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Subscribe to RSSPolitical observers have placed so much emphasis on the “liberal” second inaugural address that President Obama delivered yesterday.
David Remnick in the New Yorker called Obama “a liberal emboldened by political victory.”
Scott Andrews / Pool via AP
President Barack Obama waves to crowd after his Inaugural speech at the ceremonial swearing-in on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013.
The Atlantic’s James Fallows added that the speech was “the most sustainedly ‘progressive’ statement Barack Obama has made in his decade on the national stage.”
Politico’s Thrush agreed.
So did we. “More than anything else, [the address] was an unabashed defense of liberalism/progressivism,” we wrote in First Thoughts.
And now the GOP-leaning group Crossroad GPS has pounced on similar commentary with a new web video. “At least his rhetoric is now matching his record,” Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio said in an email announcing the video.
But what is being mostly overlooked is how many of the policies and viewpoints Obama articulated in his inaugural address are supported by majorities of Americans.
Chris Cillizza, in for Chuck Todd, talks about President Barack Obama's inaugural address and his forceful argument for progressive values.
Take Obama’s advocacy for gay rights, for example. (“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law,” Obama said in his speech yesterday). As it turns out, per the Dec. 2012 NBC/WSJ poll, a majority of Americans -- 51% -- favor gay marriage. That’s up from a mere 30% in 2004.
There’s also immigration reform. (“Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity.”) The Jan. 2013 NBC/WSJ found another majority -- 52% -- supporting giving illegal immigrants the ability to apply for legal status.
And then there's his defense of entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. (“These things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.”) Polls overwhelmingly find that Americans support these programs.
One issue that Obama discussed yesterday -- stopping climate change -- is a topic that could be a harder political sell, although the NBC/WSJ poll hasn’t tested it in a long time. And it is possible, as the Washington Post's Dan Balz notes, that Obama's second term could be marked by overreach.
But it's also hard to argue that these “liberal” ideas and policies are somehow far outside the political mainstream.
As Politico writes, “The cultural changes that allowed Obama to be the first president to mention gay rights in an inaugural address are already widely accepted by the public or destined to be so soon as a younger, more socially liberal generation comes of age. The president’s promise to address climate change and his peroration on continuing ‘what those pioneers began’ on gender equality, gay rights, voting rights, immigration and gun control likewise illustrated just how much the White House is convinced that the country’s cultural center has moved.”
NBC's Domenico Montanaro contributed to this article.
Leave a Comment:
What a glorious day for this bleeding heart, tree hugging, lefty progressive that liberal is no longer considered a 4 letter word!
The train of progress is going to move forward >>> with or without the crusty, hate fueled, petty, knuckle dragging bigots who thrive in the dark dampness of their basements!
Either get on board or get the hell out of the way...
It's rumored Somalia is lovely this time of year! ;o)
The main accomplishment of our Presidents second term will be moving the country from center Right to center Left.
This will happen first with his SCOTUS appointments followed by making sure our next President will also be a Democrat.
How have liberal policies worked in Chicago and Scranton, Obama and Bidens hometowns. Miseralbe failures! Now they want to do this to America, Oh, joy. Could you have heard a less important speech for the middle class? He has destroyed the middle class! Just wait, more policies that will favor the slackers and not the earners. Fiesty, Illinois is 93 BILLION in stolen pension debt brought to you by the Democrats, My state Indiana is 2 Billion in the black with a 500 million dollar surplus this year, brought to you by a state run by Republicans! What you say?
Dennis,
Good point on the SCOTUS appointments, that flew under the radar this last election by many.
Say it with me; Hillary/Powell 2016! ☺
Great article Mark. These are 21st Century issues and as a blurb MSNBC showed this morning, President Obama's quote from yesterday-
When times change, we must change.
It's the 21st Century America. For those of you wanting to go back to "conservative" ideals, go dress up and march in a parade.
As far as Congress, pocket yout 21st century paycheck and go and earn it.
Our children's future is depending on you.
__________
O/T - VP Biden & Dr. Jill Biden were lovely yesterday, all day. And Sen. Schumer as well did a terrific job putting all the festivities together. He looked like he enjoyed himself immensely. Word is that he loves to see people in his office get together and marry without wasting time.
He has something along the lines of - if you like getting up on Monday mornings to a job you like, and go home on Friday nites to a spouse you love, don't complain. God has been good to you.
How about
Hillary Clinton / Julián Castro – this is where Texas becomes a swing state
Speaking of which, the GOP held a summit comprised of their best knuckling dragging minds to re-tool the shambled party. The best they could come up with was a list of ten 4-letter words that they dareth not speaketh, unless they are behind closed doors in a Boca Raton mansion filled with wealthy donors sans a video recording phone.
Many think that conservatism is dying, and I have to agree. The Nation as a whole is leading more toward progressivism.
Dennis - that would be a class-act ticket.
1460 days and counting...
What happens when all the euphoria dries up, unemployment goes back to 8.5%, people not having any jobs, the debt continues to sky rocket, we as a country get downgraded AGAIN, Obama Care starts taking cash out of the middle class's hands then what? 2014 mid terms will not be kind to all the liberals posting here. I see a 10 to 15 seat gain in the House and 3 to 5 in the Senate conservatively!
geo-
I will file this prediction right alongside the many that were made prior to the election, when Republican posters predicted quite a few things that turned out to be grossly inaccurate.
Republican posters claimed the polls were bisased and inaccurate, that Romney would win in a landslide and Republicans would take control of the Senate.
Republican posters also claimed the job reports were altered, and that unemployment would skyrocket after the election.
So excuse me for not buying in to your predictions of "gloom and doom" when the facts show an ever-improving economy and consistent job growth. President Obama's policies brought the economy back from the brink of depression, and in his second term the economy will continue to improve.
TNSEVOL - Through WHAT policies? There are 2.2 MILLION less people working then when Obama was sworn in the first time, 17 Million more on Guvment assistance, And absolutely NOTHING in his speech to give the middle class any hope. My predictions are based on historical mid-term results where the sitting President almost always loses seats.
that it's easy to "be in the black" as a redstate when Illinois gives $47B MORE to the federal government that it receives in return, while Indiana gets $5B MORE than it gives.
Redstate welfare at it's finest...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_taxation_and_spending_by_state
LIBERALS
Let's Stay To Together
Hit It...Doo Dut Doo Dut Doo Dut
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92-kqTCTzXA&feature=player_embedded
Red is my favorite color comrades.
That comment was made by Beverly in Chicago.
If anyone missed it, she made that comment in the previous article.
Beverly is now blatant enough to come right out and state her thoughts about the left liberal loons agenda: communism. They have been work toward a revised version of combing socialism/communism for decades and now feel so bold that they aren't even afraid to make the statement in the open.
Beverly and Feisty and many others from the LLL society are so enraptured about Obama and the democrats that they feel that the rest of the country should give up on our quest to keep this country free. They want a government that will tell everyone what they will do and when they will do it.
Despicable.
Hmmm....
It has a nice ring to it! ☺
Clinton/Castro 2016 gets my vote!
inthemiddle, Beverly was being sarcastic. Democrats/Obama supporters are accused of being communists daily by the GOP posters, so why not address each other as such?
My take is, Republicans are going to change the electoral college by changing Michigan, Ohio, PA, VA and Nebraska from winner take all to giving electoral votes by districts. If this was in place Romney would be our dictator now. There are more democrats in these states but in fewer districts and no districts are competative thanks to Gerrymandering. We need to abolish the electoral college and demand fair redistricting or it will be a generation before dems can get the whitehouse again.
In states where the Tea Party swept to power in 2010, right-wing policies have not proved popular OR effective. Like other extreme Republican governors, Maine's governor LePage has attacked public education, given tax breaks to the wealthiest and dropped low income people from Medicaid. This is the Republican ideology in practice. You don't have to argue about rhetoric, to understand why people are supporting President Obama. You can clearly see the difference between the two parties in how things are run in the states.
Frank you are hilarious. Fair redistricting aka the way the liberals say is fair.
geo - you really need to learn something about local government before posting again as you look dumber with each and every post. Our President has NOTHING to do with Chicago happenings. We have a mayor and a governor of the state. The President does NOT work at the local level.
You never took a civic's class did you. Or is it that you just didn't pass?
Amy B. Portland,ME - Illinois had to slash 400,000 million from the education budget this year alone to pay the interest on the pension debt. Next year will more! What did the Democrats do about the pension debt last session, NOTHING. Liberalism, killing inner city youth at a record level through lack of education!
Seeking Insanity - These ARE his policies IDIOT, he learned them there! And was he not a community organizer there! And all you mentioned are Democrats, Don't you get tired of being stupid!
