that...I just always like to consider the source whenever I look at a study. No reason we can't agree to disagree.

Enjoy your posts as always! :-)

Sirie -

Staples

Anyone can cherry-pick facts. Staples, which you list as a Romney success story, was founded on government subsidies, pays substandard wages, and just announced a whole lot of closings and layoffs.

http://www.is-guide.com/news/staples_announces_home_office_layoffs-4795.aspx

According to reports in local Boston newspapers, Staples will lay off about 140 workers, half at its home office in Framingham, Massachusetts. The lay-offs come on the back off Staples 3Q results last week which saw its net income decline 43 percent from last year.

And you seem to have left out a few other not-so-success-stories on Romney's side, such as Ampad, GS Steel, and a few others that you can readily find out about just by watching this video --

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLWnB9FGmWE

And reading this article --

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/23/us/politics/companies-ills-did-not-harm-romneys-firm.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

The private equity firm, co-founded and run by Mitt Romney, held a majority stake in more than 40 United States-based companies from its inception in 1984 to early 1999, when Mr. Romney left Bain to lead the Salt Lake City Olympics. Of those companies, at least seven eventually filed for bankruptcy while Bain remained involved, or shortly afterward, according to a review by The New York Times. In some instances, hundreds of employees lost their jobs. In most of those cases, however, records and interviews suggest that Bain and its executives still found a way to make money.

(emphasis added)

And in the 1980's Bain itself stayed afloat only by cramming down its creditors and accepting a $10 billion bailout from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation --

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/mitt-romney-bain-bailout_n_1843601.html

The latest example comes from Rolling Stone, which in its Sept. 13 issue tells how the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. ended up footing a bill of at least $10 million in bailing out Bain & Co., the consulting firm that spawned the private-equity firm Bain Capital. The story is based partly on documents the magazine received under the Freedom of Information Act. It will probably get a lot less attention than Matt Taibbi's cover opus on Romney in the same issue, but is no less interesting.

Bain & Co. got into deep financial trouble in the late 1980s, partly because the founding partners of Bain Capital had stripped it of cash and saddled it with debt. But since the personal reputation of Romney was so tied to the fate of the Bain & Co, he jumped back into the company in 1990, after six years as CEO of Bain Capital ....

In that time, he refused to let the company simply slip into bankruptcy,RS claims, reportedly inspiring a frustrated Goldman Sachs banker to tell Romney to "go @!$%#" himself.

Ultimately, Romney managed to convince Bain's creditors to take a steep discount on Bain debt, using a threat to pay Bain executives big bonuses that would have stripped it of the cash it had left, leaving creditors with next to nothing, according toRolling Stone.

One of those creditors was the FDIC, which had taken over a bank that loaned money to Bain. The FDIC ended up collecting about $14 million of the $30 million Bain owed it, according to the magazine. Taxpayers didn't foot the bill for this, FDIC banks did, but RS points out that those costs were in turn probably absorbed by bank customers in the form of higher fees.

(emphasis added)

The upshot of this is that Bain partners even cannibalized their OWN company, forcing the federal government to bail them out in order to protect other investors.

So, tell me again about Mitt Romney's business prowess, not to mention morality.

Maybe you will cite the Olympics, which Romney "personally" saved by begging for a $1.3 billion bailout from a Republican Congress.

Or maybe you will cite Romney's Massachusetts miracle, "Romneycare," which was and is still financed in part with federal Medicaid funds.

Any way you look at it, Sirie, this guy is not an unqualified success, and what success he as had he didn't build without taxpayer help.

If you are an undecided voter and want the truth on what's happening in the polls, go to Fox News. They ARE fair and balanced, as indicated in the number of viewer

Here's a piece of free advice for you, kkwilson: since you base your opinion on what other people do, you should vote for Obama. He will get the majority of votes.

...a little more advice: turn off Faux News. It has been proven to misinform viewers and cause feelings of anger and panic. It's bad for your mental health.

What is the deal with this short term memory loss and selective amnesia of the GOP?

At about this same time in a prior election, Carter led Reagan just like Obama now leads Romney.

Jimmy Carter wasn't leading in the last polls. That's another GOP myth designed to make Reagan appear to be some kind of Superman. The Republicans love to rewrite history. Reagan led Carter in the final stretch. PERIOD. Republicans and facts are like oil and water. Anything to make themselves look good. There was NO Carter lead in the polls since Spring of 1980.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/debunking-a-myth-reagan-was-leading-carter-long-before-that-final-october-debate/

"I'm Loving It!" and I'm not referring to McDonald's either.

No, but thanks for the kindness RedDev.. lol..

Not everyone votes in the online polls or for the Primary.. I for one never vote in either.. Which brings the element of surprise.. There may be a LOT less gloating come November from the left..

Well, it's 39 days until the election. Let's see where we are:

The President is ahead in all the polls: Check.

The RNC is caught in voter fraud scandal: Check.

Romney wants 100,000 more troops in Afghanistan: Check.

Romney's fundraising is down. Check.

A Romney Presidency doesn't represent 47% of the people: Check.

Romney's tax rate is 14%: Check.

Romney won't release any more tax returns: Check.

Ann Romney melts down on Iowa radio, blames GOP: Check.

There are reports of in-fighting in Romney Campaign: Check.

Romney's Iowa surrogate, Kaye Bailey Hutchinson: Check.

Obama's Iowa surrogate, Jason Alexander from SEINFELD: Check.

First debate is next week: Check.

Conservative pundits and advisers criticize Romney: Check.

Well, I think that about covers it. I'd say it looks pretty good for the President wouldn't you?

Obama/Biden 2012

#1.86,

It is beyond ironic that you would try to:

Pin the 9,000,000 (9 million) Americans put out of work by the Great Recession on anyone but GWB's and Reagans' policies. With not help from GOP congressionals, we are recovering from the worst economic catastrophe in 60 years. A second Great Depression which started during the George W. Bush presidency.

Republican Bill Kristol especially noted that:

1. The Obama Administration inherited the crisis from Bush and

2. Has handled it well.

Bill Kristol said “If this election is just about the last four years, that’s a muddy verdict. Bush was president during the financial meltdown. The Obama team has turned that around pretty well. Bill Clinton’s speech at the convention was very important in that way.”

Talk to the Hand

I kind of wondered the same thing about the $1 million boost that Soros gave to the Obama

Let's see:

Sheldon Adelson gave $26.5 million so far

George Soros gave $2.8 (?) million so far

yeah, it's almost the same...

Nobamastank I'm at my job, college educated, sitting in the office. Been working through out life since I was 16. Worked two to three jobs while going through school. Paid off college in full. Happy to pay my taxes and want everyone to have the same opportunity.

And if they are down on their luck. I want them to be healthy, safe, and taken care of.

Top 10 Reasons to Vote Against Mitt Romney

#10: Romney's main success stories are Staples and Dominos. These companies pay very poorly and are not a model for the economy as a whole -- at least, not an economy most of us would want to live in. Would you want to try to raise a family delivering pizzas for Dominos? To Romney, the plight of low wage workers is a theoretical one. His response to earning less that a hundred grand a year would probably be to take out a huge loan —but unlike Paul Cellucci, he could pay it off by cashing in a CD!

#9: One of the reasons Romney lost his bid for the Senate was the embarrassing revelations about how Bain treated employees at Ampad (also known as American Pad & Paper Co.), and in the wake of Enron, Worldcom, and Global Crossing, this may be just as embarrassing: Romney's company, Bain Capital, is being sued over possible defrauding of investors. Despite Ampad's bankruptcy, Bain walked out with a $50 million profit. Romney did not own stock in Ampad personally, but as vice president of Bain, he was surely aware of the overly rosy financial projections used to sell the stock to small investors. The 1996 stock offering sparked charges of insider trading and accounting fraud. Sound familiar?

#8: Speaking od fraud, remember all the scandals over the Salt Lake Olympics? They didn't end when Romney took over! Not only are the central figures in the Salt Lake Olympics bidding scandal likely to get off scot-free, the organizers paid them handsomely to go away. Tom Welch got a $1 million severance fee from SLOC and Dave Johnson reported $200,000. And unless a federal appeals court allows prosecutors to bring bribery, fraud, and racketeering charges against them, Welch and Johnson won't even stand trial. This "severance pay," several times what a typical Massachusetts worker earns in a year, came out of the small "profit" Romney and the SLOC eked out of the Olympics thanks to all the private donations and government handouts ("corporate welfare").

#7: Romney was only able to "save" the Olympics because of huge giveaways. The Utah congressional delegation strong-armed the Parks service to give pristine parkland to a multimillionaire to develop the skiing venue for free, despite the fact that he will make millions off it in the future. Most of the workers at the event forked for free, so the Salt Lake Olympic Committee (SLOC) didn't even have to pay the minimum wage most employees of Romney companies make. Maybe Romney thinks if he adks nicely, state troopers, garbage collectors, and teachers will work for free to make him look good!

#6: Romney said he "didn't notice" that Utah had him listed as a resident and gave him a $38,000 break on his property taxes. Anyone think he would have noticed a $38,000 increase? Did he illegally try to claim both states as his residence in order to maintain eligibility to run for office both places? We'll never know, because he refuses to release his income tax statements.

#5: Romney has no governmental experience at all. Zero. He had a message on his web site saying, "Romney to Legislature: Get Back in Session Now!" Like his confusion in the debates over the duties of a treasurer, he doesn't seem to understand the duties of governor or the legislature,

He seems to think the governor is a CEO that can order the legislature around and fire them. Earth to Romney: the legislature is an elected body that doesn't answer to you. As for lowering taxes without cutting services, Romney thinks all you have to do to pay for something is go to the federal government and ask for a handout. After all, it worked for the Olympics!

#4: Romney's lack of experience doesn't make him an outsider. though. He is surrounded by advisors and other insiders from the Weld and Bush camps. Remember "the mess on Beacon Hill" and "we need change on Beacon Hill"? Well, we've had 12 years of Republican governors. If it's time for a change, vote for someone else!

#3: Romney thinks he is too important to pay dues. His only campaigns have been for U.S. Senate and Governor of Massachusetts. Considering his ties to the Bush white house, it's very possible that he only views the governor's office in Massachusetts as a stepping stone to the 2008 presidential race.

#2: Romney lied. He said he would not run against Swift, then he did, forcing her out of the race. Then he said he would not choose a running mate, but would let the Republican party choose one. Then he chose Kerry Healey and spend millions of dollars selling her to the public, capsizing Jim Rappaport's campaign with massive spending. And we're supposed to believe him when he says he's "not in this race for the rich"?

And the #1 reason not to vote for Mitt Romney is:

Romney is making a big deal of "not being in this race for the rich," but where have you seen Romney bumper stickers and yard signs? Mostly on luxury cars and SUVs and in the yards of mansions, high-priced condos, and big businesses. And who does he think he's fooling with his "made for the press" tries at pumping gas or selling hot dogs? How many of you have such perfectly coiffed hair and impeccably tailored blue jeans without a stain, tear, or patch? Romney is just plain out of touch!

http://www.makingpages.org/politics/romney/

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

BTW: in Reason #1 Staples is shipping 60 stores to Europe as I noted yesterday. Yup, this is the FAKE right wingers know very little about; yet will vote for him; despite his horrible record and secrecy about his tax returns!!!

4 more 4 44

To say that Obama didn't shine duiring the 2008 Democratic debates is pretty much correct.

However, he did pull a couple of "stunts" with the assistance of that PIG, John Edwards, which derailed Hillary Clinton's campaign and moved the nominating process in his favor. The Philadelphia debate was the kicker, with Edwards and Obama teaming up and moreover bullying up on Mrs Clinton. (......which is why I don't understand how woman's groups could ever support this guy)

But, the deciding factor for most of the debates in which Obama participated, was the moderator(s). The late Tim Russert, God rest his soul. did everything but kiss Obama's bare ass in Macy's front window. I remember Saturday Night Live doing a skit in which they parodied the debates, with a moderator who asked; "are you comfortable Mr Obama, can we get you a cold drink, or perhaps a pillow to put up your feet."

I certainly hope we get a moderator who doesn't interupt, and allows the candiates, BOTH OF THEM, to speak their positions equally.

But that might be too much to ask because the media has been in the tank for Obama since he first ran for President in 2008.

Beverly in Chicago, 7-11 has picked the last two presidential elections correctly within the margin of error with their coffee cup poll, this year they are saying it is 58% President Obama to 42% wingnut romney.

So there Laxx Power, when the food stamp program doubled from 2001 to

2008, the 43rd President wasn't the "food stampiest" President ever? Really?

Really? You think you should trot out stats that make the super hero of

incompetent executivzyness look so...well...incompetent? I guess that 43rd

President was the welfare pamperingest, bleeding hearty, liberal enabler of all

time (except for all the people he killed).

Ding. School is OUT.

Stop it, I say, stop it boy, you're doing a lot of choppin' but no chips are flyin'!

Republican Bill Kristol especially noted that:

1. The Obama Administration inherited the crisis from Bush and

2. Has handled it well.

Bill Kristol said “If this election is just about the last four years, that’s a muddy verdict. Bush was president during the financial meltdown. The Obama team has turned that around pretty well. Bill Clinton’s speech at the convention was very important in that way.”

What did I tell you! Even conservative Republicans are now openly supporting President Obama! Thanks for the quote, Backhouse.

Glad to see you're feeling better today, skip! I hope we can bask in all this sunshine for a little bit without becoming complacent and over-confident. There is still a lot of work to be done to keep the POTUS in the White House.

Moderate Dem, glad you brought that little-discussed part of Mitt's comments. Those Chinese workers were paid 24 cents per hour for 10 hr days, 6 days per week. American businesses should be ashamed at exploiting people, any people. It is the Ugly American creating slave labor and daring to call it capitalism.

Grimey,

No matter how or for whatever motives, a News outfit finds it expedient to call something a "a liberal-lefty" anything:

THE FACT remains that the Economic Policy Institute is (in fact) a non-profit, non-partisan institute.

Also, Science and information is always evolving. Change happens.

The game changer is Romney, your game is over !!!!!!!!!!

ROBMEHOOD says Carter destroyed his polls !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

skip Nicholson, Oklahoma City

Romney's fundraising is down. Check.

it's interesting that

Obama's campaign raised $333,169,109 as of 8/31/12 of which $271,327,755 (about 81%) is donations $200 or less.

at the same time

Romney's campaign raised $191,538,802 for the same period of which $137,408,490 (about 72%) is $2000 or more and only 30% is $200 or less.

I guess we can conclude that the "little" people are supporting President Obama

http://www.fec.gov/disclosurep/pnational.do

Obama 2012/Romney 1040

Warren 2012

I have to jump in on the frac'ing thing (yes, it's really 'frac'ing' -short for fracturing). I worked in oil and gas regulatory for close to 30 years. Frac'ing is not new tech. It's been used here in TX since the 60s and as far as I could determine has never caused any issues when performed under the correct regulatory requirements. Of course the states where O&G exploration is not as mature as it is here in TX may not have those requirements in place nor have the enforcement necessary to ensure they are met. But that's the state's fault and easily fixed by adopting the right rules.

Here in TX each and every complaint of groundwater contamination is investigated. Know the major reason for contamination? Old, underground gasoline tanks (usually from service stations now abandoned) that were simply buried and not actually dug up and cleaned and conditioned correctly.

There is however a chance that some natural gas or oil has migrated from the reservoir into the groundwater. But it's not from correctly drilled and completed wells. That's why good, strong regulations are necessary for O&G production. And for all the 'redness' of my state this is one aspect they have never skimped on. I know, sounds weird but it's true. We did do something right.

Well Roy is not here to say "I told you so", so I will do it for him. Roy predicted days ago that the media narrative would be that Romney has to come up big in the debates and low and behold we have a story about how Romney needs a game changer. The media is trying to drive the election with polls that sample Democrats +9, and their narrative is just predictable and tired. God forbid First Read write a story about the cluster of the middle east and how it is hurting Obama, but it doesn't fit the narrative which is let's ignore Obama's failures and do daily stories about the Romney struggle. I just laughable at this point.

I don't care much for Obama but Romney is just a hopeless twit. The more people get to know him the less they like him. His best chance is to take a very long vacation on a desert island and only come out after election.

if you drop it from a great enough height, even a dead cat will bounce.

...especially if you leave the windows open at 30,000 feet.

But seriously folks, the way Romney is going it would take a major bounce to get him out front.

ZMan2012 --

The Philadelphia debate was the kicker, with Edwards and Obama teaming up and moreover bullying up on Mrs Clinton. (......which is why I don't understand how woman's groups could ever support this guy)

I consider myself a feminist, and I am by no means a fan of bullies, but this does not compute.

Any woman who jumps into the political arena at the Presidential level has to be prepared to withstand whatever is thrown at her.

Any man, too. Which is why Ann Romney's little pity party last week didn't play so well with me. Ask yourself what kind of man sends his wife out to run interference for him whenever the going gets a little rough.

Jody, Iowa

Moderate Dem, glad you brought that little-discussed part of Mitt's comments. Those Chinese workers were paid 24 cents per hour for 10 hr days, 6 days per week. American businesses should be ashamed at exploiting people, any people. It is the Ugly American creating slave labor and daring to call it capitalism.

That's right, Jody. International conglomerates are making record profits off the backs of their slave laborers.

Americans must call them out on this barbarism. How are Americans supposed to present ourselves to the world as the upholders of human rights while our own companies exploit workers both here and abroad?

ZMan2012

......which is why I don't understand how woman's groups could ever support this guy)

The fact that you don't understand completely explains your party. Women support Obama, not because they like his politics but unlike the other party, he doesn't want to take their reproductive decisions away from them and give those extremely personal decisions to old white men. Now do you get it?

ForePlinger

So there Laxx Power, when the food stamp program doubled from 2001 to

2008, the 43rd President wasn't the "food stampiest" President ever? Really?

the righties also claim that the health insurance premiums went through the roof because of the ObamaCare even though from 1999 to 2008, the premiums more than doubled (about 120%) from $5,781 to $12,680 for a family plan.

So don't be surprised that they refuse to consider TRENDS as indicators. To them it's a screen-shot only way of thinking.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Health_Insurance_Premium_Report.pdf

Thanks KB. Yes, I'm feeling better today. This crazy wet weather here has my asthma all fired up. But I think I turned the corner, thanks for your well-wishes.

Yes, there is much work yet to be done. We've got to make sure the Senate is safe and do what we can to take back the House, or at the very least, reduce the GOP numbers in the House.

There is a lot to do, but I'm more confident than ever that the President will be re-elected. I'm so confident I've put my Costa Rican immigration plans on hold.

I'm also more confident than ever that the GOP will have to mend their ways during the next four years and compromise or they will commit political suicide and we'll have another 8 years of Democrats in the White House for sure, which in my opinion is a good thing.

Yep, the times they are a-changin' and in my opinion they are a-changin' for the better. I guess I'd better get out my old guitar and re-learn Dylan's song because it's going to have more meaning now than ever.

Have a great weekend and my very best to you and yours.

Obama/Biden 2012

Ask yourself what kind of man sends his wife out to run interference for him whenever the going gets a little rough.

You mean like that shrinking violet Michelle Obama? What's her campaign schedule again?

It will be interesting to see where France is this time next year

PARIS (Reuters) - France's draft 2013 budget imposed a total of roughly 20 billion euros in new taxes on large companies and wealthy households, including hikes in taxation on dividend income and reductions in the tax deductibility of interest payments.

The budget, approved by France's cabinet on Friday, said that the creation of a new 75 percent tax on millionaires and higher marginal tax rates on high earners would raise some 530 million euros next year.

The lowering of the threshold for wealth tax on individuals would raise a further 1 billion euros.

Mr. Panderpants Mitt Romney mutiple personality problem is quite bad. Last night Ann told Mitt to take out the garbage and iron his Costco shirts and he turned to himself and said, "you do it, I did it last night"

You mean like that shrinking violet Michelle Obama? What's her campaign schedule again?

Too funny. She's a full partner, not just a human shield.

Remember when Romney tried to blame Ann for his views on women's issues? Seriously.

Did you ever hear President Obama try to shift responsibility to Michelle like that?

Bullies are often cowards at heart. Romney is all of that.

Anna Molly -

Good post. Have you read the piece on Romney and Bain in Rolling Stone? It is obviously liberal-leaning but the facts are solid and it gives a clear insight into how Romney and Bain built their fortune.

www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/greed-and-debt-the-true-story-of-mitt-romney-and-bain-capital-20120829#ixzz24y2FzX00

A few excerpts (emphasis added):

But what most voters don't know is the way Mitt Romney actually made his fortune: by borrowing vast sums of money that other people were forced to pay back. This is the plain, stark reality that has somehow eluded America's top political journalists for two consecutive presidential campaigns: Mitt Romney is one of the greatest and most irresponsible debt creators of all time.

Instead of cars and airplanes, we built swaps, CDOs and other toxic financial products. Instead of building new companies from the ground up, we took out massive bank loans and used them to acquire existing firms, liquidating every asset in sight and leaving the target companies holding the note.

Romney the businessman built his career on two things that Romney the candidate decries: massive debt and dumb federal giveaways. "I don't know what Romney would be doing but for debt and its tax-advantaged position in the tax code," says a prominent Wall Street lawyer, "but he wouldn't be fabulously wealthy."

Essentially, Romney got rich in a business that couldn't exist without a perverse tax break, and he got to keep double his earnings because of another loophole – a pair of bureaucratic accidents that have not only teamed up to threaten us with a Mitt Romney presidency but that make future Romneys far more likely. "Those two tax rules distort the economics of private equity investments, making them much more lucrative than they should be," says Rebecca Wilkins, senior counsel at the Center for Tax Justice. "So we get more of that activity than the market would support on its own."

The entire purpose of the business model that Romney helped pioneer is to move money into the archipelago from the places outside it, using massive amounts of taxpayer-subsidized debt to enrich a handful of billionaires.

Todd Akin's opinion on Sen. Claire McCaskill: ‘She had a confidence and was much more ladylike (in 2006), but in the debate on Friday she came out swinging, and I think that’s because she feels threatened.’

Once more his chauvinism at work. How do these clowns get elected to office?

Too funny. She's a full partner, not just a human shield.

More like the dominant partner. It obvious who is the boss in that house. She even insists he be home for dinner every night at the cost of smoozing the congress, and we all know how personal relationships are important when running the country.

You see I can project baseless opinions too.

Mitt Robmey, the turkey, is done. A little early for thanksgiving, but, nonetheless...

A lower favorability rating than Bush, who was recently named the most unpopular living U.S. president, shows how difficult it has been for the GOP nominee to resonate with voters during his current presidential bid.

@TNSEVOL

Do you ever ask yourself who invests in Bain? Where do think Teachers Unions and other Public Sector Pensions go to get the 8% returns they need to make their numbers work?

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/bains-benefactors/content?oid=5702619

CalSTRS investments in Bain don’t end there. Since 2006, it has committed $1.28 billion to eight other Bain funds focusing on tech, real estate, consumer goods and credit. California’s teachers are therefore one of Bain’s largest sources of cash. CalSTRS stands to reap a much bigger profit than Romney from China’s thirst for spy cameras, among other questionable investments that pepper the firm’s investment portfolio.

http://blogs.federaltimes.com/federal-times-blog/2012/07/25/white-house-budget-chief-had-investment-with-bain-capital/

Last year, acting Office of Management and Budget Director Jeff Zients held roughly between $116,000 and $315,000 in what his annual financial disclosure report describes as “Bain Capital Fund VII.” OMB released the report, which requires federal officials to list their assets only in dollar ranges, this week in response to FedLine’s public records request.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/look_who_parks_their_cash_at_bain_88KSQrw8BXciEidja2ZQXN

* Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund ($2.2 million)

* Indiana Public Retirement System ($39.3 million)

* Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System ($177.1 million)

* The Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension System ($19.5 million)

* Maryland State Retirement and Pension System ($117.5 million)

* Public Employees’ Retirement System of Nevada ($20.3 million)

* State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio ($767.3 million)

* Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System ($231.5 million)

* Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island ($25 million)

* San Diego County Employees Retirement Association ($23.5 million)

* Teacher Retirement System of Texas ($122.5 million)

* Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System ($15 million)

These funds aggregate the savings of millions of unionized teachers, social workers, public-health personnel and first responders. Many would be startled to learn that their nest eggs are incubated by the company that Romney launched and the financiers he hired.

After reading this propaganda does anyone really wonder why Fox is #1?

I didn't think so.

Alan, NJ

@TNSEVOL

Do you ever ask yourself who invests in Bain? Where do think Teachers Unions and other Public Sector Pensions go to get the 8% returns they need to make their numbers work?

Alan, no one questions whether Romney's Bain made money. We all know he was great at making money. What people question is Romney's claim that he is a job creator which has nothing to do with Romney's decisions to turn max profit.

If Romney's claim was true, we could conclude that all people investing in companies by purchasing their stocks, do it to create jobs. It's silly isn't it?

FOX NEWS - RAP SHEET

6 resignations of CEO’s and Commissioners

7 arrests of editors and reporters

2 reporters jailed

James Murdoch stepping down from the publishing units within News’s Corp’s British newspaper arm.

Hacking into the phones of thousands to generate news

Victims

Celebrities, The Royal Family, Sports Figures, Grieving victims of war crime and terrorism.

BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE

English-speaking world stand accused of bribing police, hacking the private voicemails

of everyone from the royal family to the parents of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and paying more than $2 million in gag settlements to victims allegedly with the full knowledge of 'Murdoch's son and heir apparent, James.

- it's a reflection of the lawless culture that defines the company. As CEO, Murdoch not only tolerates employees and executives who push the boundaries of legality and good taste, he celebrates them - at least until the cops show up.

hacking, thuggish reporting tactics, unethical entanglements with police, hush-money settlements and efforts to corrupt officials at the highest levels of government

"illegal computer espionage,"

The Justice Department is currently investigating allegations that News Corp. reporters tried to bribe a New York cop, seeking to hack the phones of 9/11 victims

All I can say is bask in your bi-ennial glory. The only time polititions need you is when you vote. Early in my life, I was a Rep. I was an idealist, and they said the things I wanted to hear. They were basically neat and orderly and the Dems were a disaster.Then , reputable judge Otto Kerner, Spiro agnew and Richard Nixon all resigned rather than fight charges they vehemently denied, because if they lost, there goes their lifelong pensions.

By comparison the Dems looked angelic. Until, a dem won an election 148 to 0. The rep. complained that he didn't even get his own vote. Byrd, Thurmond, Lester, and their KKK ilk drove me to the Ind. column.

I see more clearly without my rose colored glasses. I think that the 17 billionaires (Soros, Addleson, etc.) should get 1 vote each. If corporations are people my friend, they should be taxed as such. Every young person, every working person, every woman, and every one of the 47/99% should vote for Obama. The reason I say this because changes need to be made, and will be made in the supreme court in the next 4 years. And quite frankly, I think you will get a better shake with Obama. These 5 to 4 votes on your future are mystifying. If you agree corps are people, vote Romney if not vote Obama.

Last week Romney was seen having lunch with Netanyahu & Dennis Prager, a little war talk maybe ???