Got to love how liberals are already concerned with 2016 when the nation has yet to survive Obama. The second term of Obama is when the American people learn they should have called ObamaCare the unaffordable care act. We are going to see massive tax increases, and no they will certainly not just impact the top earners. Gas and heating oil will continue to rise as an unstable Middle East brings uncertainty to the market. Although Obama did state that under his plan energy prices would naturally skyrocket so maybe liberals find this a good thing. Now Obama says it is time for Cap and Trade, which you know makes Al Gore happy but that will only mean every American will pay more both in taxes and the cost of almost everything. The value of the dollar is going to continue to decline as our massive debt will just lead to more printing as those willing to borrow shrink in numbers. Of course declines in our dollar can only mean inflation is right around the corner. Funny how giddy liberals are about 2016, when there are 4 long years in between that could prove disasterous. This country might really need Middle Class Joe Biden running for president in 2016, just so we all have something to laugh about.
gee i wonder why
Republicans were able to hold the House because …
A recent memo by the Republican State Leadership Committee emphasizes the party's 2010 victories in state legislatures as central to the House GOP retaining its majority in the 2012 elections.
The reason? Redistricting — or more precisely, gerrymandering.
http://rslc.com/_blog/News/post/REDMAP_2012_Summary_Report
geo -
Like other Republican posters, you appear to make your decision first then "cherry-pick" facts that support it. The 2.2 million "less people working" is apropos of nothing, since included in that number are those who retired or left the job market for other reasons.
Even if you start on January 2009, before the worst of the losses from the Great Recession, President Obama was a net job-creator in his first term. The net jobs created includes massive losses in the public sector offset by large gains in the private sector.
Indeed, the cultural conservatives have staked their creed on limiting women's rights, gay rights, minority rights.
Society has moved on and diversity is here to stay.
Progressives have understood the need to embrace a pluralism that will only grow with each gereantion.
As Red Dev reported: the only new stance for the GOP is not to use the "four letter". these guys still do not get what has changed in this country. But then again, they are old guys, living in their echo chamber for so many election cycles, they cannot hear the voice of the people in 2013.
Okay Dennis so when the dems had the majority and did it it was okay. Didn't work in 2010 in NC and if you weren't so afraid of two more years and the libs and liv's exposing themselves once again, it wouldn't matter.
inthemiddle12
But then you missed that Bev was talking about a dress. You do recall the red is the Republican color. Want to dance with that?
Sheesh, there were yesterday twits complaining that Michelle wore black and blue and dem's African colors. Sigh, the whine addiction I believe will need more than 12 steps,.
I remember how much doom and gloom the far right posters were predicting six months to a year ago.
Such as Romney would crush Obama, the Senate would be taken and Obama care repealed.
I didn't pay them any attention then, because I knew they were full of it. Today, I still don't pay any attention to them, because they are still full of it.
Forward with progressivism!!!
Talk,
It can only be done the year after the census like 2001, 2011, 2021, etc.
Geez. What is the Grand Obstructionist Party going to do now that the President set out what Democrats- and a secure majority voted for last year- have wanted since 2009, a liberal agenda? I couldn't care less what the GOP does! If they stay on this anti middle class, extreme reproduction rights restrictions, pro gun manufacturers versus keeping Americans safe, gerry-mandered district maps and voter nullification agenda then I don't see where Republicans will ever be going in the direction of the country. And I couldn't care less!
America voted strongly against the Republican/Libertarian/Tea Bagger agenda and are poised to go even more center left in a big way! Republicans seem to not have gotten that message, and I couldn't care less!
Liberalism is an incurable mental illness that only gets worse over time.
Thus the term "progressive".
geo: You poor sad, sad person. The government just keeps stealing your money, doesn't it?
Speaking of cherry-picking, make mine Bing!! Of course, Geo is relying upon those polls that told him the 2012 Senate would fall to the GOP by a landslide, and the House would gain 50 more GOP seats. How'd that work for ya, Geo? Win the Senate, did ya? Swept the house, did ya? Here's what happened, the GOP completely blew the White House, lost big time in the House, and failed miserably at a Senate take over.
Geo's predictions are like junk bonds - they aren't worth the paper they are printed on.
WRONG WRONG WRONG!
The unemployment numbers only consider those people that are actively seeking work. ACTIVELY SEEKING WORK!
You talk about 'cherry picking' facts... you make them up!
LIAR_LEFTIES!
Thank you Mark for correcting earlier articles and Republicans claiming that the president wants to take the country further to the Left. The reality (if only conservatives lived in reality) is the country is NOT center-Right let along far-Right or CRAZY per the Teapublicans we see now.
Look at the poll today about the majority wanting abortion to remain legal, and at the same time the article about states trying to make abortion impossible with BS tactics -- Spitting in the face of the Supreme Court and will of The People. Teapublicans can't win on merit, so use underhanded "strategery" to impose Tyranny of the Minority upon our great nation.
We need at least two viable Parties to have a democracy -- with the operative word being "viable." Unfortunately the Teapublicans have become CRAZY and must now be crushed so that a new Party can emerge. I await word on reform of the filibuster, which is the first step in this process...
Gad, does anyone else ever get sick of listening to sickofthebickeringbitch. Bicker, if someone retires, they are no longer counted as actively seeking work, and hence, are excluded from the workforce count. That IS TNSEVOL's point.
Now run along, back to your cherry orchard.
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
yet these poor, overtaxed businesses don't want to move there. They bitch how business-unfriendly the United States of America is but they keep sticking around instead of making room for those businesses that would love to take their place and contribute to the very country that gives them all the opportunities that countries like Somalia don't.
Rightwingers, how does it feel to be hanging on to power by a thread, as well as sanity?
SOB -- Look up Godwin's Law and you'll know why you are on ignore.
geo - again you look dumber with each post. You clearly know NOTHING of civics or even politics for that matter but you insist on shouting your ignorance at the top of your lungs! LOL You're good for a laugh - nothing more!
TruePatriot - NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! There is NO sanity in the Republican party - not even a thread!
Be careful for what you wish for.
look up low info sheep and you'll see why you voted Obama. :-O
Our Tea Party state legislature and governor cut taxes for the wealthiest in Maine, and now they say local towns must increase their property taxes in order to pay for public schools. The governor has been pushing charter schools, aka for-profit schools, and this is apparently all part of his plan to shrink government - as if providing all students with an education is "communism."
http://bangordailynews.com/2013/01/21/politics/lepage-swears-storms-out-of-meeting-with-independent-house-members-lawmakers-say/
Nothing new here. The lefties fawning over Obama's flowery and eloquent words oblivious to the fact that they sound wonderful to them but actually say little reminds me of the following:.
After watching a documentary about the tragic story of Jonestown, I was struck by the utterly unthinking way that so many people put themselves completely at the mercy of a glib and warped man, who led them to degradation and destruction. And I could not help thinking of the parallel with the way we put a glib and warped man in the White House. – Thomas Sowell
I wonder why I even try to understand a liberal..
Immigration reform so more can come to the US.... When we do not have enough jobs to employ those who want to work now.
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid... Where are these going to be when the Country DOES default because of our debt. When just to SERVICE the debt, is more then we bring in ya know an actual default not the BS defaults we have now....
The TOP Concerns of ANY PRESIDENT of this once great country should be 3 things..
The National Debt
The National Debt
Unemployment.
Sadly the liberal agenda is not concerned with the above. The Democratic/liberal agenda is all about growing gvmnt. The ideal that a big gvmnt solves all your problems.
Gay marriage... Umm hello I dont need a piece of paper from a worthless Gvmnt to tell me I love someone. Even if my GF and I wanted to get married, we arent going to. too much of a hassle. Sorry there are bigger concerns for this country. Stop thinking about ME ME ME and look at the State of this Country..
Take a look at how much we pay to service our debt. I DARE you to do it. Now picture a future where we have a balanced budget amendment, we have a LOT lower debt ( not paid off cause that will never happen ) I personally would like to see a 3 to 5 trillion " baseline " revolving debt door with a responsible Gvmnt in place to not just say we need to increase the limit. Work within their means, not outside it.
Now think about the good we could do with that extra money....
You could lower EVERYONE's taxes, putting more money into our pockets and increasing our buying power and standard of living. Which increases the need for workers, IE Less unemployment...
You could keep the same tax rate, and increase funding for our aging infrastructure. Power Grids, Roads, bridges, hell MAYBE even a high speed rail system linking east and west coast ( an alternate mode of transportation then flight. )
You could fully fund the entitlement programs.
Sadly NONE of this will ever happen... Liberals do not see the debt as a problem. Just raise the debt limit every couple of years and go business as usual.
Yep, the party of spend spend spend is in full gear with some bright ideas instituted over the past four years. The debt's at $17 trillion? No problemo, we'll just spend until we get out of debt. Makes about as much sense as people rushing out to buy guns so that they can prevent the big evile empire from coming to take those guns away from them- but that's another story.
Speaking of other stories, let's just make those 11 million+ illegals into citizens- instantly! Why not? They waltzed in our country illegally; but, no, we believe they are seeking a dream so we'll get the taxpayers together and give them a blank check to get educated, housed, etc. and pay for it all. All those citizens on unemployment can help pay too!
Be sure to tell everyone what they want to hear but don't have a plan to make it happen. e.g. the speech about gay rights. Yep, sounds good to be the first one to make such statements, but how does it happen? By magic of course! Magic will cure the debt problem, make all illegal people legal and gay people be just like everyone else (whatever that is)! And if it doesn't work out then the handy excuse is to blame the gop for all our woes.