Alan NJ: It will be interesting to see where France is this time next year

It's interesting to see where France, and Spain, and Greece and the Eurozone, are today. As noted, the US Liberal's/socialists dream of the 75% tax rate has become a reality in France. Government spending has been "frozen", but there are no cuts. So at least the government workers will be fine, a major relief to socialists worldwide, except that it may limit the growth of the government, at least in the near-term, so all is not rosy for the socialists.

But I'm sure Frances private sector is doing just fine.

Spain of course is trying to at least look like they are cutting spending, and they hope a 15% increase in their Value Added Tax (another US Liberals/socialists dream) will help them at least look like they're trying to balance their budget. Spain can increase taxes all they want, with a 25% unemployment rate, no one is paying taxes anyway.

And as with Greece, riots to follow.

Romney plans even make babies cry! Babies have this guy figured out also!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/23/caption-this-mitt-romney-baby-photo-crying_n_1296550.html

http://www.boomsy.com/2012/08/politics-mitt-romney-makes-babies-cry.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2209726/U-S-presidential-election-2012-Mitt-Romney-makes-baby-campaign-trail.html?ITO=1490

On the edge,

Until, a dem won an election 148 to 0

That's hilarious . Nearly everybody I have talked to in the last 6 months wants Obama out; even the ones who voted for him.

I voted Libertarian last election. This one I'm pulling straight Republican because the Dems and Obama have screwed darn near everything up from the economy to the 4 times deadlier situation in Afghanistan for our soldiers.

When the deaths double for American soldiers in half the time, and you add 6 trillion dollars to our national debt in 3.5 years, what else can you expect ?

Now it has come to my attention that Obama has installed about a half dozen of the most controversial lobbyists from the Monsanto corporation to positions in our government. Monsanto is regarded by many people around America and the world as the most evil American corporation in America.

Then I find out that Bill Gates has a large stake in MSNBC, and Monsanto, and gates has been funneling huge amounts of money to Obama through super-pacs in exchange for media biased towards him, and is the reason the lobbyists have been installed in our government.

That sounds to me like the wealthiest man in America is throwing all his leverage for Obama at great personal gain. No f-ing thanks.

The more I have read about Monsanto, the more evil they appear to be. The things they infuse into their corn causes cancer, and corn is in everything we eat. Even in beef, chicken, and pork as we now feed them corn.

Monsanto seed cross pollinates other crops rendering all the nearby crops sterile and toxic as well. The end result will be total dependence on genetically altered seed, natural seed will cease to exist. I don't like the idea of our entire food supply relying on a few rich people.

It sounds to me like you are "on the edge"......of sanity.

Romney 2012

Alan,

Do you ever ask yourself who invests in Bain? Where do think Teachers Unions and other Public Sector Pensions go to get the 8% returns they need to make their numbers work?

If you haven't yet I encourage you to read the article. Even if you do not agree with the conclusions it is an interesting look at how the "Bain Method" of debt-leveraged buyouts worked.

Have you read any unbiased analysis of Bain's performance? I find several glowing accounts of the 30% annual returns it earned for investors, but that tracks pretty closely with the average annual stock market return for that period of time.

Bain obviously made a lot of money for its investors, and even more for its principals. The point of the article is to point out HOW the money was made, and that the success of the strategy was not due to business acumen, operational expertise or a managerial "turnaround strategy" but through a keen exploitation of the federal tax-code.

The federal tax treatment of debt, interest, capital gains and "earned income" is what created Bain's success and Romney's wealth. This makes Romney an experienced and successful financier, but those same strengths do not lend themselves to the task of being a succesful president.

I may trust Mitt Romney to invest my money, but I would not trust him to run my company and I do not trust him to run my country.

People who question the polls, FYI

Demographics play a big role in the changing poll numbers from one election to the next. Voters are surveyed at random and we have seen the number of self-identified Democrats increase in these polls.

4 years ago, Obama had a huge lead among voters under 25. Four years later, these voters are 22-29 years of age. From what I've read, enthusiasm is down a bit among the under 25 group compared to 4 years ago, but it is not the same group. They were ages 14-21 four years ago.

On the other end of the age spectrum, are the elderly. Four years ago, McCain carried this age group of over 65. Now, these people are over 69 and 4 years later some, unfortunately have died.

Factor in population changes among other groups of voters that favored Obama four years ago and those that didn't and you will see a numbers shift in Obama's direction.

In conclusion, the number of Democrats has gone up in the polls for this reason. There are simply more of them now because of these demographic changes in the population.

Reasons Progressives will argue for you to vote vor Mr. Obama based upon HIS following accomplishments:

Transparency.

1. Mr. Obama pledged that transparency would be a top priority in his administration. However, his administration has refused to grant one-third of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
2. Health Care negotiations were not televised on C-SPAN, legislation was not provided online for five days for public review, and closed door back-room deals were the norm, (commonly known as Cornhusker Kickback, Louisiana Purchase, and Health Care companies wheeling and dealing).
3. A FOIA request was required to obtain the White House visitors log after the White House's refusal to release the information. Special "visitor" on numerous occasions was SEIU Trumpka whose "Agenda was Obama's agenda". And, this administration is still fighting in court against rulings that would grant the public a legal right to such data.
4. To counter FOIA requests, the DHS has ordered, since July 2009, "career employees to provide political staffers with information about the people who asked for records — such as where they lived and whether they were private citizens or reporters — and about the organizations where they worked".
5. Yep, Mr. Obama fulfilled his promise of a Transparent administration.

ObamaCare.

1. During hispresidential campaign, Obama indicated that his mother died of cancer after being denied coverage for a pre-existing condition. Her image was used in a campaign ad, repeated the claim in debates, and used the same rhetoric as President when selling ObamaCare to the American people. However, it has been reported that Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, had health insurance through her employer and was only denied disability insurance. And, Mrs. Obama claimed that Mr. Obama's mother was discriminated against at a bank in Hawaii when in fact, she was the first female to be selected to a top banking position.
2. Obama pledged during his campaign and throughout his presidency not to raise taxes on families making less than $250,000. ObamaCare's mandate (TAX) will be on all Americans not having health insurance coverage. And the TAX will be administered by the IRS which routinely gives out BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars to Illegal Aliens (Immigrants).
3. Mr. Obama repeatedly pledged that under his health care measure, Americans would be able to keep their doctors. However, many employers will cut their health care plans and force workers into the state health care exchanges. A survey indicated that more than 30% of companies will discontinue coverage for their workers. Further, about 3,000,000 individuals will not be covered under ObamaCare. when ObamaCare's target was health care for ALL Americans.
4. Cut Medicare/Medicare Advantage by $ 714,000,000,000 to use that money to support ObamaCare. How is that working for you, Liberal Medicare (Senior) Advantage subscribers ?
5. Yep, ObamaCare is going to do wonders for American's healthcare.

Stimulus.

1. $ 787,000,000,000 (CBO revised to $ 814,000,000,00) stimulus package for shovel-ready construction jobs and keep the unemployment at or below 8%. Mr. Obama later admitted that "There's no such thing as shovel-ready projects." while Mr. Biden later stated that the Stimulus was a failure. Most "Stimulus Go Green" payback programs failed and the companies went BANKRUPT.
2. Total cost for ALL Stimulus/Bail-Out initiatives: $ 2,800,000,000,000 and the economy remains stagnant and the unemployment rate is outrageous.
3. Yep, Mr. Obama's Stimulus worked and saved the World from a depression.

Government Motors.

1. The American taxpayers still own about 28% of GM stock. The Secretary of the Treasury indicated recently that $25,000,000,000 still owed to the American taxpayers will be LOST. However, that didn't stop GM from giving out bonuses to their UNION WORKERS. A UAW official told members that eligible members of unions representing General Motors would be receiving a $1,000 bonus (reported 6 June 2012).
2. GM currently is mired in pension/health care debt at the tune of $ 134,000,000,000 to Union retirees and is trying to "offset" the debt by giving retiring Union workers LUMP SUM offers. Sort of sounds like UPS. Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Treasury was instrumental in TERMINATING about 20,000 NON-Union Delphi employee's pensions.
3. Recent profits have fallen 41% because of "slow" European sales.
4. Yep, Mr. Obama saved the auto industry.

Lobbyists.

1. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama said: "We have the chance to tell all those corporate lobbyists that the days of them setting the agenda in Washington are over. I don't take a dime of their money, and when I am President, they won't find a job in my White House." At least a dozen former lobbyists received top jobs in his administration at the beginning of his presidency. Further, Mr. Obama administration was granting waivers to lobbyists to circumvent the ban. Yep, he has dozens of Ex-Wall Street "Fat Cats" (particularly Ex-Goldman Sachs) in his administration helping draft financial regulations.
2. Yep, Mr. Obama's administration is squeaky clean.

Immigration.

1. Mr. Obama said of the Arizona Immigration Law: "Now suddenly if you don't have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you can be harassed, that's something that could potentially happen." Actually the law would allow law enforcement officials to inquire about immigration status only when there is suspicion of a crime being committed. Approximately 800,000 Illegal Aliens (Immigrants) children allowed to remain in the U.S. for two years. Compliments of a "new" DHS regulation bypassing Congressional procedures and hits on "unconstitutional". Expect the White House to increase this number prior to the election.
2. Yep, Mr. Obama's "I don't need Congress to get my agenda pushed through" is really working.

Leaks.

1. Disclosed details of the Navy SEAL team that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and collaborating sensitive information with Bollywood to produce a movie of the attack.
2. Disclosed U.S. cyber warfare against Iran' nuclear facility.
3. Disclosed procedures and "hit list" for targeting militants for drone attacks.
4. Disclosed existence of a double agent who penetrated a militant group in Yemen.
5. Disclosed airfield to be used by Israel for possible Iran nuclear facility attack.
6. Yep, Mr. Obama's administration is looking out for the safety of our brave men and women in uniform and International allies and contacts.

Terrorists.

1. Mr. Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo). It remains
   open.
2. Three people convicted of terror-related offenses after 9/11 were given U.S. citizenship later, outraging Rep. Steve King, the Republican chairman of the House subcommittee that deals with immigration. "It's outrageous that you can have people under your very nose and adjudicate them through the process and convict them and then turn around and grant them citizenship,".....
3. An Iraqi court has rejected a request to send a Hezbollah commander (Ali Mussa Daqduq ) to the United States for trial, a decision that likely ends the Obama administration's push to prosecute the Lebanese militant held in Iraq for the 2007 killings of five American soldiers. But the July 30 decision by the Iraqi central criminal court, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, ordered Daqduq be freed immediately. It also makes it clear that Iraq believes the legal case against him is over.
4. Yep, Mr. Obama is taking care of those terrorists.

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Romney-Ryan 2012 to take back America from the Progressives and the Radicals.

JAS when you resort to the low information tactics you do - like throwing out the "Liberals/Socialist term - you can't be taken seriously, on anything. You prove over and over again that you will spout anything you think will impress the ignorant. It's all you have and it relects that ignorance onto you.

Starsailing - saw the baby photos yesterday! Simply adorable!

Obama/Biden 2012

Joe in Albany......said:

Quote.......After all, if it’s “dirty, angry, money” when it goes to a Republican-leaning Super PAC, logic and reason would dictate that it’s EXACTLY THE SAME THING when it goes to Dem-leaning Super PAC’s........EndQuote

Your "reasoning" fails because democrats are opposed to and attempting to undo anti-democratic artifices such as the "Citizens United" ruling whereas republicans are responsible for and supportive of them.

But, we (democrats) won't engage in unilateral disarmament. So, until we are successful in turning back the tides of GOPeaParty fascism, we must depend upon wealthy democrats to level the financial playing field.

BTW---all wealthy people are not fascist sociopaths. Some (mostly democrats) realize that with great fortune comes great responsibility and that pursuit of justice rather than power is their calling.

Romney is genuinely frightening to me. I think that the power elite could talk him into anything along the current ideological lines of the GOP. He is a cypher, with no genuine convictions, and no real sense of how the vast majority of citizens live in this country. He has no skin in the game, and never really has. If he thought one-upping the teahadists would burnish his "historical legacy" he'd do anything to achieve that goal.

In short, he embodies all of the worst qualities of Rethug Presidents since Reagan. He's worse than McCain, potentially worse than Ronnie himself.

shaak322,

When the extent of your research is nothing more than an Obama Ad, what did you think you would get? The cold, hard, true facts? Here's an excerpt from Factcheck'org that sheds light on the real truth of the matter. Don't let the democrats make an idiot out of you next time, you're better than that so next time, prove it!

"We looked at BLS figures for each year of Romney’s tenure. (This is tricky business. State rankings can shift depending on which start and stop dates one selects. We looked at January to January, seasonally adjusted figures to coincide most closely to when Romney took office Jan. 2, 2003 and left office Jan. 4, 2007). In the 12 months before he took office, the state ranked 50th in job creation, and for his first 12 months in office, that remained 50th. But by his final year the state ranked 28th. That’s still mediocre, but an improvement, and not a decline, as the ad would lead viewers to believe."

Source: Fact check: Obama twists Romney's economic record

PS - If Obama is so great at being president, why is he reduced to dishonest ad campaign tactics?

One last interesting fact: The US Consulate where our ambassador and two details were killed by an armed, organized militia is over 600 miles away from Benghazi where the mobs rioted. Do you still think it is related? The fact is that someone is hiding something and wanted to blame it on a dumb youtube video. Obama may have sold weapons and the deal went sour when the CIA tried to recover them, they were killed. Look it up, Obama seems to be putting blinders on everyone, and they're taking them and wearing them like a free phone!

Well, Berverly, every time I see someone post some nonsense trashing a political party with no content, I'm going to report it for advertising.

Because it is.

Heck, I'm even reporting some of the posts that look like they have content, and yet you can see that it is just a promotion for one of the candidates. Since there's no discussion happening on First Read, anymore, got to call it what it has become. A bulletin board for candidate advertising.

Joe in Albany: Here's a bit of perspective for ya. The Romney camp held a fundraiser in Hong Kong on Thursday, and lest you forgot and didn't realize, Hong Kong is controlled by China, so what's that say about your man Mitt, his stance on China, foreign money used to influence U.S. election, and and the SuperPacs that benefit the GOP which are funded by billionaires and millionaires the world over. Goes to show how pithy your stance is about Soros giving $1.5MM to a superpac. Enough said.

anyone really wonder why Fox is #1?

Fact is Fox "News" has 1.5 to 2 million viewers on any given day. Most normal people watch a variety of news outlets. CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC etc. When you combine those number of viewers they far exceed FOX "News" viewers.

Jon Stewart's show often beats FOX's numbers when it comes to viewers.

2 million people watching FOX "News" doesn't account for the hundred MILLION or so of other viewers watching mainstream NEWS.

I know where 20% of the 47% are, they are on this comment forum. The other 27% are where they are because of Bush and Obama. The 20% that are the bottom feeders want their sugar daddy to stay in office so they can continue to get free stuff and will not work no matter what and if obama is defeated they will just go back to stealing and mugging to get their stuff. There are a lot of people who want to work and earn their own living,they do not want handouts, but because of Bush and Obama they got screwed, even though Bush was a lame duck President his last term as both houses were controled by the democrats, obama does not have that luxary to fall back on because in his first two years the dems. controlled the whole kit and kabootle.

at least Jimmy Carter had some dignity...

Seeking........In the baby photo ops, notice the way Romney holds the kids straight out in the air like he Romney showing off a bowling trophy? For christ sakes, he doesn't even know how to hold a baby. President Obama picked up a baby a few months ago and he starts the sway thing right off the bat!.....the kid then is happy......Even babies know the difference between good(Obama) and evil(Romney).

Red Cloud....I know the answer, I know the answer!!!!......all three of the above!

Sirie....So then....do ya think Romney will ever have some dignity? I have not seen it yet either! Think Ann has something to do with it....she makes him iron and do laundry before he can come out and play. It doesn't bother him though, because he learned something from it. "Costco shirts come 3 in a pack!"

The ONLY chance Romney has of winning is if he comes up with a miraculous plan to PAY for the $5 trillion he will add to the debt.

If he can not provide a detailed plan on how he will pay for it, Romney is just another SPEND, SPEND, SPEND Republican.

We can not afford to add $5 trillion to the debt, with no way to pay for it. The Romney plan will completely destroy the economy. THAT is why he is losing. People want a plan, not a "just trust me" line.

I like America

"We looked at BLS figures for each year of Romney’s tenure. (This is tricky business. State rankings can shift depending on which start and stop dates one selects. We looked at January to January, seasonally adjusted figures to coincide most closely to when Romney took office Jan. 2, 2003 and left office Jan. 4, 2007). In the 12 months before he took office, the state ranked 50th in job creation, and for his first 12 months in office, that remained 50th. But by his final year the state ranked 28th.

the 47th out of 50 figure is for Romney's entire tenure.

It’s true that over Romney’s four years as governor, the state ranked 47th out of 50 states in percentage of job growth. It had ranked 37th in the four years prior

this is also from factcheck.org. You are talking about two different things and don't even know it. To make this simple for you:

your first semester in college, you had an F average. Your last semester in college your average was A. But your overall average for all for years was D-. You improved from 1st to last but overall your performance sucked compared to 46 other students in your class.

Get it?

http://www.factcheck.org/2012/06/obama-twists-romneys-economic-record/

From a strategic standpoint I agree with the Washington Posts "Charles Krauthammer." Romney needs to go big. He really needs to stand His ground on what He said about the 47% of Americans who are on the entitlement teat. Most of His supporters say He was simply telling the truth, a hard truth, but the truth. That has to mean they support Him in that assessment. Rather than apologizing for a hard truth, even changing it to mean something entirely different, Romney should expand on His perceived truth of that proposition. He said it. He must believe It. If He believes it, there must be, at least in His mind, a valid basis upon which he formed that belief. He and Ryan should expand upon that proposition, presenting detailed, and indisputable facts, which illustrate the propositions validity. Otherwise, Romney and Ryan join the "gone goose of winter" who resides "somewhere" other than where the 2 of them wish.

Ilike America,

Thanks for the info. The rankings of job creation were based on numbers that were four year averages.

During the four years prior to Romney, the state ranked 37th in job growth. During Romney's four year term the state ranked 47th in job growth according to Lori Robertson at FactCheck.org.

In addition, during Romney's 4 year term, only 45.800 jobs were created, a rate of growth of 1.4% versus the national average of 5.3% in the same period.

I did not see the Obama ad you cited. I did read an article in Time Magazine that provided info I used.

It surprising how quite MSN was about the Polls when Romney was in the lead. Check some real Polls that historically have been accurate. Yes I mean Rasmussen.

Ilike America.

Article was in Newsweek (Paul Begala)

Fool's Gold - maybe you heard about a little news story about the Republican party hiring a firm, and paying them $3M, to register dead people to vote Republican?

The "challenge" for The Flipper and his youthful sidekick Gilligan over the last few weeks of what has so far been an unsuccessful campaign is to somehow move far-enough toward the political center to attract any remaining undecided voters, without substantially alienating those conservative voters far to the political right, who might either move toward Gary Johnson or refuse to vote if they feel that the man who refused to be pinned-down on the issues doesn't represent their interests.

Which is why the RNC is so opposed to having Gary Johnson participate in the Presidential debates.

On the subject of the economy, since the Earth is only 7960 miles in diameter, and since all of the possible natural resources available come from within the 6 mile deep crust, of which 90% is unusable for anything other than landscaping rock, 90% of what remains is salt water, and because 90% of the natural resources ever available to be mined at a reasonable cost have already been plundered, and because world and US population is continuing to grow at an out-of-control rate which will push up the population of both by an average of 30% within the next 40 years, at what point will we need how to figure-out how to grow GDP out of seawater, after many of the current natural resources that currently drive our economy become depleted?

The current theory on that question says that within 40-75 years, the population growth curve will intersect with the resource-depletion curve, and after that, there will be no such thing as GDP growth ever again, no matter which US political party is in power. Forty years ago I was already driving a car and working. Forty years from now my youngest stepson, who is age 19, will not yet be as old as I am now. Forty years from now my grand-daughters and grandson will only be in their 40s. You Gen-Y types think that you have it rough, wait until you are forced to live in a very high-density walk-to physical environment due to a lack of fuels and the shelves at the local grocery store are almost bare, if you even have a job by then!

So, in such an economic scenario, would you more-likely trust a highly inclusive liberal to see to it that your interests were represented fairly, or, would you be more-likely to trust that someone well-known as a money hoarder would ensure that a small percentage of wealthy Americans did not attempt to hoard whatever remains of planetary raw resources for the exclusive benefit of few, while an ever-larger percentage of us starve?

Ever since Romney's comments from months ago about the 47%, and Ryan's ongoing plan to strip needy Americans of long-promised social service benefits, my guess is that in a resource-depletion scenario that these guys would not be willing to represent the interests of all Americans fairly, and would be far more likely to engage in hoarding and exclusionary conduct.

So, do we seek to continue the charade that says that if our wealthy people aren't satiated that there won't be anything left to trickle down to the rest of us, or, do we head in the direction of a proven commodity with a history of representing the interests of all Americans fairly, one with an inclusive vision for American greatness that fairly benefits all of us?

Are you interested in resource-depletion scientific theory? If so, might I recommend the Post-Carbon Institute and a recent book of theirs. Resource-depletion is not a new science, in fact current scientific efforts only build on a number of books going back more than 40 years ago too, books such as The Population Bomb or Limits to Growth, both of which are over 40 years old.

Post-Carbon Institute:

http://www.postcarbon.org/

Their book The End of Growth, published in 2011:

http://www.postcarbon.org/end-of-growth-chapters/

I recommend reading Chapter #3 first, as it is the really-exciting part!!!

As for Romney and Ryan, their campaign has a lot in-common with the theory of resource-depletion, as in their case, the resource in increasingly short supply is undecided voters willing to entertain their radical ideas, in the increasingly-short time remaining before election day!!! My own feeling is that the Presidential debates will be about as good for The Skipper as beaching his yacht on some uncharted shoal out of radio range would be!!!

OBAMA 2012, and a Democrat US House and US Senate too, in order to ensure economic fairness for all

Jody:

Moderate Dem, glad you brought that little-discussed part of Mitt's comments. Those Chinese workers were paid 24 cents per hour for 10 hr days, 6 days per week. American businesses should be ashamed at exploiting people, any people. It is the Ugly American creating slave labor and daring to call it capitalism.

The folks who are backing Romney seem to think that in order for America to be competitive with China, American workers need to become accustomed to working under the same conditions: living in barracks, slave wages, no workplace safety regulations. That's why they want to crush the unions. In order for America to be truly Capitalist, the plutocrats believe it has to be more like Communist China.

This sounds like the Republicans new mantra.

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, Guess I'll go eat worms, long, thin, slimy ones; Short, fat, juicy ones, Itsy, bitsy, fuzzy wuzzy worms.

Down goes the first one, down goes the second one,
Oh how they wiggle and squirm.
Up comes the first one, up comes the second one,
Oh how they wiggle and squirm.

I guess there is a Stench when you're eating worms.

Well said Mac. They should have conviction and give DETAILS to their policies.

People will turn their backs for good then, IMO.

That said, I think Romney will just continue being a chameleon.

Being evasive requires frequent changes of color.

mguy......

I expect that Romney will not only be able to pay for the $5 trillion he will add to the debt, but elimate the entire $15 trillion of debt already in existance.

He has the experience and business skill to do exactly that.

First, he has to divest the US of underperforming entities, like Mississippi, and Wyoming. Other underperformning entities, such as Maine and Wisonsin, can be loaded up with $5 trillion dollars of Federal debt each and spun off to Canada for $1. The southern assets of Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico can transferred to a new entity, Teximexas, loaded up with another $5 trillion dollars of debt, and sold to Mexico for $1.

By restructuring the whole, eliminating underperforming entities, transfering debt to spinoff entities, a businessman with Romney's expertise can return that part of the remaining country to financial solvency, making it an attractive acquisition on the international market.

Obviously, as the architect for saving the failing country, Romney should be able to cash in on quite a significant bonus.

After all, isn't that what "running the country like a business" is all about?

Better start protecting the house and gunning for the senate, Republicans. You will not win the presidency with your chameleon (thanks, don't carry it all) candidate, a buffoon and overall moron Mormon Mitt.

cpo sharkey,

If it were'nt so true it would be funny!

FROM: http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105

Some people look at income inequality and shrug their shoulders. So what if this person gains and that person loses? What matters, they argue, is not how the pie is divided but the size of the pie. That argument is fundamentally wrong. An economy in which most citizens are doing worse year after year—an economy like America’s—is not likely to do well over the long haul. There are several reasons for this.

snip..........

But one big part of the reason we have so much inequality is that the top 1 percent want it that way. The most obvious example involves tax policy. Lowering tax rates on capital gains, which is how the rich receive a large portion of their income, has given the wealthiest Americans close to a free ride. Monopolies and near monopolies have always been a source of economic power—from John D. Rockefeller at the beginning of the last century to Bill Gates at the end. Lax enforcement of anti-trust laws, especially during Republican administrations, has been a godsend to the top 1 percent. Much of today’s inequality is due to manipulation of the financial system, enabled by changes in the rules that have been bought and paid for by the financial industry itself—one of its best investments ever. The government lent money to financial institutions at close to 0 percent interest and provided generous bailouts on favorable terms when all else failed. Regulators turned a blind eye to a lack of transparency and to conflicts of interest.

Alan, NJ --

You see I can project baseless opinions too.

Stop the presses. Who knew?

She even insists he be home for dinner every night at the cost of smoozing the congress, and we all know how personal relationships are important when running the country.

Oh, like St. Ronnie didn't do what Mommy said?

George W. Bush was in bed every night by 9 p.m., wasn't he?

Relationship building might have done him some good, too.

Seriously, that little detail does actually bother me a little, like the night he walked out on Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the night he left Bill Clinton holding the bag at his own press conference.

But why don't you tell me exactly how you build relationships with men who, on the night of your inauguration, are holed up plotting your demise?

@AM

LOL!

Jerry lotsanumbers wrote:

"I know where 20% of the 47% are, they are on this comment forum. The other 27% are where they are because of Bush and Obama."

Your lousy arithmetic exposes you as a right-winger. Here's a little trick you should have learned in grammar school. When you see the word "of" in an arithmetic problem, that means multiply. Thus, 20% OF 47% is equal to 9.4%.

Come on man, don't advertise your ignorance.

Stamp out Republicans. Educate their children.

Houston --

The folks who are backing Romney seem to think that in order for America to be competitive with China, American workers need to become accustomed to working under the same conditions: living in barracks, slave wages, no workplace safety regulations. That's why they want to crush the unions. In order for America to be truly Capitalist, the plutocrats believe it has to be more like Communist China.

It's not even an original idea. Remember that billionaire from Australia who said essentially the same insulting things a few weeks ago? She said that Australian workers are lazy slackers should become more like South Africans who are willing to work for $2 an hour.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/gina-rinehart-australian-billionaire-worlds-richest-woman-clive-palmer-mining-aussie

Meanwhile, she sits atop a mountain of $30 billion in INHERITED net worth and tries to tell workers to eat dirt. Her implied threat of moving Australian mining jobs to South Africa was, however, met with some justifiable skepticism. After all, just the cost to ship all the minerals would be prohibitive, let alone to bury them in the ground so the miners could then work for $2 an hour to dig them up.