Amy B. Portland, ME
that's exactly what Romney did in Mass. He cut $ to cities/towns to pay for tax cuts which resulted in higher property taxes for homeowners (24% on average) and more than doubled state college tuition.
And Romney hired his Bain buddies to work the "magic" numbers....
newsflash. The Republicans who you gleefully vote for never saw it as a problem EITHER until they realized they could use it as a cudgel to bludgeon Obama with, in the midst of the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression no less.
If you need evidence of this, see recent history, circa 1980 onward...
geo-1957883
"What happens when all the euphoria dries up, unemployment goes back to 8.5%, people not having any jobs, the debt continues to sky rocket, we as a country get downgraded AGAIN, Obama Care starts taking cash out of the middle class's hands then what? 2014 mid terms will not be kind to all the liberals posting here. I see a 10 to 15 seat gain in the House and 3 to 5 in the Senate conservatively!"
Geo... I read this post of yours and I must say it brought a few things to mind...
Will I find love in 2013? I've had the worst pain in my hip for a few days, will it get better if i don't have it looked at? What does my job future look like? Will I go gray before I go bald? My car has been making a funny sound, but only at first and only on cold mornings, what do you suppose is causing that? Should I invest in repugnican futures and with what percent of my portfolio? There's a lost child in my area, please take just a minute of your time to tell us where the child is... Go ahead and tell us where the child will be next year and what it will ultimately do for a living while you're at it... Please leave your answers in a mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnalls back porch.
ProFreedom-5130956
read something of value once in a while and you will learn that Congress holds the checkbook and approves the spending...so b*tch about Congress instead of one particular party
Just in: Another multiple shooting at a Texas college. This reported at 2:05 p.m. 1/22. Guns are great.....aren't they folks.
I wrote letters to my congressmen ( from both sides of the isle ) to vote no on EVERY Debt limit increase for the last 2 presidents... So get off your damn high horse and trying to put me in a box.
If you need anymore " assumptions " please see your liberal friends. I am rooted in common sense, which is not so common anymore.
fair enough. If this is actually true, then you really ARE an actual conservative (a rare breed in modern American politics, not seen since the days of Goldwater) and you have moral ground to stand on when arguing against the accrual of debt.
I apologize that I lumped you into the modern Republican party, carry on.
I actually long for the days when we had true conservatives in government, one party rule generally does not work and it'd be nice to have genuine, sincere conservatives in power again to check the Democrats rule. But I won't stand for lectures on debt from today's REPUBLICANS (who are in no way "conservative"), cause they don't have a leg of fiscal responsibility to stand on...
The Republican Party of today of today reminds me of people like George Wallace, Bull Conner, Jim Clark and the rest of the old like Southern racist in the early 60s. They were screaming segregation forever, segregation forever, segregation forever along with communism, communism, communism as loudly as they could over and over. But the nation had changed and left them in the dust. They didn't even know it. They were too blind to see it. And that’s the status of the Republican Party of the early 21st century. The nation has left them in the dust and they are too blind to see it.
Drowning- Republicans will forever be haunted by the famous words of Dick Cheney "Deficits don't matter". I would add ..."unless we can use them as a weapon against Democrats". That last applies to immigration as well.
Congrats Mr. Obama. Wonder if, when after four years of continuous recovery and growth and no communistic/socialistic (or whatever they're calling it today) revolution, any of the conservatives who have been so gratuitously, aggressively insulting and devisive will have the character to admit they were wrong? Doubt it.
I see...hug a tree, kill a child...no thanks on being a liberal...
It's actually, hug a tree, abort an unwanted fetus.
Makes more sense than save a fetus; starve and abuse millions of children; kill millions upon millions using guns and through acts of war.
Excuse me..., but can anyone direct me to where I can sign up for the free stuff? This working thing doesn't quite fit me in the new mainstream.
RedDevPS
amazing, isn't it? Republicans scream "save the unborn" while they dump the ones that are already among us. Cut the education budgets, cut safety net programs, don't provide healthcare to children, cut budgets for programs Dept. Of Children & Families....
JK1963
how many sexually, fisically, and/or mentally abused children have you fostered? How about the kids born out of incest? How many of those kids have you helped????
Go ask Romney, he invented the "free-stuff" list.
JK1963
one more thing: no liberal (show me one, and I will show you a psycho) is excited about aborting a fetus. Instead, liberals understand that this choice is between a woman and her doctor.
Yes it is, Bayllie. If I didn't know better, I'd swear the only reason they want save a fetus is to ensure a never ending supply of targets for practice.
DrowningGrover -- Agreed, but it's even worse than that.
Today's Teapublicans don't just fear-monger about deficits. They are ignorant or hypocritical about the Bush tax cuts and two unpaid wars as the cause of said deficits. They clamor for the destruction of the social contract such as Social Security, though this has nothing to do with deficits (and is NOT a hand out) -- But fight against the end to the Bush tax cuts, especially the 2003 breaks only for the richest 2%, and refuse to end outrageous defense spending. These fools will literally be Losers not just in name but in future elections for a least a generation.
RedDevPS -- The "free stuff" for the so-called "job creators" or more commonly known as corporate welfare, where debt is socialized and profits are privatized... The number one reason Romney lost (thank the Lord) is his complete lack of AUTHENTICITY. Wise up rightwingers!
RedDev...
THAT is EXACTLY the point! And once again, you have missed it!
Since retirees are no long part of the workforce, they are not included in the unemployment numbers.
SO (and let me say its S L O W L Y for you) when we say that the number of unemployed is up since Obummer took office... THAT NUMBER INHERENTLY EXCLUDES THOSE WHO HAVE RETIRED (and those who just gave up looking for work).
Since that number does not include retirees and it is STILL WAY UP over where it was when the savior took office.. It only goes to prove that more people have lost jobs than those that have found them...
Oh never mind... you simply aren't intelligent enough to understand. :O(
SOTB,
However people that retire early are counted as part of the eligible workforce. The official BLS data counts all between 18 and 65 as members of the workforce however there are many million that retire early every year.
RedDevPS
and the control over women that they do not want to give up.
if it was really about the kids, the Republicans would be consistently taking care of them from the age 1 minute to 18 years-old.
I'm prochoice but to be so cavalier about it is disturbing. I guess that's why you're a liberal.
what control does a Republican have over you again?
SickOfTheBickering
so this retiring thingie is a new thing that started under Obama or have people been retiring under different presidents affecting THEIR numbers as well????
Excited? Yet, they do it every day... You call it a "fetus" because it lessens the meaning but it's still killing a living being...
And bayllie, Unlike your kind that dreams of incest and all other sorts of perverted reasons, there are those that take seriously the birth and raising of a child. And explain why killing of an unborn child should be compared to the ills of society? The two are mutally exclusive. You would rather just end a life because it's hard to raise a child. Get real...Perhaps you should thank your mother that she didn't exercise her "choice" simply because it would be hard to raise a child. And it isn't about being Republican or a Democrat, it's about LIFE.
The hypocrisy I see is that you are all up in arms about regulating guns in an effort to reduce the number of people killed a year, yet in the same breath defend to the death a woman's "choice" to kill an unborn child.
Let us interupt the love fest witha few facts. Unemployment same since 08.More people in poverty,more on food stamps,over 6 trillion in new debt, Fast and Furious killings, No accountability for Benghazi, Healthcare program a costly disaster,endless campaign,Half the country voted against him and thats with 4 million Republicans who did not vote. As an Independant this is not a ringing endorsement for Liberals. Where we are going is a Hybrid of Communism/Capitalism with Government controlled outcomes. If you believe something other than that you are not paying attention.
JK,
So where do you stand on the execution of convicted murders, legal in many states?
IMO that also is murder.
Bingo Bayllie,
The other underlying message these pro-life zealots project is; the punishment of women...
Like these pecker-heads no involvement in getting a woman pregnant in the first place!
JK1963
maybe you do but have you taken care of any of the unwanted, abused children of OTHER people?
There's no question that Presiden Obama's Inaugural Address was a clear statement of clear, proven, MAINSTREAM principles from the great traditon of Liberalism. These are the principles that every person has equal rights, that workers are entitled to a safe workplace, that education is a valued asset, and that reasonable regulation curbs and tames the worst excesses of predatory capitalism.
There's nothing radical here, nothing unproven, nothing that isn't as American as apple pie.
Unfortunately, I believe in life without parole... Tough to swallow, but life is a life...
Feisty,
So what about a man? What about his "right" if he chooses to want to have a child and the woman exercises her "choice"?
I'm a strong Obama supporter and love his words of what needs to be done, with or without the party of the dead and dying republicans. However, Newt Gingrich raved about the speech too! Now I'm scared as Newt is insane and it frightens me that he would agree with our president on anything!
Annnnd...here's the pitch...
[I'm prochoice but to be so cavalier about it is disturbing.]
...swing and a miss...
[what control does a Republican have over you again?]
...strike two...he seems to be missing the point folks...if he keeps this up, he's a gonner...
EDb,
Banks stabilized and so are my savings fund retirement, home sales and foreclosures improved tremendously, not losing 850,000 jobs a month, but gaining 150,000+, one lost war ended, one about to end, no more wasted American lives in those wars, stock market nearing a record after dropping like a rock at the end of bushwhackers term. I'll take those things! I love this president and hate the House and Bonehead! (remember the House has an approval rating of 15.2% according laughable FOX!)
TNSEVOL - I see you didn't answer how Liberalism worked in Chicago and Scranton. Come on,you can answer. Or don't you like how Liberism fails, it fails its people and destroys them. John B, Des Moines, IA- After I stoped laughing about your comment on how liberalism values education. What did you think when Obama's Education Sec. Arne Duncan went to Chicago and rewarded the school with $500,000 grant for the kids killing another with a 2X4. Or the 400 million they took out of this years education budget to pay the unions pension interest. Chicago Public Schools graduates 40% of it's students for which they had a strike to get a raise for such fine work! Which part of liberalism makes education a priority?
Go ahead say it...
Ave Obama Morituri te salutant. You Consume too much. Touche' My Greek Tragedy LMFAO....
Hows that Ivory Tower Mickey. Just Face it, you're Wrong.
Vale
Ed B-3827712
all I can say is OMG at this comparisson....between Jan -March of 2009, we lost over 2,000,000 jobs. IN THREE MONTHS! and kept losing!
under Bush the number of recipients rose by nearly 14.7 million. So what is your point?
yes, the #1 MAJOR contributor is BUSH tax cuts, the second contributor is the two UNPAID wars, so what's your point?
we are still wating for the accountibility for the lies and manipulation of the Bush Administration that Bush used to start the war in Iraq.
we are also wating for the accountibility for the mountain of ignored intel by the Bush Admin prior to 9/11
so what's your point?
health insurance premiums have doubled from 1999-2008 while number of UNINSURED has been increasing sticking the taxpayer/insured with the bill. So what's your point?
Baylie - What will Obama do to get the economy going?
I call it a 'fetus', because that is what it is.
Here we go again with the Bush bashing... For people who want to supposedly move forward you have quite a fixation with the past... And we are also still waiting for a full accounting of Libya as well...so add that to the list...
How does this article ramble on and on without ever once mentioning that if President Obama was incapacitated today and Joe Biden took his place, he would be the oldest President EVER to assume office? And that's if it was today. Four years from now he'll be even older with even fewer of those struggling, overworked brain cells that miraculously manage to keep him upright.
"Excuse me..., but can anyone direct me to where I can sign up for the free stuff?"
Pesky facts:
California's Democrat governor has increased the tax on the rich and is supporting education. If the legislature (mostly Democrat) approves his budget the state is headed for a surplus. He has cut waste and made sensible decisions regarding public worker pensions. He is now working on ways to reduce the cost of our penal system in California too. There are too many locked up for petty offences. In the big house they learn from the more dangerous types. Governor Brown also knows that when people are working they are less likely to make mischief and is working with businesses up and down the state to hire more people. Silicon Valley is picking up and we are seeing more people out and about in the small businesses. He is supporting made in California and made in USA. Gerry Brown has been called a liberal, Governor Moonbeam, and that used to be more true than today. He is still liberal but he sees that a balance between revenue and expenditure is vitally important. He is working to shore up revenue as well as cutting spending.
"crusty, hate fueled, petty, knuckle dragging bigots who thrive in the dark dampness of their basements"
Congrats.... hope Barry leaves something of America to rebuild in 2016
By the time the left pulls their heads out, we'll all be in camps......
[LMFAO....]
My my, caesar Te'o...less "LMFAO", and more "infrastructure work".
But you know it's stealing, right, even if it is from yourself? But it's a "victimless crime", right? You betcha!
I see your employer gave you MLK Jr Day off. Must be sweet to take advantage of all those "librul" bennies, huh?
Sure it is...
And you even came in early today...wait, here's a tissue for that brown spot on your nose.
"LMFAO" :)
And here we have an example of the childish retort which is standard fare from the left... (little thought but lots of attitude... sad isn't it?)
Hey Bayllie...
NO... That 'retiring thingie' is not something new that started under Obummer... HOWEVER... the large increase in the number of people choosing EARLY RETIREMENT (because they cannot find gamefull employment) IS!
GO FIGURE! (oh... and suck it!)
:OP
Adler,
You also forgot to mention that the total all-in tax rate for California's wealthiest individuals now stands at 51%. Did you ever think you see the day that the government was taking more than half of your earnings?
So where are the facts? Holy cow, that post was so lacking in FACTS it is mind-bending.
Because companies like Walmart, Papa Johns, etc. don't pay living wages, we the tax payers have to subsidize them with food stamps, Medicaid, etc. Why aren't you outraged about this (corporate welfare)?
Health care has been broken, but thankfully Obamacare is already starting to improve matters. After it is fully implemented (after 2014), we will see even more benefit. Then on toward single-payer. But once again, why aren't you outraged that Medicare can't negotiate with Big Pharma for better savings?
Half the country is 47%, really?! Sweet Jeebus dude, Democrats also won the popular vote for the House in Congress, but due to GOP gerrymandering we have been cheated out of the majority in the House. Do you know what demographics are? Read up on it because the 47% is shrinking.
And BTW, we've been a hybrid of capitalism and socialism of a very long time. Thank gawd, since I for one am not interested in being a wage slave for a monopoly -- You know, the Gilded Age of the Robber Barons when things really sucked for people like you and I. Vote for the best interests of this great nation, not per the propaganda on FAUX Noise and Hate Radio.
You consume too much...Lead by example, hows your work doing? Stealing? day off? I notice you have more 'days off now'. ...did you figure out my 32 hour work week yet? Math aint your strong suit is it? Maybe you can ask Professor Marvel for a better Crystal Ball. Too much Assume Club Obi Wan.. LMFAO'ing is appropriate. Touche'
Back to hangin with those 'Phds' mickey. Sure ya do.
keep your trousers up, you'll show your ass less ; ) MUAH!
True,
I know this a hard concept for you to understand, but companies are in the business to make money. If the business atomosphere changes then businesses adapt. If Obama makes it now more expensive to keep full time employees on the payroll, this is the result. How hard is that to understand?
Perhaps you should start your own business, deal with the costs of regulation, hire employees, pay them a high standard of living wage with full benefits, spend money on trying to selli your products or services, pay your federal, state, county, city taxes, your use/sales taxes, your payroll taxes and then see how successful you are...
In 2014 after the Republican Party is crushed and sent into limbo. We will finally be able to move this country forward again... To the defenders of the failed trickle down scam; look around you, your on the wrong side of history.
Has anyone actually asked what does "conservatism" mean. To me it means millions of misinformed and misguided people that have been taken in by 30 years of Republican lies and spin. Ask any "conservative" what they actualy stand for and most of the time you'll just get a blank stare. They can't answer the question because "conservatism" is an empty shell.
It has ALWAYS been liberal and progressive ideas that have propelled America forward. The only thing "conservatism" has accomplished since the country was founded is to make the rich richer and the poor poorer......... I'm just one of millions of American citizen that are fed up with "conservative" greed.
I highly suggest you don't open a business. Your budget couldn't afford the tissue required wipe your eyes and nose from all your wailing and crying. Not to mention the ear plugs employees will need to silence the constant moaning and complaining. Violins, anyone?
the little libbie party of spend spend spend and their staunch suppor-turds on newsvine! So cute listening to the little lies. The proof's in the pudding and remember- you voted for this.
WOW...BigAl,
You just won first chair for the cheerleading competition for the liberals!! Congrats! Of course you will have to explain how to pay for the massive amount of government involvement in people's lives going forward after us "conservatives" have died off... You can only tax the rich so much before they become as poor as the rest of us, then where will you be?
All of this liberal and conservative talk is interesting, but leaves me cold as most of you are centrists and radical right wing extremists. Obama is a right winger.
Click on this link and do the quiz. It is a non partisan site that places you in the box somewhere, right, left, authoritarian, libertarian. I am a left wing libertarian to the left of the Dalai Lama. Jill Stein is the closest politician to me. Where are you?
The Political Compass
Mr. Obama's continuation plan for the next four years:
Yep, he was right: "I can't get anything done from the Oval Office." because of his LACK OF LEADERSHIP (no on the job training for the Community Organizer on that one).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FLYeisty still on the Obama Campaign payroll, I see.
RedDevPS -- Exactly.
JK1963 -- If folks want to discuss regulations, this can be a legitimate topic. But taxes, WTF, how about companies like GE that not only pay ZERO taxes but actually receive subsidies? In regard to Obamacare, this will actually help small businesses, but the rightwing propaganda machine has been churning BS non-stop. Rightwingers don't have a clue about Obamacare, they have just been told to be afraid.
Henry Ford had it right. He knew he needed to pay his workers well enough that they could buy his product (a car). Republicans always ignore the demand side of "supply and demand." You pay people well, those people then have disposable income to spend, that demand helps companies do better, which then allows them to hire more people.