Sigh.

Fortunately, however, like George Soros, not all billionaires are that crazy and stupid.

Meanwhile, another Australian billionaire Clive Palmer weighed in, suggesting that Rinehart spend three weeks working in his nickel refinery before telling workers to "stop whinging."

He told The Courier-Mail that while Rinehart was "entitled to her views,'' he feared she may have reignited bitter debate of the "billionaires vs the rest of the world."

"I like the pub, I like going to the footy [football], I like socializing with friends,'' said Palmer, estimated to be worth $6.08 billion.

"And I'd hope we would all get more money at the end of the day for our hard work, not less. I don't think the base wage is enough. I think we need to do more to increase the base wage."

Of course, he could start by PAYING more than the base wage, just as all of the billionaires here could start by paying a little more in taxes and agreeing to higher minimum wages here.

But that would infringe on their freedom, wouldn't it?

CPO

That is very true.

Did you happen to see the Daily Show when they posed this question to Republicans at their convention?

The Republican supporters were saying that the country needs to be run like a business. So the news team looked at the profitability of each state. They compared the states which pay more than they receive from the federal government, to the states that take more than they pay. Obviously the states that pay more are profitable business units, and the states that pay less than they take are unprofitable.

Like a good businessman, the unprofitable states need to go... sorry, it's just business. And guess which way the majority of unprofitable states (business units) vote? That's right, almost all RED.

It was quite funny watching the news team tell Republicans that their own state was not profitable, and thus: "Your fired, get the f*** out of here."

But hey, that's just business. If we run the country like a business, we need to cut the units that are not profitable... that means cutting any state that takes more than they pay. Luckily, I live in a blue state that pays MORE than they take... so we are profitable to the "business".

tnsevol --

Good post. Have you read the piece on Romney and Bain in Rolling Stone?

As is typical for me, I printed it and it's sitting on my table at home. Thank you for posting the link and the excerpt.

Alan, NJ --

Do you ever ask yourself who invests in Bain?

Suckers. They're born every minute, as the FDIC and others discovered in the situation discussed in my post. Mitt Romney was even willing to rob Bain's other investors so he and his buddies could avoid a crash and make a killing at the same time. The plan was to leave the other investors holding the bag of debt while the partners walked away with all the money.

How on earth do you justify that? He'd do exactly the same thing to you if he got the chance. The man is not so much chameleon as he is snake.

Where do think Teachers Unions and other Public Sector Pensions go to get the 8% returns they need to make their numbers work?

Those imaginary 8 percent returns are not working for most of them right now, are they? Or else, why are we even having this debate?

Many would be startled to learn that their nest eggs are incubated by the company that Romney launched and the financiers he hired.

Well, maybe they would. I doubt that's ever been explained to them.

Fortunately, I see that my own state, which is the only 100 percent funded retirement fund in the country, has no money with Bain. They have maintained solvency not through imaginary 8 percent returns from vulture capitalists, but by cutting benefits where necessary in order to hold the line.

One would think you'd admire that if you weren't so busy being an ideologue.

By the way, for some of the states you list, the amounts with Bain are relatively small compared with the size of the funds overall. For the others, you've named some of the states in the biggest pension trouble.

Just goes to show, doesn't it?

You mean like that shrinking violet Michelle Obama?

Speaking of the candidates' wives, would you like to hear a little story about Ann Romney?

This is straight from Mitt Romney's official website:

Mitt married his wife, Ann, in 1969. They first met in elementary school when he was a Cub Scout; he remembers tossing pebbles at her when she rode by on a horse.

http://www.mittromney.com/learn/mitt

Awww...what a charmer Mitt was, even way back then. How can you not love a guy who throws rocks at girls?

...sheesh...

From there, it was a small step to transporting his dog in a rooftop carrier, hosing down the poor sick animal and driving on.

What would Mitt do to our nation's poor? Let's not let him have the chance.

OBAMA/BIDEN 2012

I'm also more confident than ever that the GOP will have to mend their ways during the next four years and compromise or they will commit political suicide and we'll have another 8 years of Democrats in the White House for sure, which in my opinion is a good thing.

Kind of. The implosion of this train wreck known as the Republican party is a national tragedy. No form of government works for a long period of time. Extreme capitalism and extreme socialism are both failures; we are witnessing the failures of extreme capitalism, but if we swing too far to the left, the failures of extreme socialism will be just as devastating.

As a country, we cannot survive with a single party. The best thing that can happen for the country is that the Republicans have some real soul-searching, re-constitute themselves and truly do become the party of fiscal responsibility and everything else they claim to stand for, and once did, but don't any longer. These need to stop being buzzwords and need to become real principles once again.

From Alan Beasley:

"Republican Party Over?" - headline Nov 1st 1980. "Carter to Crush Reagan - worse defeat in U.S. History!" - Nov 3rd 1980 "Will Reagan win One State? What did Reagan do wrong" - Nov 4th 1980

As I drove to vote on Election Day for Reagan, I listened to the Radio saying how Reagan would be crushed!

Reagan was down in the polls by 13 points! My friends told me I was wasting my time voting for a B Movie star - who was only concerned with the rich!

Reagan was going to lose almost every state!

MAYBE Reagan would win 2 or 3 states - but Carter would be re-elected by a landslide.

"What did Reagan do wrong", the radio DJ asked.

"Was it due to Carters success with the economy? Or International affairs?" the radio continued to ask...

"How will a Reagan defeat change the Republican Party?"

"Will a Reagan trouncing end the Republican Party?"

I voted - I was sad because I thought Reagan was what America needed in 1980.

But there was no way he could win ... oh well!

Another 4 years of Carter was a certainty on Election Day in 1980

- maybe in 1984 Republicans could try to pull the pieces together....

Bill, Fairfax VA

ARRA is generally viewed as a success.

That of course is a rebuttable presumption, and I'm quite prepared to present that rebuttal from several different angles. But today I'll pick this one. Dust off your Econ 101 textbook and find the calculation for GDP that goes something like this: GDP = C + I + G + (Ex-Im) – where "G" stands for government spending. So BY DEFINITION, any government dollars spent as part of ARRA would show up as a contribution to GDP, contributions which CBO dutifully estimated in their analyses of the impact of the law. But that begs the question: was the purpose of ARRA to artificially goose GDP numbers for a few quarters, or was the purpose of ARRA to help put the country on the path to sustainable economic growth? If you choose the former metric, then ARRA did have some modest "success" for a limited period of time. But as measured in the more meaningful terms of sustained economic progress, ARRA has been a dismal (and very costly) failure as we continue to muddle along the new normal curve of 2% growth and 8% unemployment. Case closed.

Oh bull@!$%#. First of all, everyone with a familiar knowledge of economics knows that GDP increases if government spending increases. They also know that if government spending DECREASES, GDP decreases (not increases). Secondly, you fail to remember that during recessions, even the uptick in government spending thanks to increases in unemployment aren't enough to make up for the gap between investment and potential output; economic stimulus is required to fully cover that gap. The stimulus did a very good job of providing long-term investments, but balancing long-term investments and short-term stimulus is tricky. Thirdly, the problem with saying that the stimulus didn't work is that you don't take into account what the economy was going through at that time. Chances are that the economy had not hit bottom when the stimulus took effect, meaning that without it, the economy would be much worse. The problem with determining that a stimulus package worked and to what degree it worked is that we cannot accurately predict what would have happened had the stimulus not been passed. A majority of economists, however, have agreed that the stimulus did work to reverse the recession and job losses, yet that it wasn't enough to get the economy on a more sound footing.

Count on Fairfax Bill to throw out the Keynesian red herring. Keynesian theory has NEVER been put into play anywhere in the world, much less the U.S.

Red herring? Hardly, in fact you help reinforce my original point by noting that Keynesian theory has never been fully implemented anywhere. Keynesian theory holds that governments should run budget deficits during economic downturns as a means to "take up the slack" in aggregate demand during these periods. But that's only half the concept, the other half is that governments should run budget surpluses once the economy recovers so that over the course of an entire business cycle the government's budget will be in net balance. Well, our government as well as many other governments around the world have been pretty good at the deficit spending part, but laughably inept at the surplus part.

While that is true, what I would point out is that technically at least a few of Lord Keynes' policies have been carried out at one time or another, and might I point out that the surplus part was especially enacted the last time a Democrat was sitting in the White House. And many nations around the world are running surpluses right now, probably because economic growth has not been hit as hard (due to stellar growth before the recession) but also because they have been more adept at dealing both with recessions and with the entire concept of a recession.

That's why it's entirely appropriate to criticize Obama policies that seek the economic juice which $5 trillion in Keynesian inspired deficit spending was supposed to provide when there is no reasonable expectation whatsoever that Obama will put the budget into balance (much less surplus) at the back end of the cycle.

Actually, it's not appropriate to criticize Obama for adding $4.8 trillion (which is the real number) to the debt. For one thing, most of the debt was caused because the recession shrank revenues and blew up spending, which was stacked on top of the massive Bush deficits. For another, the budget is supposed to go into the red during a recession; only nations with previously stellar amounts of growth or that have been either quick to react or relatively unaffected can have surpluses. And by the way, when you stated that 50% of Keynes' fiscal advice was run surpluses during good years, you seemed to forget that we did that under Bush. Now I'm now saying that the Bush years were particularly great (worst decade of job creation; most economic growth came from the housing bubble), but what I am saying is that the Republicans couldn't even balance the damn budget when there was an investment bubble, when revenues tend to go up. If the GOP can't balance the budget during the years of the housing bubble, how the hell can you expect Romney to do that during or after this anemic recovery????

The crash we saw at the end of the Bush years was decades in the making. Bush Administration profligacy was simply the straw that broke the camel's back

The crash was decades in the making, but Bush "profligacy" had precious little to do with that. You conveniently ignore the federal housing policies over those decades that contributed substantially to the conditions that led to the crash. Policies that allowed more and more Americans with fewer and fewer financial qualifications to get home mortgages. You and your ilk always ignore the role President Bill Clinton, HUD Secretaries Henry Cisneros and Andrew Cuomo, Congressman Barney Frank, Fannie CEOs Jim Johnson and Franklin Raines and Freddie CEO Richard Syron had in this mess. The fact is these folks have their fingerprints all over the housing bubble and the subsequent crash. And oh BTW, it was George Bush who fired Syron and it was the Bush administration that brought suit against Raines (a leftover from the Clinton years) for abetting widespread accounting irregularities at Fannie.

While I do admit that government policies did not help the housing bubble, and the deregulation of the economy certainly hurt us, I doubt that the CRA had anything to do about it. The CRA was not the major catalyst; 84% of subprime mortgages were from private lenders, for God's sake. In my opinion, it was a combination of unreasonably low Fed interest rates, the deregulatory policies of the past 30 years, the ever increasing reliance on credit to finance spending (particularly on home-equity loans), and the house-owning "mania" that led to the housing bubble.

And oh BTW2, you might want to cast a jaundiced eye at ratings agencies like Moody's and S&P whose see-no-evil approach to grading mortgage backed securities had just a teensy bit to do with the problem. Blaming all of this on Bush is just a hackneyed talking point drawn from the vaults of deluded left wing mythology. Gretchen Morgenson from the NYT wrote a book called "Reckless Endangerment" that sets that record straight, you might want to read it.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2011/06/24/how_the_democrats_

nearly_destroyed_the_economy_110339-2.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/opinion/17brooks.html?_r=0

I agree that the rating agencies @!$%#ed up when it came to the mortgage securities. Then again, there is a ton of evidence against the theory that the CRA caused the bubble.

OBAMA BIDEN 2012

The Republican'ts have a very straight forward agenda:

Kill Obamacare
Kill Medicare
Kill Medicaid
Kill Social Security
Kill Unemployment Insurance
Kill Finance Reform
Kill Food Stamps
Kill Labor groups
Kill Taxes
Kill NPR
Kill Regulation
Kill Science
Kill Welfare
Kill Gun Control
Kill Animal Rights
Kill NASA
Kill The IRS
Kill Civil Rights
Kill Collective bargaining
Kill E.R.A.
Kill taxes on the 1%
Kill minimum Wage
Kill Planned Parenthood
Kill Public Schools
Kill the Post Office
Kill Early Voting
Kill FCC, FAA, FDA, FISA
Kill Pell Grants
Kill Clean Energy
Kill EPA
Kill FEMA
Kill Contraception
Kill Abortions

Etc.

I would also add:

Kill off Food Inspectors

Kill off all sanitation regulations

Kill the Public Sector

Kill off the voting rights of legal minorities, elderly, students, women, working class, the handicapped...

Kill off the word, "United," in, "States of America."

And...

Kill off our Stars and Stripes and our Bald Eagle, and replace both with a cowardly yellow flag of a coiled, ugly snake that wants to kill you.

Kill Choices.

(...Is there anything the radical right won't kill off?)

So, I see the PMSNBC NBCNews.com cabal is polluting the blogs with their distorted polls and the limp-wristed Liberals are fawning all over themselves. Of course distortions and deflections are all the Liberal minions can do to cloak the miserable results of 48 months of our Campaigner-in-Chief.

But I did notice that Benghazi-gate may finally be exposed as even PMSNBC is running the fact that US officials have "revised" their assessment of the Libyan attack that resulted in four dead Americans was NOT a spontaneous but a planned terrorist attack.

Funny how the Liberal media has refused to address this for lack of an "internal investigation" because they can't get authorities into the consulate but CNN was in there 4 days after the assault and actually found Ambassador Stevens journal.