When the middle class does well, everyone does well including businesses and the rich. THIS is what makes a strong middle class, which is also a basic requirement for democracy. Fear, on the other hand is what immobilizes businesses (and often greed) into the thinking that they can't pay decent wages. Fear IS the rightwing.
Ido, in case you didn't get the memo, your side lost. President Obama won with over 50% of the popular vote, not once but TWICE. This is something that only 3 other people in the past 100 years have done (FDR, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the evil Ronald Reagan). He also won an overwhelming number of electoral votes in both elections. This means that he clearly and decisively beat the best YOUR side had to offer, not once, but TWICE. We run this show now, so sit down, shut up, and get used to us being in charge and our agenda being the nation's agenda. Have a pleasant day.
I love it! To paraphrase the words to a REALLY bad country song, "I was liberal when liberal wasn't cool." I've been liberal when conservatives dominated the day and I felt like living in a political waste land. But now things are changing. I have never been so proud of my President or of the fact that I AM A LIBERAL!!!! And I'm not ashamed to say it! Democratic House and Senate in 2014 HILLARY 2016!!! FORWARD!!!!
"As Politico writes, “The cultural changes that allowed Obama to be the first president to mention gay rights in an inaugural address are already widely accepted by the public or destined to be so soon as a younger, more socially liberal generation comes of age."
The same liberal generation that will be crying, to add salt, into their Shoe Soup, once the Government runs out of other peoples money....
P.S...The Headline "Liberal -- but also not outside the mainstream"...makes this an editorial, not a news article...
Hate to point it out to you left wingnuts - but unless a member of SCOTUS dies, the only justices that will be replaced will be those that were appointed by a Democratic President. Justices generally only retire when the party that nominated them for the court are in the WH. Since Obama placed two liberals on the court - the most likely replacement will be Ginsberg - as liberal a hag as ever was. So...don't hold your breath on that one.
@TruePatriot - This is where they just simply forget history. They are enamoured with the idea of the corporate company town. An idea where the company paid you 100.00, but charged you with 95.00 rent, 10.00 for utilities, 10.00 for groceries, 5.00 for gardening, 3.00 for gas, and 15.00 for child care/school. You were only upside down by 50.00 per month, which when you left the company, you owed, and went on a payment plan of 40% interest to pay them back. Ah, the good old days, where the company owned you.
Gosh Mikey Del Heinous, running out of other peoples money is a meme that you love to quote. Odd, considering the wealthy have never been poorer by except when folks stop buying their products. Perhaps you could enlighten us as to when your class ever made a dollar when the poor class refused to stoop so low as to buy your brand of bubble-wrap.
Hag, really, you talk about a gag-hag. Ginsberg is a brilliant justice, but you on the other hand qualify below the belt choke me with the smallest dick hag. Now, when you are done coughing up that limp penis pissing down your well worn throat, tell us how your special qualities of holding a laden limp dick in your mouth qualifies you to discuss an honorable judge.
What a BS article. By definition, "liberal" is outside the mainstream.
You mean by the Conservative echo chamber's attempt to control the language. Something entirely different there. It's time we ignore the Ministry of Propaganda and realize that President Obama expresses the common sense thinking by which we became the first and eventually last remaining superpower, the largest economy in the world, the shining beacon across the water.
Because we are still paying for the mistakes generated by Bush, Cheney and 6 years of Republican majorities in both houses of Congress.
As for your "10 to 15 seat gain in the House and 3 to 5 in the Senate", I remember similar claims before the last presidential election. How did that work out for ya?
So we see the republicans trying to use their statehouses to pass rules requiring an electoral distribution based on their gerrymandered congressional districts, which would essentially neuter the votes of large numbers of their state population. Compare this to the 'liberal' agenda of the democrats, with with majorities in those states - and across the country - agree.
The difference could not be more clear. The dems are trying to win their political battles by getting the voters involved. The repubs are trying to win their political battles by excluding the voters.
So when the conventional wisdom was that the republicans must either adjust their message or face irrelevance as a major party, the repubs found a different path: undermine the democratic process itself, change the rules in their favor so that the minority rules the majority.
And they have the grapes to accuse the dems of 'elitism' and 'tyranny'.
Well here it is, American women have murdered almost 55 million human beings since 1973. You wanted control over your bodies when it comes to having a child, and since you recieved this honor you have killed more babies than human beings who were killed in world war two. Doesn't that make you proud.
What planet does this author live on? If it was mainstream, it wouldn't be called liberalism.
It's probably higher than that, but liberal media likes to take stories of Christian pastors trying to be FORCED to HOST THE CEREMONY without demanding the same of other religions and pass it as "intolerance" as if gays are too dumb to figure out they can get married by other than that person.
Do liberals really believe immigrants don't already have the ability to apply for legal status? That one shocked me. Really?!
Here's where the president shows how out of touch he is. Those aren't entitlements or welfare! We PAY for those out of our paychecks. If he's referring to the people abusing the system like non-citizens, then he's just defending criminal activity again for votes.
Yeah, "these" ideas. You left out all of the liberal ones.
Definitely living up to the reputation of "uninformed voters".
'Progressive' is a better term because 'liberal' carries so much Republican-demonizing baggage with it.
There's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there is the United States of America.
We are ONE NATION under God.
Well, at least one nation.
The Left doesn't care about Republicans. They ruined the term "liberal" with the center just like they'll ruin the term "progressive" with them within the next 5 years. You can put a different shade of lipstick on a pig, but you're still putting lipstick on a pig.
Actually, liberal is the right word for the baggage that they bring...
Liberals are adventurous and willing to try new things. Sometimes this gets us in trouble, like when we fell for the republicon energy deregulation scam in 2000 in California. We are still paying for that. Now deregulation is a dirty word, like laissez faire.
But mostly we get lots of neat new goodies, like Silicon Valley. We also just ungerrymandered our state. We now have truly impartial elections. You republicons should try this honesty thing once in a while. It feels good.
D = Drive forward
R = Retreat backwards
Honesty? Really? Let's take a look at California. You forgot to mention that California has been dominated in the legislature by Democrats for over 30 years. During that time, California sailed high because of the tech boom and naturally the Democrats started drooling over that extra tax revenues and wallowed like a gleeful pig in a pen. But guess what? When that money trail dried up, instead the Democrats (instead of cutting back like most sensible people would do) instead chose to continue spending money California didn't it have. Now our brainless citizens just voted for Prop. 30 because of the scare tactics used by Moonbeam Brown. Try being a Republican for a change...the change would do you a world of good!
You are a dying breed. Try telling the truth for a change. California got hit by a triple whammy.
First was that energy deregulation scam. The bill was written by Pete Wilson and it had a poison pill hidden in it. It only took a few months for California to go from having a budget surplus to being $11 Billion in debt.
Then came your bogus recall. It was a setup that left us with your republicon governator and his $45 Billion deficits.
Last came Bush's Great Recession. Note that all three hits were caused by you republicons.
Governor Moonbeam spent his first terms cleaning up the mess left behind by your Saint Reagan, and left with the state in good shape. Now he is cleaning up the mess left by your governator, and is even talking about a budget surplus by 2014! Now that is change I can believe in!
Around here republicon is a curse word. Even the republicons don't call themselves that.
Mil,
You truly are delusional...anyone who is anyone knows that the governor alone is a limp wristed whack job unless he has the power of the legislature... Epic fail on your part!!
Try again!!
First, the recall was based on Davis being a moron
Second, Arnold was nothing but a Democrat with an "R" after his name (in fact, Maria is the one that wears the pants in the family...)
Third, try to have a bit of sense and wake up to reality. Democrats have been in power behind the scenes, but have fooled the sheep citizens because they continually cater to the masses that depend on public handouts...
Fourth, Govenor Moonbeam is the person that started the landlslide power grab that the unions now hold over the good citizens of this state.
Fifth, If you believe that this state will have a surplus you are just plain wrong. Try looking at his budget and see how much of the expenses are being deferred to future years. Ever heard of "creative accouning"?? Typical Democrats...
Liberals are progressively driving the United States into the gutter, if that is what you mean.
Liberalism is intolerance and racism these days.
Hispanics are supposed to do the work we don't want to do? That's rude. Do you see hispanics and think "that guy should clean my toilet"?
Blacks are incapable of getting a photo ID? Wow.
Minority or female politicians who don't agree with you are "tokens", the "C" word, unworthy of hearing at conventions so they turn the cameras off and start talking over them on MSNBC
It's totally ok to say anything you want, no matter how offensive, because...hey...well they didn't vote the way you do.
Regional bigotry is totally ok I guess acording to you guys.
The next generation is just a piggy bank to pay for our greed according to the Dem controlled congress's debt. You ever stop to think that maybe they'll need road repairs, health care, retirements to save up for, etc?
What are you babbling about?
Hispanics aren't "supposed to do the work we want to do", but HISTORY says that WHOEVER the most recent immigrants are, they tend toward the bottom rung jobs. In my Great Grandfather's time that was German steelworkers in Chicago, working in unsafe industrial environments that would quite likely kill them. That is the case because WHOEVER is currently coming from out of country the first generation normally has fewer language and job skills. That gets better with time and education.