Of course we haven't been hearing much more grandstanding about "Bin Laden is dead" as Al Qaeda is much more significant and were implicit in the murder of the Ambassador. This is what happens when an incompetent leader and his useful idiots try to convince the American people that they have a foreign policy. We don't have a domestic or economic policy, why on earth would anyone believe we have a foreign policy as the Middle East is in chaos and our empty suit president continues to apologize or deflect to avoid exposing more abysmal policy failures.

ROMNEY/RYAN 2012 for real Americans

You can tell when the losing candidate's minions get desperate by the lengths of their posts! they figure they can no longer make inroads by calling names, now they have to post lengthy diatribes trying to re-write history.

http://fzknew.newsvine.com/_news/2012/09/26/14112919-romney-and-the-forbes-400

What was illuminating was not so much who was on the list but what they collectively told us about the state of the richest of the rich. Thirty years ago, when Forbes published its first Forbes 400, a net worth of $75 million would get you on the list. Today it takes $1.1 billion. In the last year alone, the cumulative net worth of the wealthiest 400 people, by Forbes’s calculation, rose by $200 billion. That compares with a 4 percent drop in median household income last year, according to the Census Bureau. One would be hard pressed to find a clearer example of how powerfully income inequality has taken root.

Like Romney, Forbes magazine is a little defensive about this — and, like Romney, Forbes has adopted a self-justifying narrative. Luisa Kroll, one of the magazine’s “wealth editors,” nods toward “concerns” about income inequality in her introduction to the list, but she goes on to write that “a deeper analysis instills confidence that the American dream is still very much alive.” In fact, it does nothing of the sort.

In my opinion a vote for Romney is a vote to KILL the American dream.

Hi Backhouse - moment of silence or fill in the blank? The headline reads: Romney needs a game changer. We don't get the media blitz where I live, but the glimpses I get of the 'Romney-Vision' being broadcast remind me of Bill Murray (in Scrooged) showing his promo for the upcoming 'Special'. Dark and terrifying results if you don't vote for Mitt. It all becomes less important after he sees an eyeball in his glass (heh heh, gross). I don't think Romney can scare me into voting for him when it's him scares me into voting for Obama to begin with.

What we’ve learned after nine NBC/WSJ/Marist battleground polls… Campaigns play the debate expectations game… But here’s the only expectation you need to know: Romney needs a game-changer

Oh pleezz... Its far worse than that. Romney needs a game-changer that will actually work. He's already tried to shake up his campaign a couple of times. The whole world thinks he is out of touch with the common citizen. They're right.

The whole world thinks he is out of touch with the common citizen. They're right.

You mean the common citizen doesn't want to be harvested? Sir, surely you don't know what the American People(TM) want!

Romney's challenge is to con people into thinking he's not a douchebag (he is a douchebag). It's the same problem John Kerry had (also a douchebag). You'd think that the political parties would do some polling before they waste to much time trying to sell people something that they will never buy. People don't like douchebags they never have and they never will. Many people will vote the party line despite their dislike for the douche but the swing vote will either vote against a douche or just stay home.

Romney says polls only work when he's ahead !!!!!!!!!!!!

As for where Romney’s in the best shape: North Carolina

--------------------I love the beautiful state of N. C. having lived there a couple times. Having said that these are the same people who voted for Jesse Helms and support the UNC basketball team. Enough said. It's a wonder Presidernt Obama carried the state in 08 and is ever so slightly ahead now.

Everyone keeps telling us in the forum that Obama will creat 380,00 new jobs in the next year and that Romney will cost 1.2 billion jobs. Tell me, where are the jobs that Obama has NOT produced in the last 3-3/4 years in office? Where is the prosperity gone in the last 3-3/4 years? How many bed buddy companies have sucked us dry in the last 3-3/4 years? I don't hate the President, he's just lousy president and in over his head. All he knows is spend, spend, spend. You can print all the money you want to, but it does not help the ordinary citizen. I will vote for Romney this election and if he doesn't do as he says, I will vote for someone else next time! Obama has had his chance and failed miserably!

#2.9

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/27/data-job-growth-obama_n_1919533.html

According to the revision, total non-farm payrolls stood at 133.686 million jobs in August, up from 133.561 million in January 2009, when Obama's first term began. Before the revision, payrolls were at 133.300 million in August.

In other words, 125,000 jobs have been created, in total, during Obama's first term, compared with a prior estimate of a loss of 261,000.

This is obviously a very small difference, but it takes away a weapon that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee for president, has used repeatedly to hit Obama: the claim that there has been a net job loss since he took office.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/06/01/493849/obama-bush-jobs-record/?mobile=nc

The numbers are even starker when measuring each president’s record from the moment job creation returned. Private sector job creation returned in February of 2010, the 13th month of President Obama’s term. Since then, the economy has added 4.3 million private sector jobs, a 4 percent increase.

Under President Bush, the economy stopped shedding private sector jobs in July of 2003, fully 30 months into his administration. From that point until May of 2004, the economy added just 1.5 million private sector jobs, an increase of only 1.4 percent.

But there is one area of job creation where President Bush clearly outshines President Obama: the public sector. Public sector employment is now down 608,000 workers since January 2009, a 2.7 percent decline. At the same point in President Bush’s term, public sector employment was up 3.7 percent. If, over the past 40 months, public sector employment had grown at the same pace as it did in President Bush’s first term, there would be 1.4 million additional people at work right now. That’d be enough to bring the unemployment rate down by nearly a full percentage point.

My question given these FACTS is: where were all the small government deficit hawks during GWB's (mis)administration?

Okie-2790128

I will vote for Romney this election and if he doesn't do as he says, I will vote for someone else next time! Obama has had his chance and failed miserably!

And you'll just keep on voting for everyone the corporations present to you as "the right stuff". Fact of the matter is Obama has handled the financial meltdown he was dealt quite well. I feel he could have been somewhat more aggressive, but we'll see how he does in the next 4 years.

Our Nation's financial health was brutally attacked by exactly the kind of ilk Willard Romney represents. And you will gladly support them because you don't have the will to fight, nor the intellectual curiosity to check the facts.

My mother was born in Muskogee and use to joke about "Okies". From her description, it would seem you selected an appropriate monicker.

Ol_Doc

I’m soooooo looking forward to ALL the regular FR lefty liberals condemning billionaire George Soros for trying to “buy the election” for Barry

you have George Soros' $2.8 million so far and I will raise you Sheldon Adelson's $26.5 million. Who's buying the election?

They found Hoffa today and he was glad to get that concrete off his chest. He said "I'm voting for Romney" he still hates the Kennedy's and the Democrats.

zuksam - well that's a ringing endorsement for Mitt Romney - Jimmy Hoffa! Yeah, that's the endorsement EVERY honest politician wants!!!!

Obama/Biden 2012

I agree that Romney and his Tea Party buddies will send the American economy back into recession with their wrong-headed austerity plan.

Growth is not achieved by laying off even more workers. Cutting spending is cutting jobs. Too many simply cannot understand this connection.

The government spends its (our) money to pay people to do things for the government and America as a whole. In times of high unemployment, a laid off government worker cannot readily find another job, so he or she collects unemployment compensation at rate of 70% of their previous income. They must cut back on spending. This hurts the economy while not saving much money.

Others, fearing they will be next, increase saving and decrease spending.

Austerity will not work in a time of high unemployment.

It didn't work for Romney in Massachusetts and it won't work now in America.

NO KKKwilson- I meant voting for ANY republican, including, and most importantly voting for MItt Romney/Paul Ryan will certainly destroy most people's access to the American Dream.

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/features/2011/05/top-one-percent-201105

Americans have been watching protests against oppressive regimes that concentrate massive wealth in the hands of an elite few. Yet in our own democracy, 1 percent of the people take nearly a quarter of the nation’s income—an inequality even the wealthy will come to regret.

Old doc says "fact of the matter" then inserts opinion. Liberals have always had their own definition of things. Obama said he is for redistribution, first you say he was taken out of context, then it is ok to redistribute. Libs are the ones who call everything a "war on ........" when conservatives realize that there is only so much money. Raise spending and when someone says you're broke let us go back to rational spending levels, they say you are at war trying to kill them.

julio-2717909

Old doc says "fact of the matter" then inserts opinion. Liberals have always had their own definition of things. Obama said he is for redistribution

What's wrong with "redistribution"? Mitt's campaign donors just LOVE the redistribution of wealth they've benefited from since the 1980s: the redistribution from the middle class and poor to the already wealthy.

Hosuton: from the above vanity fair link:

When you look at the sheer volume of wealth controlled by the top 1 percent in this country, it’s tempting to see our growing inequality as a quintessentially American achievement—we started way behind the pack, but now we’re doing inequality on a world-class level. And it looks as if we’ll be building on this achievement for years to come, because what made it possible is self-reinforcing. Wealth begets power, which begets more wealth. During the savings-and-loan scandal of the 1980s—a scandal whose dimensions, by today’s standards, seem almost quaint—the banker Charles Keating was asked by a congressional committee whether the $1.5 million he had spread among a few key elected officials could actually buy influence. “I certainly hope so,” he replied. The Supreme Court, in its recent Citizens United case, has enshrined the right of corporations to buy government, by removing limitations on campaign spending. The personal and the political are today in perfect alignment. Virtually all U.S. senators, and most of the representatives in the House, are members of the top 1 percent when they arrive, are kept in office by money from the top 1 percent, and know that if they serve the top 1 percent well they will be rewarded by the top 1 percent when they leave office. By and large, the key executive-branch policymakers on trade and economic policy also come from the top 1 percent.

And lest ye think I am obtuse: i DO realize that President Obama currently belongs to the 1%; however, I also realize he wasn't born that way! I was born the same year he was (1961) and can say this country no longer offers the OPPORTUNITY to be upwardly mobile as it used to be.

upward mobility is not defined by rules and regulations as much as by the individual will and work ethic. Owebama's policies kill Individual will and work ethic. it punishes and demonizes success. It encourages the young to either work for government or wallow in welfare. The natioal debt is another impediment to future generations who will have to pay the huge bill incurred by our current president.

cal20, All of the things you write about are the fault of republicans, not the President. Republicans said at the beginning of President Obama's term that they are going to disrupt everything, we will not let anything the President want to do, pass. Our voters believe everything we tell them, so if we make their lives miserable and blame Obama, they will believe us and hate him.

Republicans are not honest about anything, they come after their own voters with one trick after another, knowing that no matter how stupid it sounds, because it came from them you will believe it.

Everybody that has nothing but mean things to say about liberals, one thing is perfectly clear, they have no idea what a liberal is. Republicans have never said liberals are bad people, just the tone of their voice makes dim-witted people think they are, another republican trick. The truth is, liberals do not help just one segment of the country, liberals help everybody. Every government program that benefits every man, woman, and child in America, liberals created them. Schools, Social Security, unemployment insurance, postal service, the list goes on and on. When republicans say, this person is a bleeding heart liberal, that, right there, is the first sign that this republican means you no good, he is telling you that this person will do whatever he can to help you, but the only help you can expect from me is a kick in the butt.

Republicans are very smart people, they know that their voters will not check anything they say, so for that reason, they are free to tell die-hard republican voters anything, at the end of all their lies, they add, Obama did these things, and like the good little dim-witted die-hard republican voter, you believe them.

Hey Shaak what economics class did you take. Every dollar taken out of the private sector decreases the chance that the private sector has to create jobs, give raises or pay for benefits. This is where jobs come from. The government is the leech that sucks the life out of the economy. Here is the example, as the government has grown over the past decade the economy has stagnated and contracted. If you keep losing private sector jobs, I'll guarantee you that the government goes bankrupt. It is the private sector that pays for everything and that is the BOTTOMLINE.

Commonsense,

Private corporations have recorded record setting profits these past years. If what you say is true, where are the jobs, where are the pay raises?

Cal,

How has Obama done that?

Zuk,

They didn't find Hoffa's body.

Sarah they are waiting to see if Obamacare stands, and also the threat of a tax increase puts there future endeavors on hold.

Maverick,

Record corporate profits have been pulled in for about 30 years, while the wages have been stagnant for about 30 years, and job creation has trended down.

This has been going on long before Obama came into office.

Trickle down, was implemented under Reagan, and has remained in place since, so how is legislation that hasn't even been fully implemented yet, responsible for a 30 year trend?

Obama’s lead gives credence to the assertion thirsty American voters placed in a desert would drink sand, not because they were dying of thirst, but because they simply don’t know the difference!!!

Clear,

If you're going to vote your own post up, you might want to wait until people actually have the time to read it.

Now, can you make a case for Romney, or just post obscure analogies?

Love it, wealth redistribution is going to help America. How? Why, it's going to punish those evil rich people and make everyone equal. Great rationalizing here. France is going to 'equalize' the folks as well, of course Hollande is an admitted socialist and the drones who voted for him seem to believe that getting rid of rich people will make France's economy strong and vibrant. Not.

The wonderful thing about the 'redistributionist' mindset is how often it is used to usher in totalitarian regimes. Go do some research on Robert Mugabe and what his 'redistribution' did for Zimbabwe. A perfect primer on how to destroy a country and the liberals (aka:leftists) embrace that mindset most heartily.

As for those who keep using the 'trickle down' meme, please, explain where that concept came from and how it was used and who used it first. It isn't mentioned by any economists, isn't a concept created by economists, so why is it so widespread?

Sarah: My, my, do you now keep score? You can make a case for Romney by examining Obama and his three and over-one-half years in office, examine what he has done to:

a, prosecute Wall Street criminals.

b. Insure that derivatives and those things that led to the financial collapse are not repeated.

c. Allow business to flourish rather than suffer under punitive regulations and taxation (outside of the bennies for hiring vets)

d. Not nationalize industries like healthcare and automotive.

e. Improve relations with the Middle East.

f. Help with unemployment issues by means other than more food stamps (given to Mexicans in Mexico)

g. Explain what he has done to address the illegal immigration issues besides granting blanket amnesty and encouraging illegals to go on food stamps and welfare.