POOR PEOPLE have more difficulty getting a photo ID. That's particularly true in states like Wisconsin where thanks to a GOPTP legislature and Governor there are now ENTIRE COUNTIES where you can't get an ID. You think that isn't a barrier to getting a photo ID when you get around on public transit?
What you've said is the bigotry and racism. Attempting to SHAME US because we stand up for equal rights for those less fortunate is offensive. Your projection onto others is offensive.
You don't like that? Tough, take your hatred and name calling elsewhere.
I hope my Old party...GOP... gets the memo, We The People are on board with the President. If the GOP/Taliban/Baggers are NOT on board, they will go the way of the dodo bird in 2014. Lets hope the Republicans get their heads out of the Teaban's ass.
Name calling? Didn't the president say not to do that?
griphen02, so now you want to follow what the president says? and actually limit free speech? I knew you were a communist all along.
Frank not even close pal
SO... by your OWN WORDS following what the president says makes you a communist and limits free speech!
Thanks for finally admitting it, Frank!
:OP
The times sure are a-changin and the folks on the right need to recognize this. It is a shame their input and experience are being lost in this time of change because they refuse to get their heads out of the sand.
It doesn't matter to me what label we put on it, the President was advocating for principles we all should be able to support---caring for the least of us, inclusion of all, taking care of our environment, letting everyone vote, keeping our children safe. Surely these are American values.
Steeler Fan,
We already do this. What Obama is really advocating for is giving free crap to lazy people who are afraid to take risks. He is essentially saying that those who are financially successful are bad. What a complete and utter idiot.
I know many people who are successful on every front with the exception of financially. They are happy and love their lives. They are not envious of those who choose a different path nor do they paint those folks as people who are "not paying their fair share". What do they care? They are happy and they are happy for those that choose to pursue a different path.
Obama has been a horrible leader and worse yet, he is a bad person and a flat out liar. I have absolutely no clue how anybody could say otherwise. Other than killing Bin Laden (and I blame Bush for that) he has had no accomplishments in his first term. NONE.
This guy is bad for the country and is screwing the middle class with a smile. He has lied to all of us. The sooner he is out of office the better and this country can begin to heal from the divisions he has personally created.
History will judge him as nothing but a fad.
you should change your moniker to "bull@!$%# conveyer," it would be more appropriate. Obama is advocating no such thing...
Truth ...
Really? Back that up with a fact? Or are we just to take your word for it. While you're at it, back up ANY of your statements with a link.
GAWD but I am sick and tired of those without a party (Truth) stating his hate for the President. You and your ilk never align yourself with a thought or get behind a candidate, you just spew your Fox talking points as they are handed to you on a daily basis.
For those that do post positively on these boards, we are proud of our President, proud of our country and are willing to work hard and make a contribution that is good for ALL citizens, even you!
Get on board and be part of the solution or stay where you're at and continue to be the problem.
GOP really need to call it a day and recede into their caves forever.
You can't teach a Republican to stop hating gays or to embrace dark people. They don't like these people, its who they are. Despite all the Bible talk- they don't want to feed the hungry or care for the sick.
So the idea that they just need to do some tweeking to get back in the majority is insane.
GOP really need to call it a day and recede into their caves forever.
You can't teach a Republican to stop hating gays or to embrace dark people. They don't like these people, its who they are. Despite all the Bible talk- they don't want to feed the hungry or care for the sick.
So the idea that they just need to do some tweeking to get back in the majority is insane.
I don't see this country moving to the left! Unfortunately we will allow republicans to gerrymander and rig the electoral college....
TC - you forget a few accomplishments: going from negative job growth (-700K/month) to positive; reversing the economic recession; ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; getting the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan; deporting record numbers of illegal immigrants while at the same time focusing resources on the criminal element instead of innocent children brought here by their parents; increased funding for small businesses while also providing them with additional tax breaks; US auto recovery; wind power growth is up 40% and increasing; improved VA health care; PPACA now means that millions more folks are covered AND the overall financial impact of PPACA will reduce the national debt in the long run; increased infrastrucutre spending (cost-benficial as the economic returns from this are greater than the cost); etc.
If you haven't even noticed these things, then there is an issue with what you bother to look at.
I see I hit a nerve with the freeloader crew. Here are a couple of facts:
1). Obama has not closed Gitmo
2). Obama has not gotten unemployment under 6%
3). Obama has not reduced the deficit to under $500 billion per year (a low bar for sure)
4). He did not address comprehensive immigration reform in his first term (not even close)
5). Median income is down significantly
6). Obama has demonized "millionaires and billionaires"
7). We have millions more on food stamps than when he took office
Layton, the majority of these are the facts by the numbers. I think this is what you were looking for. This is what he committed to. This is what he said he would do on the campaign trail. He did none of this and clearly he lied to the American people about it. He never had any intention of doing any of those things. I know the low information voter buys his line of crap, but those that believe in accountability do not.
Sorry man. No hate here. I am all for anybody getting married to anybody else, comprehensive immigration reform, abortion etc. Essentially I am a very liberal person on the social stuff. However, when it comes to economics I belive in equal opportunity but not equal outcomes. Financially successful people make it happen and they should not be demonized for choosing this path. It is beneath us (well, most of us with the exception of Obama)
However, I hate being lied to....over and over and over. Obama has done this and in my book liars are scumbags.
You need to take a look no further than his comments on raising the debt ceiling when he was a junior Senator. You tell me. Is he lying now or was he lying then?
The guy is bad for the country. Seriously, what has he done to help you personally?
Truth . ..
He kept Mitt Romney out of the White House.
Matthew,
The majority of what you summarize I view as failures. Our economy would be better off if he would have gotten out of the way. The US auto industry would be in better shape and instead of the taxpayer being on the hook for billions, perhaps it would be an investment company. Wind power growth up 40%? So what and at what cost to the taxpayer.
I particuarly enjoyed your Obamacare summary that it will "reduce the national deficit in the long run". Ummmmm, yeah, sure, if you say so. LOL. What I love about Obama is that everything is alway's "in the long term". The guy is a snakeoil salesman.
Infrastructure spending which beneiftis so say's the cost/benefit analysis???? Give me a break.
As I said earlier. Our national debt is being increased by over a $1 trillion per year courtesy of this administration. Obama wants to keep this going so he can give people like you free crap. In essence, you summarized my point to perfection.
Guys, the math does not work. You may want to consider jumping into the high information voter category.
BAAAAZING! LMFAO!
Along with the entitled broad he sleeps with!
Layton,
Yes. Rommney is rich and successful. Therefore, he is bad.
Sincerely,
Low Information Voter
Romney's math was worse. No balanced budget until late in a second term. A promise not to EXCEED current annual deficits. A twenty percent across the board income tax cut, funded by indeterminate tax code revisions. And, a $1.0 to $2.0 trillion INCREASE in defense spending, over ten years, to build ships for the Navy.
Hahahaha.
So, the folks who worshiped the President and his administration and the folks who vilified the President and his administration have remained steadfast in their opposing certitude.
The reality is as always somewhere between those two poles, but there are very few ways to make good money on reality, unless we are talking "Reality TV".
The administration will propose, Professor Krauthammer will disdain, Dionne will genuflect, and David Brooks will disappoint both sides by refusing to do either. Rinse and repeat for the next 18 months...
Three weeks until Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training...
fair enough, kinda hard to close it though with those in congress (on both sides of the aisle) being opposed to it.
that's asking for a lot given the timing and severity of the "great recession" and all.
again, not an easy task when you inherit a deficit over $1T whilst in the midst of the "great recession." The deficit has come down every year during Obama's first term, so we're making progress, albeit slowly.
also a fair/valid point. It appears as if it will be addressed in his 2nd term however, but this will not be an easy political fight.
again, see "Great Recession" and get back to us.
He's done no such thing, he's only asked that we return to the tax rates of the 1990's which would see those "millionaires and billionaires" pay a maximum of 4% more in income taxes.
again, see the "Great Recession" and get back to us...
to be fair, we were in a lot different place economically speaking in 2006 than we are now. In 2006, we had watched in horror as a President took a national surplus and turned it into ever-increasing deficits (via two rounds of tax cuts, two wars, and unfunded Medicare Part D). We were also in the midst of one of the largest bubble economies ever built and had large tax revenues to prove it.
During the period from 2001 to 2006 we SHOULD have been leaving the Debt Ceiling where it was and using the surplus of tax revenue to pay down the debt. We'd be a lot better off economically speaking had we done so. In the period from 2009 to now, with a tepid recovery from the Great Recession still slowly taking hold, we SHOULD be running deficits and spending money to get the economy ramped up again.
The #1 rule of fiscal responsibility should be to run a surplus (and pay down debt) during good economic times and run deficits (and unfortunately accrue debt) during bad ones. Somehow the Republicans who ran everything during the Bush years forgot that rule and set us blazing, full steam ahead, onto the path we find ourselves today.
as I mentioned in my post above, he INHERITED a deficit over $1T, and has decreased it every year in office. As the saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day.