There are a number of other issues with Obama's actions that liberals attempt to defend by addressing Bush and hoping to deflect from Obama. Guess you are all ok with the NDAA and Patriot Act II? Sorry, if it weren't for the deflection, the blame game and other actions of denial and avoidance practiced to give Obama a 'pass' his numbers would be in the tank.

My vote is for Ron Paul. Obama and Romney are corporate puppets, but at least with Romney there is a possibility that the hemorrhaging will stop.

Sarah-3043284

Given that we are offered only two meaningful choices, it is a matter of selecting the lessor of two evils in a manner of speaking! As an independent and someone who truly loves his country, I am compelled to approach this matter in a manner not unlike that of an investigative reporter. As such, I am not constrained by useless platitudes or the emotional rants of more myopic single issue constituencies.

However, before I waste my time regaling you with relevance,
let me ask you a question. I assume you are aware that psychology involves an academic and applied discipline that involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviors.

So, have you applied an academic approach to the investigation of the formative and developmental psychology governing Obama’s more overt actions as president? Have you thoroughly examined his background and factors influencing his day to day decision making processes?

Liberalism has been about creating collectivism while supposedly promoting individual liberties. These two philosophy are mutually exclusive. You cannot be for all these individual so-called "rights" all while championing policies for "the greater good".

I am amazed how programmed the American voter has become. I just wish that as many people cared about the national debt as they do the NFL replacement refs...

for mittens to garner even a small chance of winning the election mittens must have the first debate for him to top jesus' "sermon on the mount". that will be a cold day in hell!

Contemporaneity does not prove causation. Just because Obama has been president during the last 3 1/2 years doesn't mean that his policies have failed America. In fact, it is far easier laying blame for the slowness of recovery on Republicans themselves for their unrelenting and dogmatic obstructionism.

Republicans pledged to subordinate everything else to making Obama a one-term president, and they've done everything possible to make that happen by (1) imposing a minority-rule doctrine in the US Senate by their use of filibusters with far greater frequency than any party has before to make every attempt at curing the economy a failed attempt, (3) repeatedly voting in unison in conformity with a pledge not to uphold the Constitution but rather not to ever raise taxes, thereby pledging allegiance to an unelected lobbyist's narrow ideology rather than the improvement of America in a time of economic crisis, (4) launching ugly, disrespectful, and false personal attacks aimed at degrading Obama or invalidating his Presidency by (a) creating images of him as a monkey, a devil, painting a Hitler mustache on his nose, (b) by labeling him a Communist, a Socialist, a collectivist, a Leninist, a Maoist, even though those who apply such labels don't know anything about what those political philosophies stand for or how they're different from each other, and (c) trying to convince themselves and others of the fiction that Obama was not born in Honolulu in 1961 despite publication of his birth certificate after a mendacious campaign that demanded publication of his birth certificate to prove he was a "real American," a demand never before made of any previous President.

Romney is finding out that Americans are not ready to abandon the American dream in favor of an austerity program that will only continue the transfer of middle class wealth to millionaires and billionaires. Americans are rightly fearful of Romney's lack of core principles and his ill-timed, ill-conceived, opportunistic attempts to criticize Obama during an international crisis with American lives at stake.

As characterized in a Rolling Stone article, Romney is Gordon Gekko with better PR. His so-called success in business as a corporate raider and leveraged buyout specialist came at the expense of workers and taxpayers, he's an outsourcer extraordinaire, and he has yet to explain how he'd get America working again other than to give his wealthy donors additional tax breaks even though "trickle down" has undeniably proven to be "trickle up." His refusal to publish more than 2 years of his tax returns demonstrates beyond peradventure that he fears how the public would judge him and his "financial success" as revealed by those tax returns.

More than ever, it's time to buy American and never buy products made by America's traitors, the corporations and other business entities that outsourced American jobs, it's time to oust every politician who says Americans must join the ranks of Europeans in foisting austerity programs on its citizens that only feather the nests of wealthy people, and it's time to resoundingly tell the Republican Party that we're tired of your class warfare waged with unlimited campaign funding paid to corrupt politicians to rig the tax system in their favor, we're tired of your transparent attempts to appeal to Americans' fears and your resort to jingos that encourage blind patriotism, we're definitely tired of your lies that divide Americans (47% of Americans are parasites of federal taxpayers), and we're going to vote for a brighter future, not a bleaker one, by re-electing Barack Obama and other Democrats to rid this country of as many relentless warriors for the wealthy as possible.

Republicans say that they want to take back America. I say they want to take America back--to the 19th Century by erasing every social gain made during the Twentieth Century--progressive taxation, collective bargaining, Social Security, Medicare, and women's rights. That's not conservatism, it's regression.

Sarah they are waiting to see if Obamacare stands, and also the threat of a tax increase puts there future endeavors on hold.

Oh, BS! They aren't going to expand until demand warrants it. Obamacare and future tax increases have nothing to do with it!

Democrats are the Fiscal Conservatives... We now call for a War on Error...

EEric: Umm, so Obamacare and taxes aren't factors in business these days? Really?

Reading the rants of the those dipping into the Obama flavored Kool-Aid is a lot like watching the Foster Farms Chicken Puppets rant about how they are going to be accepted as farm fresh in spite of the fact that they are pridefully not farm...fresh.

On November 7th we get to see these same lemmings gasp in disbelief when they come to find they were the only ones paying no attention to that man behind the green curtain as they chose to believe their self appointed mesiah over their own lying eyes.

Because B.O. Stinks!

Romney/Ryan 2012

My Girl,

a, prosecute Wall Street criminals.

Do you honestly believe that Romney, will prosecute a single one?

b. Insure that derivatives and those things that led to the financial collapse are not repeated.

This would imply regulation of Wall St, yet the Republicans in congress pretty much stripped Dodd-Frank of any power, and fought the Consumer Protection Agency.

c. Allow business to flourish rather than suffer under punitive regulations and taxation (outside of the bennies for hiring vets)

That's in direct conflict to your A and B.

d. Not nationalize industries like healthcare and automotive.

Democrats have done neither. ACA is a free-market solution to a single payer system and was thought up at the Conservative Heritage Foundation.

e. Improve relations with the Middle East.

Romney wants to increase defense spending and create a red line for war with Iran.

f. Help with unemployment issues by means other than more food stamps (given to Mexicans in Mexico)

That's a flat out lie. The largest demographic on SNAP is white people. Furthermore, most SNAP recipients DO have jobs and pay taxes, i.e. payroll, sales, state...

g. Explain what he has done to address the illegal immigration issues besides granting blanket amnesty and encouraging illegals to go on food stamps and welfare.

First, let's clear up your lie, 1996 Welfare Reform DISQUALIFIED all undocumented people from any means tested assistance. Second, contrary to what I want him to do, he's deported more undocumented people in his first term, then Bush did in ALL of his.

Finally, educate yourself on the truth about immigration...

http://www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights/immigration-myths-and-facts

http://www.energyofanation.org/sites/25e1f498-741c-478a-8a08-aa486d8533a5/uploads/undocumented_immigrants_3.pdf

http://www.illegalimmigrationstatistics.org/illegal-immigration-pros-tax-paying-illegal-workers-contribute-to-the-economy/

Now, can you provide PROOF and SOURCES for how Obama has done ANY of that, or can you simply parrot the right-wing, fringe, lies?

Throughout our nation’s history, both before and after the American Revolution, our nation’s pastors freely spoke out on the political and moral issues of the day. It was their duty and their right under the Constitution to preach against immorality and corruption in the political and the moral realm.

However, as you look back to1954, LBJ ( another Godless liberal Democrat not unlike Obama) was facing re-election to the Senate and was being aggressively opposed by two non-profit anti-Communist groups that were “attacking Johnson’s liberal agenda”. In retaliation, Johnson inserted language into the IRS code that prohibited non-profits, including churches, from endorsing or opposing candidates for political office. In effect, this morally corrupt man used the power of the IRS to silence his opposition. Unfortunately, it worked.

So, a country that has been relentlessly in the courts driving God out of public life since 1963 shouldn’t be surprised by the problems now facing this nation. As we grind through the upcoming election process, it seems like the debate over morality in America has less to do with moral outcomes and more to do with a vision of how society should look based on idealistic remembrances of how things were.

Only intelligence seasoned by wisdom is likely to unravel the social ills endemic in our society today. Theoretically, that will require baby boomers whose IQ is on the right side of the bell curve to stand together against the festering moral corruption that has metastasized into a pathological cancer on our society under Obama.

Certainly, the Republican party is not the party of sainthood, but by contrast with exponential rate of moral decline in the Democratic party under Obama's leadership, it represents the only intellectually defensible option capable of pulling the county out of the economic and moral muck and mire!

Obama first term check list:

1. Continue and expand massive bail-out of bankers (started by Bush) so they won't suffer any business losses and also so the devastating failure of Neo-liberal economic policies will not be exposed (or noticed) and have to be abandoned. √

2. Make sure the criminals on Wall Street don’t do any jail time or suffer financially for swindling the economy off of a cliff in 2008. √

3. Make sure bank officials don't go to jail or suffer financially for stealing people's homes by the use of fraudulent signatures and foreclosure documents. Immunize banks against prosecution. √

4. Make sure Bush administration officials don’t do any jail time or suffer any consequences for criminal activity related to invading Iraq, torture/abuse of prisoners, and domestic surveillance. Immunize officials against any future prosecution. √

5. Do as little as possible about record high unemployment and foreclosures. √

6. Defend and expand Bush era attacks on civil liberties and lay foundations for corporate policy state. √

7. Play golf √

Obama, second term "to do" list:

1. Launch attack against poor and middle class standard of living using "austerity" with the deficit as rationale. As much as possible cut Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid in preparation for eventual destruction of those programs.

2. Attack Iran militarily with Israel to keep Israel dominate in the region and allow Israel to finish destroying any prospect of a viable Palestinian state. Also to score "hits" against future economic rivals, Russia and China.

3. Continue cutting back or gutting civil liberties and laying "legal" foundation for corporate police state.

4. Play golf.

ArchStanton,

You obviously haven't played golf to do business.

Please provide fact-checked substantiation for your predictions.

Arch,

AND THEN...

Obama's going to make everyone drive hybrids, eat aborted fetuses, landscape immigrants lawns, and get gay married.

obama has such a big lead in nh the only tv ads i saw this mourning were his. why would he be spending money on ads in a state he is supposed to be winning. maybe romney just gave up because i havent seen any of his ads in a while. heres pauls poll! obama isnt leading in new hampshire he is leading in the people who were going to vote for him anyway. heres to anybody but obama. from the great state of new hampshire live free or die. and to all those who moved here for the quality of life stop voting like you still live in taxachusetts!

Sarah-3043284

Clear is right on the money! Anyone with even the most basic understanding of economics is expecting an economic collapse in the US similar to that of Greece should Obama be reelected. We will see how these smart mouthed liberals like it when the inflationary impact of Obama's reckless spending and monetizing of the national debt causes the rule of 72 to double their cost of living over the next 10 years with wages falling woefully short of keeping up and unemployment increasing by another 50%.

Those who fail to look at the upcoming election in the broader context are fools of the greatest magnitude and don't even realize it!

Romney/Ryan 2012

GetSmarter-6145242

You asked in a later chat "Has anyone else felt like there are people posting on this site that are actually paid to do so in an attempt to support a party?"

Actually, it was reported in a very reputable publication that the Obama campaign hired a group of people specifically counter negative press articles a few years ago. I will have to go back and locate the article, but you can just about bet that is taking place! Just another example of Obama style dirty Chicago politics

All Republicans are alike and they have served no one in this country for the last 12 years except themselves. It's time we vote out Tea Baggers and the right wing extremists, so we can get this country moving in the right direction again. It might also help the Republicans get the message that if they're going to run a candidate, run one with half a brain and some moderate views. It's time the voters made their voices heard! Another Obama victory is not enough to get America moving forward again...we need Democrats in control of the Congress and Senate as well!!!

VOTE A STRAIGHT DEMOCRATIC TICKET THIS YEAR!!!

VOTE AS MANY REPUBLICANS OUT OF CONGRESS AND SENATE AS POSSIBLE!!!!

HEY GREAT NEWS...........obama has the election in the bag! Hugo Chavez has come out and endorsed him saying "I would vote for him!" Only one problem though, obama has to get him into the US illegally and have him registered to vote fraudulently......Oh wait, that should be no problem for THIS president!

How about this - get Chavez legal in the US, run him for president in four years after obama's next term is over, get obama as Chavez's VP, then we can all celebrate with a TRULY "out-from-the-closet" Socialist government! HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE!

What is Amazing is the select few number of Naive Americans who have

beenConned/Fooled by the republicanCrimeCartelPropagandaMachine. Think about

it... These Very Well monied, SnakeOil Salemen, MittTaxPittanceRommel and his SideKick, Eddie Munster, are The Elitist Thug's economic Hitters Who Caused This Whole WORLD Disaster Starting with
President Reagan and Most Assuredly Pronounced with KingGeorge The VacuumBrained during his NOTORIOUSLY SHAMEFUL Shrubber Reign 2001- 2008. These two Amoral Politaphiles are into Contolling and Manipulating America in their favor, at the pleasure of their 1-10%er and corporate Masters, ACTUALLY StealingAmerica's economic power. Research It: These Republican 1-10% wealthy
and corporate Thieves have OVER $40 Trillion Dollars, OUR MONEY, Stolen From
US with Their Phony Bank Fees and out and out Acoount Looting, Stashed in
Overseas accounts in their names and registration numbered foreign accounts.
Money needed for rebuilding America NOT Bloating their elitist
"family wealth" for the future of their "Little Darlings" SUCH AS Rommels $48,000,000
Malibu Mansion WITH an InHouse Car Elevator for his son's $180,000 Ferrari. Prez
O is the ONLY Choice. These ARISTOCRAT ELITIST THUGS Who Escaped THEIR FINAL
DATE with THE MADAM in 1792, The French Revolution, calling themselves
"republicans" BELONG IN PRISON NOT in Congress or The WhitHouse. Try this one on
for size:
President Harry Truman in 1948: "The Republicans … will
try to
make people
believe that everything the Government has done for the

country is
socialism. They will go to the people and say: "Did you see
that
social
security check you received the other day—you thought that
was good for
you,
didn't you? That's just too bad! That's nothing in the
world but socialism.

Did you see that new flood control dam the
Government is building over there
for
the protection of your property?
Sorry—that's awful socialism! That new
hospital
that they are building
is socialism. Price supports, more socialism
for the
farmers! Minimum
wage laws? Socialism for labor! Socialism is bad
for you, my
friend.
Everybody knows that. And here you are, with your
new
car, and your

home, and better opportunities for the kids, and a
television set—you
are just
surrounded by socialism! Now the Republicans
say, 'That's a
terrible thing, my
friend, and the only way out of this
sinkhole of
socialism is to vote for the
Republican ticket.'" And, AND!,
AND!!! that
was 64 Years Ago!!!. The
republicanCrimeCartel is still doing
the same
exploitation of people THEY ARE
NOTORIUS FOR. BUT, according

toKingGeorgeTheVacuumBrained, it is called "free
market" capitalism;
with
families in the streets and 25% Unemployment and worse
with

MittTaxPittanceRommel and his buddy EddiMunster. Fellow and
Sister

Americans: A vote for ANY republicanCrimeCartelSoldier, Rommel, is
a vote

Against Yours and Your Family's Well Being. You Can Take That
Advice To The

Bank. Rommel: "That 47% WHO depend on the government- I
DON'T CARE ABOUT
THEM. I care about the 1-10%Evil Rich and EVIL EVIL
Corporate Rich B@$T@RD$ Like
ME*ME* ME*ME!!! Sister and Brother Americans
Rommel and EddiMunster ARE NOT "The
Dynamic Duo" Without A Doubt THEY ARE
the DISGUSTING Duo. At Election time
Listen to that InnerVoice, You're
Guardian Angel; Let's KEEP Prez O Around the
WhiteHouse; otherwise "Those
Two" and their Pals will "CLEAN HOUSE" With US
Payin' The Freight.

If he was defending free speech, wouldn't he have first come out defending the film makers right to do that film? Also, why just find the anti muslem film offensive, many films denounce christianity?

IR:

You constantly bring truly great reading/articles/thoughts to this site. I don't always have the time to scout this stuff out. So, I simply want to say thank you for your work.

Happy Fry-day to you Independent Redneck Va.

Mr. Obama’s refreshing defense of free speech

Now if we can get the same level of forbearance from the Preacher Man and the rest of the American Taliban that the President is requesting from the rest of the World.

Hopefully as especially the Arab World takes their first steps with their hard won Freedoms and with encouragement from Americans of Goodwill they will get a little better handle on how to sort the Wheat from the Chaff and we will find that they like us give these types of things the Credence that they deserve

Independent Redneck Va.

I so agree with you.

This is an excellent example of what democracy is and should be. However, as you said as long as we the American Taliban aka the right wing nut jobs listening to FOX NOISE, Limbaugh, and other terrorist right wing media there will be zero tolerance for it to occur; even here it home.

4 more 4 44

Obama/Biden 2012

IR, well said! The last paragraph, cheer worthy.

Jody, Iowa,

Each week you summations get better and better.

"And that's the way it is".....this week.

Mitt Romney's "aircraft" safety regulations: "When you have a fire in an aircraft, there's no place to go, exactly. And you can't find any oxygen from outside the aircraft to get in the aircraft because the windows don't open.

Picture of President Obama looking out the window of Air Force One. "The pilot: Mitt Romney says aircraft windows should open. Obama: that was from The Onion, right?. Pilot: um, no, sir.

Did you see this? Fifth Grader Elijah Answers Mitt Romney's Question, Why Airplane Windows Don't Roll Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lIfxOFD9UW4

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

HeHeHe☺ , something else MYTH can't explain!!!!

4 more 4 44

Obama/Biden 2012

Floyd... you had me at "Mr." ;o)

Fantastic post IR.

For #3.1

The WH has repeatedly defended freedom of speech, throughout the heinous video fallout across the muslim world.

However, the WH has spoken out repeatedly, against the violence that is the result.

Freedom of religion is (should be) a given.

What is missed, is that folks in the Middle East REALLY don't understand Americans putting their individual welfare above the common good. Folks in the middle east don't understand that the U.S. President has nothing to do with the production of this krappy, dangerous, insulting & inflammatory video.

President Obama makes me proud to be an American.

After the anger over this film in the Muslim world and the US has largely run its course, Obama takes advantage of the teaching/learning moment to explain free speech. His sense of timing here is excellent.

And his message, I believe, has a real chance to connect with the now calmer people who really do need to understand our ways better. It was a great lesson in democracy for the Muslim world and democratic people everywhere.

Awesome job here, Mr. President.

OBAMA 2012 .......For the world's more peaceful future.

They (Repubs) are gonna have to pull something big to Win this, hopefully not from the ASS as they have been doing lately...and nope, dumb Faux Noise aint gonna cut it either, that's worse than picking their ass for talking points...

HAS ROMNEY SHOWN ANY LEADERSHIP SINCE REPUBLICONS ANNOUNCED HIM AS THEIR CANDIDATE? HAS HE PUBLICLY INSTRUCTED REPUBS TO PASS ANY BILLS THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR AMERICA?

ROMNEY HIRED 17 OF 24 ADVISERS FROM BUSH/CHENEY REGIME BECAUSE ROVE TOLD HIM TO! ROMNEY IS ONLY THE STRAWMAN FOR HIS LEADER ROVE WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN LYING INTO IRAQ WAR FOR PROFITS AND WRECKING THE ECONOMY!

Did Romney try and help out the vets when repubs blocked the Vets job bill last week? NOPE!

Did Romney try and help American workers get American jobs back when repubs blocked the bill to remove tax breaks from companies who took jobs overseas? NOPE!

Did Romney try and help American workers get their jobs back when repubs blocked the bill that would give tax breaks to companies who would bring back the jobs to America? NOPE!

Did Romney try and help the first responders to 911 healthcare bill when repubs blocked and voted against that bill? NOPE!

Well hell you can see where this is going....so let's just stop right here. The strawman has shown no leadership whatsoever. NONE! He has done nothing for America but drain jobs away from hard working Americans. He wants to kill Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Post Office. Mitt wants to dismantle and sell off America to the highest bidder and run the money offshore to avoid paying taxes.

WHY WOULD WE WANT ROVE/BUSH/CHENEY UNDER STRAWMAN ROMNEY IN THE WHITE HOUSE AGAIN?

Vote President Obama/Biden and Team Democratic party 2012! REAL LEADERS!

OBAMA LIED

PEOPLE DIED

BengaziGATE.

We must clean out that bovine S C A T from the W hite H ouse

Is ignorance bliss, or suffering?

--And smelly stink for everybody else--

Looking for forward to the debates. Maybe Willard will offer to make a bet with the President. You know, just some chump change.....just a few million.

Here in Nevada the President is tracking only 2% ahead. Before election day, our Favorite Son Harry Reid will be travelling the state stumping for the President, which should help.

To this 62 year old Vietnam era, employed, college educated veteran, this particular election comes down to this:

With whom will you stand and be counted? Will you stand with your Fellow American Citizens or will you stand with Corporate America?

The choice is yours. I've made mine. President Obama has my vote.

Hey truthseeker, is fox Waterboarding you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

elliot-3020456

Bill Maher (who gave 1 million to reelect 0bama) also made an anti muslim movie recently. No wonder the WH was so quick to scape goat this little clip on YT with only 800 views.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfF3gyJOtIU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8OSi89Cjvo

Anti muslim film maker supports the 0bama campaign.

Elliot - You are as perceptive as always. It never fails to amaze me how black and white you RWNJs see the world. You can't even tell the difference between an "anti-Islamic" film and an "anti-religion" film. Bill Mahr is an outspoken atheist. It is well documented that he anti-religion and has no more use for Christianity than he does Islam.

Are you Right Wing Nut Jobs really getting that desperate? I realize the election is not going well for Rommel Romney, but still...

Sirie:

many films denounce christianity?

To quote D. Cheney, "So?"

bayllie

Ol_Doc

I’m soooooo looking forward to ALL the regular FR lefty liberals condemning billionaire George Soros for trying to “buy the election” for Barry

you have George Soros' $2.8 million so far and I will raise you Sheldon Adelson's $26.5 million. Who's buying the election?

Sorry about the bad post. Actually that portion was from Joe in Albany. I support Obama.

sirie

If he was defending free speech, wouldn't he have first come out defending the film makers right to do that film? Also, why just find the anti muslem film offensive, many films denounce christianity?

Koolness...now you have your homework assignment. "How many films denounce christianity?"

Be sure to get back to us with the answer sometime today.

Fellow Conservatives ~ Do Not let this Criminal Cover-up Benghazi Gate continue!

Leftest Democrats ran Nixon out of office for a L I E~!

No one died in Watergate!

Keep pressure on the whores in the MSM who are willing to put "EYE CANDY" Obama b4 National Security!

E-mail them! Twitter them! Make the bastards do their JOBS!

Here's your "answers" Love2troops.........

In case you haven't noticed, we are in a world war against (particularly radical Islamic) terrorists. President Obama has been snuffing those folks out left and right (i.e. OBL). Occasionally, our enemies will also have some success. That is an inevitable fact of war.

So, save some of your outrage for the thousands of Americans who (completely needlessly) lost their lives in YOUR Iraq war.

BTW--What was the "lie" that "ran Nixon out of office" ?? Most of us recall a continuous STREAM OF LIES coming from the Nixon administration. It must be lonely....defending that disgraced criminal.

Tom ,Yreka

I don't even think those dead people in Florida will vote for Romney.

Now THAT was funny! Thanks for the laugh.

I am by no means an expert on politics or political science but it seems to me both sides spend more time bashing the other than giving sound clear reasons why Obama or Romney should/shouldn't be elected. I have read more comments on polls, lies, etc than much of anything else. I can't say why others come onto these forums but for me personally, I am trying to understand the candidates and get an idea of why others support one or the other. Even the candidates/parties themselves are spending huge amounts of time, enegy and funds to point out the faults of their opponent.

This country has always been divided by one subject or another, whether it's race, gender or class but it seems more intensified in this political campaign. If I were to vote for Romney and the Republican party then I'm supposed to be against the people and for corporate America yet if I vote for Obama and the Democratic party then I am for socialism and against middle class and poor Americans.

More often I've noticed if someone posts an opinion they are seen as Left or Right wing nut jobs, post a question and you are either uninformed or an idiot. Using facebook to post (as I do since it is a way for ME PERSONALLY to keep in contact with my children serving in the military overseas) my posts are less valid (so I have been told) and many who post demand FACTS PLEASE. So, when searching online for information of the facts others post I have found many links supporting both sides of the debate - as an example ARRA, I found articles supporting it on the whole as a win, while other articles that took each area and found that there was waste in it - who's right?

If the people can be so divided, without compromise how are we going to come together to fix this country? Whoever wins in November will not make a tinker's damn if the people cannot unite, send a desisive message to our elected officials and put this country back together.

You hit the nail on the head. Awesome post!

The REAL problem is that this country has become too divided. You see it everyday when doing a simple task such as grocery shopping. Everyone has become to selfish. What ever happened to common courtesy and respect?

We are ALL Americans, and we need to come together now, more than ever, to help each other and ourselves fix this country, so we can ALL have a chance to live a meaningful life. The REAL power is amongst the people...ALL of us. The sooner we put our petty differences aside, come together as a team, and unite, the better off we will ALL be.

You are right. It doesn't matter who the president is. This country will continue its downward spiral, until WE THE PEOPLE change our attitude, and learn how to have some respect for our fellow citizens.

Obama's lead gives credence to the assertion thirsty American voters placed in a desert would drink sand, not because they were dying of thirst, but because they simply don't know the difference!!!

ClearVoice2,

You must be referring to Romney, that in a delusory state, claims out loud to his cheering supporters that he along with the GOP are going to win Penn State, when Obama leads there by 50 percent, versus Romney's 39 percent.

Now who is it that doesn't know the difference? Ah, yes, the Republican Tea Partiers were never big on math...or facts. Sooo... how does that sand taste like, CV?

Upset stomach?

"Tum tum TUM tum TUM!"

rradiko

Clear is right on the money! Anyone with even the most basic understanding of economics is expecting an economic collapse in the US similar to that of Greece should Obama be reelected. We will see how these smart mouthed liberals like it when the inflationary impact of Obama's reckless spending and monetizing of the national debt causes the rule of 72 to double their cost of living over the next 10 years with wages falling woefully short of keeping up and unemployment increasing by another 50%.

Those who fail to look at the upcoming election in the broader context are fools of the greatest magnitude and don't even realize it!

Romney/Ryan 2012

Another homerun from Jody

Thanks

Good One Jody. We all need to Vote a Straight Democratic Ticket and clean out that rat hole republican-tea bag Congress.

4 more for 44

*standing O for Jody*

Jody,

Your list of events of the past week is awesome.

Jody, Iowa

Food for Thought: A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both~Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower, a republican, was a wise president, a good president with a Forward vision.

Love that little tidbit.

Nicely Done, Jody.

Salud