Our US economy is doing so much better. The stock market is up, 401 K are going up in value from the 2008 crash, unemployment is down, housing is improving, saved US auto industry, the debt that was created under W. Bush is going down some, and we as a Nation are again respected by the World. Then we see one war is over, Bin Laden is dead, Member of the military can be with the partners of their choice, Obama care will be in full force by 2014 and revenues will be going up.
President Obama has done a GREAT job as President in his first four years as President. In the second term we will see even better results.
Also, folks need to realize that President Obama is not the reason for our high debt. That is a total myth cooked up by the extreme right, who know nothing but hate, and want our Nation to fail.
Also, I'm looking forward to the Presidents Organizing for Action, taking on the NRA and other causes that we the Nation need. Take it to them Mr. President!!!
Forward with Progressivism!!!
" Its the economy stupid "...........
arent we optimistic
The division was created by Bush.
The Great Divider — The Political Legacy of George W. Bush http://www.thevoicenews.com/news/2003-03-14/Features/F04_Ethier-GreatDivider.html
The Great Divider http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/opinion/02thu1.html
Divider, A, Not a Uniter (2nd Edition) (Great Questions in Politics) Gary C. Jacobson
Caesar-
yes, I did say that Pitchers and catchers report in a few weeks. That is, as usual, the extent of my optimism...
This joint is like "Groundhog Day" without Bill Murray...
Hey DrowningGrover...
In your post #4.15 You basically admitted that Obama has failed to deliver on EVERY one of the promises that Truth Conveyer listed...
and you rationalized it by saying 'yeah... but doing those things are hard!'
HAHAHAHAH!!!!!!
YES THEY ARE HARD! But that in no way changes that fact that Obama DID PROMISE THEM!
I swear... with every post that you libs make, I become more and more convinced that you are all 12 year old kids.
:OP
TC -
CBO statement on fiscal impacts of PPACA: http://www.cbo.gov/publication/25155
Infrastructure positive cost-benefit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/091204-PERAB-Infrastructure-Memo.pdf
Auto bailout - not only did it stimulate economic growth, it saved 3 million jobs: http://useconomy.about.com/od/criticalssues/a/auto_bailout.htm . I'll also point out that it was important enough the President G. W. Bush sent about 20 billion to the auto indistry also.
And I find it amazing that you would classify the return of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq as "a failure."
Feel free to actually look at factual information instead of presenting unsupported negative comments.
SickoftheBickering,
I could not have said it better. For some of these people, it is almost as if Obama never promised these things. As if the words somehow magically came out of his mouth and he did not know it. My point is, he should not have committed to them if he thought there was a chance he could not do it. My belief is that he knew he could not do it and simply decided to lie about. More specifically, he knows the low information voter will believe whatever he says...he takes advantage of the weak.
Maybe you and are being unreasonable by expeciting our POTUS to keep his word. I gotta say, I am convinced that Obama is a pathological liar and he is clearly in over his head. How else do you explain it?
The party of non-accountability and freeloaders. Geez....
How would you propose Obama do things like "raise median income" in the midst of the great recession? Those things aren't "hard," they're more like "impossible."
Reality often has a way of curbing even the most well intentioned campaign trail promises. So fine, I'll admit it, Obama "failed" at meeting every single one of his campaign "promises." (although he did meet many of them). This puts him in good company however with 43 other Presidents past. If you honestly expected the "Great Recession" to be completely over in 4 short years, you're naivety knows no bounds...
Mathhew,
News flash, the CBO works on the numbers they are given. These numbers are based on a bunch of assumptions by stupid politicians that are trying to get legislation through. If you REALLY believe it is going to reduce the deficit "over time", can you please be mores specific as to when we will start seeing that? What year?
Don't insult your own intelligence by pointing to some CBO report about a government policy saving money. There are $16 trillion reasons that these numbers have no credibility.
In terms of the "auto bailout". What you really mean is the "bailout of two completely mismanaged company's that gave too much to greedy unions, came out with crappy products and could not compete in the marketplace and got what they earned" bailout. Bush was stupid to give them money as well. This is the second time we'e had to save Chrylsers tail courtesy of the taxpayer. This would have been better left to the private sector. This exhibit C in terms of folks like you wanting free stuff.
I said the majority of your stuff is wrong. If it was up to me we would have pulled out of Iraq and Afghanastan years ago to avoid the whole Benghazi type fiascos.
I get it. You want the government to take care of you and control your life. Many of us do not and you should be careful what you wish for.....
Drowning,
I did not expect things to turn around overnight with the so called "Great Recession" but I certainly expected us to be out of the woods in two years. That's why I knew the load of crap coming out of Obama's mouth on the campaign trail were simply lies. I wish he would have been able to do what he said he was going to do, but he knew he was lying. You can belive what you want but the facts are the facts.
Simply put he wants no accountability.
Truth Conveyor - a more apt name would be Liar Conveyor Belt. The list you provided are not Obama promises. Did he promise x number of people on food stamps, promise to demonize millionaires/billionaires? Feel free to post the links to those campaign promises. You can't even get your mythical 6%/8% non-campaign number correct.
Since you are so obviously inept at tracking Obama's 2008 campaign promises, he is a cute little guide to help you muddle through the understanding the promises.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/
Drowning Gover - wow, just wow.
Then you admit that you got taken hook, line and sinker by the silver tongued one. And now that he hasn't lived up to it it's okay because in liberal land it is only good intentions that count.
He committed (well overloaded his a$$ with his mouth) and you still voted for it. THE SECOND TIME.
if you expected us to be "out of the woods in two years," then you seriously misunderestimated the severity of the downturn. The hit in 2007-2008 was so large, that only the Great Depression was a larger financial collapse. Expecting to turn it around in 2 years is laughably naive, and even Obama never said he would.
to be fair, when Obama was campaigning in 2008, the economic downturn hadn't even moved into full swing yet. Lehman Bros. went belly up that September, the full effect of the bubble wasn't even known to many of the economists studying it. It's easy to say "I'll cut the deficit in half during my first term," in August 2008 and then fail at that "promise" when it turns out the recession was SO MUCH WORSE THAN INITIALLY EXPECTED that tax revenues fell by an extra $1T dollars than anticipated.
Obama is not the first, and certainly not the last President to say something on the campaign trail and then only accomplish a fraction of said "promise" during his time in office. Again, this puts him in good company with 43 other Presidents. You may call them "lies," but reality has a well known way of intervening in what essentially amount to campaign rally talking points. If you expected Obama to fully accomplish every single item he even slightly mused about during the campaign in 2008, then you're holding him to an entirely different standard than ANY President that came before him.
No, I was not "taken hook, line and sinker" by Obama. Being as how I'm an adult, and this was not my first Electoral rodeo, I knowingly understand that what gets said during a campaign rally rarely comes to fruition.
Has Obama improved the economy. Undoubtedly yes, this is inarguable. The DOW has doubled during his term, corporate profits are at an all time high, unemployment is down after bottoming out and continually getting better, consumer confidence is returning, the housing market (while not fixed) is finally rebounding, and the deficit is coming down appreciably.
I voted for it a 2nd time because i'd like to see these things continue...
Drowning,
One thing I learned a long time ago is that we can justify anything. Let's just say if I was overly optimistic on the two year turn-a-round (which I wasn't. I just did not expect Obama to heap trillions of more cost onto business and the public courtesy of fairy tale benefit Obamacare. This passage effed everything up).
If I was overly optimistic what did that make Obama? Remember the "summer of the turnaround". I deal with facts. He lied.
I'm so glad that I put so many of the RWNJ on IGNORE.
Good job IMHO
From the article above:
As its always been from the inception of the United States.
America, has always been, always will be a predominantly Progressive nation.
It's just a fact.
Salud
dude, trying to blame "Obamacare" for the slow economic recovery is so lame. The majority of the acts initiatives haven't even taken effect yet, they're schedule for 2014 and beyond, so no, that dog won't hunt.
And I'd also like to see your source for claiming that it heaped trillions of costs onto businesses. Obamacare costs money, a @!$%# ton of it, but it costs less than the alternative had we done nothing, this is how it "saves money" even while having a large price tag. Without it, we would have just had a different price tag, a much larger one at that (these are my assertions, they're the assertions of the CBO and any economist that has taken the time to study it).
TC - you stated, "You want the government to take care of you and control your life. Many of us do not and you should be careful what you wish for....."
Actually I get it, sir. You wish to make opinion based judgements about others with no validation. It's clear that your mind is made up and you will reject/diminish any facts or evidence contrary to your opinion.
As a side note - I'll point out that the CBO is a non-partisan office that both parties rely on to provide an independent review and information. Your decision to reject them as a source of information is unusual, to say the least.
Also, see that GM is number one in car sales in the world. Ally bank is stable and profitable. The Chrysler sale to Fiat could not have occurred without the stabalization of the company (and yes, this saved jobs here in the US). And as for your comment on "crappy cars" please review the 2012 J.D. Powers ratings - you'll see where GM/Chevy is at or near top in MANY catagories. http://autos.jdpower.com/ratings/dependability.htm
With respect to pulling out to avoid Benghazi - since that was perpetrated by the same types of folks as attacked the USS Cole and participated in 9-11, then I seriously doubt that your looking back is 20/20 vision. Perhaps Benghazi might not have happened, but something else would have. I'll also point out that an isolationist position is flat-out impossible since we participate in a global economy and what happens in other countries can and do affect affect us.
"There are 5 or 6 GOP leaders waiting to lead this land."
Truth . . .
Nice signature line you've given yourself and I do agree with you. As far as Mitten's being successful, good for him. Who really CARES? The guy didn't have a plan of his own and refused to commit to anything as far as a plan for this country. His little running mate had more ideas then he did. Hellsbells, the man couldn't even read a POLL! I'm not sure if you watched any of the inauguration yesterday, but the comparisons made between the Obama family (real, normal, photo-bombing, etc.) versus what it COULD have looked like with the cloned Romney clan were quite interesting.
Feisty, I couldn't help but think of Ann yesterday. I'm sure she was crying in her milk.
talk to the hand,
the only ones bought hook line and sinker are the ones that believe everything a Presidential campaigner promises will happen. President's have very little domestic power, almost all of the domestic power rests with the courts and Congress. I never expected Obama to get everything done and in truth most who voted for him probably did not either.
However if your criteria for a failed President is that they did not accomplish everything they set out to do then there is not one successful President in our history.
Yes. Rommney is rich and successful. Therefore, he is bad.
Sincerely,
Low Information Voter
I dont know, seems FR is a heavy contender for that crown
The Great Recession is a big big deal. PC just listed how bad it is. The Great Depression took 25 years to fully recover from and that was with 9% growth during much of the 1930s under the New Deal.
What the Democrats have accomplished so far in spite of the republicons is amazing. They did better than expected and are now on track to begin a solid recovery from Bush's Great Recession.
bikini graph | The Political Carnival
It was interesting that President Obama spent more time talking about the climate rather than talking about the tanking economy, overspending or massive unemployment.
Perhaps we shall learn more of these issues in his State of the Union speech. I did find it amazing that the economy, in his view, was robust. Really? Why all the unemployeed with the large number dependent on welfare?
If we don't get global warming under control, our economy will be washed away by hurricanes/swept away by tornadoes/ and dried up and dead, like the Texas drought.
Amy, based on the research re global warming, the studies have been proven to be failed by the researchers in lieu of personal profit.
I recall studies in the late 70's alerting us to prepare for the next ice age.
Like the weather, global warming is a guess.
It's because progressives prefer to think about a Utopian world and stay away from facts. Obama knows this and was just pandering to his supporters.
They refuse look at any future differing from the one they build in their minds.
So, you're telling me NASA is in on the global-warming/liberal conspiracy? NASA?
http://climate.nasa.gov/news/846
No Amy, what I am telling you is that temps change throughout the centuries. Cycles dictated by solar activity happen, and change.
Those political science types sold themselves out for money to provide the data to support the equation for additional monies. Facts that have been identified and found to be accurate.
Are we in a warming cycle, maybe. But some areas are in a cooling mode while other areas of the globe are seeing slightly higher temps.
An interesting question for you Amy: What man made event was responsible for the killing off of dinosaurs? What man made event created the ice age?
Amy,
I will let you in on a real life fact.
Who signs the checks for NASA?
Some very wealthy people stand to make billions and billions off "Climate Change" One of them at the top is Al Gore. You know, the former "green" VP that just sold his "green" company to an oil funded company.
BTY: Al Gore is now worth more than Mitt Romney so do the progressives hate Al now?
there were no such studies. There were, however, a couple MAGAZINE articles proposing as such, NOT backed up by the bulk of the scientific literature covering the topic.
There was more scientific literature dealing in climatology predicting global warming in the 1970's than there were predicting "global cooling," but TIME magazine (I believe it was TIME) didn't choose to run with the "global warming" story (which was the bulk of the literature) as it didn't make for as good of story.
The fact of the matter is that the "scientific community" DID NOT predict a new ice age in the '70's, period, end of discussion.
And what the scientific community is telling you, if you cared to listen to them, is that they ACCOUNT for things like solar flares and El Nino/La Nina weather patterns in their analyses.
A giant F'ing meteor, which of course was not man made. A catastrophic even in other words, that would kill us all too if it happened again. Not relevant to this discussion.
The ice age took 100's of years to manifest. Currently we're making appreciable changes to our climate within single GENERATIONS. If you can't see the difference, then you're not qualified to be involved in this discussion.
Since MOST scientific opinion supports the conclusion that human caused carbon gas emissions play a signficiant role in the speed of what is otherwise a natural cyclical warming process - with or without "man" - it would be foolish to ignore research into what we may do to slow or mitigate the natural process.
Denial that the process is happening at all or that, even if it is, there is nothing we can do about it...is similar to the ostrich hiding its head in the sand to make danger go away.
Because he doesn't have a clue on how to help the economy. The private
sector has made improvements on it's own, but Obama's policies slow things
down. That's why it is the slowest recovery ever.
you must be correct. The Scientists at NASA just tow the company line and support the "official government explanation" so that they can get their checks (those greedy, private-island buying scientists and engineers, they're all so rich and powerful, not like those poor bastards down at Wall St.).
But, if that is true, they why were they ALSO crying "global warming" to anyone who would listen when George W. Bush was signing their checks. Why did they not tow the company line then?!?
We are clearly in a warming cycle. Pull your head out. And it makes no difference whatsoever whether it is caused by human activity or not. It will swamp us. If we can alter our behavior to limit the physical and financial consequences and do not, then we are fools. When it rains you don't claim it's not man-made and therefore you should get wet. You get an umbrella, or a raincoat, or you go inside.
Straw man. No one is claiming or even implying that those were caused by man. Where did you get the silly idea that all such events must have the same cause?
Ok Grover,
Here's a fact for you too:
GW Bush is a progressive.
Another problem with progressives:
Normal is what ever they want it to be. How can you tell me that the current average temperature of the planet is higher or lower than it's supposed to be? You can't. There is historical evidence in the fossil record that it has been much warmer and much cooler than today.
Voice of ????reason???
Your lack of common sense and any education past the 4th grade makes You the new Poster
child for "The Dumbing Down of America." SAD & SICK.
/boggle
now i've seen it all. If you want to garner some serious laughs, try stating this at a Democratic Rally and watch as their heads explode from laughter.
Just cause he was such a failure and YOUR side wants to shed him from their memory, doesn't mean OUR side is ready to accept him as our own. We don't want him either...
if that's what you think the scientific argument for global warming boils down to, then I can't help you...
Grover,
I'm not hung up on political parties anymore. It really makes things a lot easier. Clinton was more conservative than GW, and Bush did nothing to reduce the size of government.
Prays,
Your use of insults are the first indication that you do not have an intelligent response.
I would agree with you that GWB was not a "conservative" in the true sense of the word and political movement, but that's a far cry (and a ridiculously far cry at that) from claiming he was a progressive...
Global Climate change from the burning of fosil fuels and the increased construction world-wide over the last 100 years is an absolute fact.
Deal with it.
Salud
The US Coast Guard has built 4 new bases along Alaska's North Slope because there is no ice there anymore and people are going there in their boats and getting into trouble. Islands up there are being washed away because there is no longer any sea ice to protect them from the waves. These are observed facts.
Don't forget about the floods followed by drought in the midwest. Oh, and how about all of those bigger and more numerous Tornadoes? Again, observed facts.
Global warming facts | Environmental Defense Fund
Your headline is correct, what was once thought of as "liberal" is now "mainstream", which is where the majority of Americans (except of course, the minority, the conservative GOP) are going. The GOP is dead and buried, and hopefully none of them will rise from the dead anytime in the future.
FlaNative1955 . . .
Ain't that the truth and they are still wondering how they died. It will be interesting if they can rise above their own "killer," (the teaparty) and formulate something that is good for the country rather than finger pointing and name calling.
Headlines from liberal rags like NBC don't make it so. It's positively gobsmacking, the pandering to the left that goes on in most US media every day. The GOP needs to hire some diabolical charlatans like Axelrod and Plouffe to help them understand and counter what's happening in this country before it's too late. ANd we all (GOP) need to unite, dammit. Divided we fall (are falling!).
" It's the economy stupid"........
Truer words were never said...but the economy's fine! Oh, and Keystone has been approved by the Gov. of Nebraska, so the "ball" is now in Washington's court. Can't wait to hear the excuses this time, but maybe he'll find another section of the pipeline that has been approved for 7 years, and crow about how good of a job creator he is! LMAO!
We are slowly recovering from Bush's Great Recession. It took 25 years to fully recover from Hoover's Great Depression you know.
bikini graph | The Political Carnival
As President Obama was sworn in again, yes again. I'm sure that he reached back into his first term memories and quite a few things came to the fore-front. Screw trying to be the President of compromise. Because it takes two to tango, and the repubs had from their onset a no dance policy. Therefore it makes no sense for him to try and deal with this party of "No" once again in the same manner. If anything, this election was a clear deciding factor that if any political party wants to be in the WhiteHouse. Is that they have to have open doors that will include most people, instead of allieanating just about about everyone except for the purest of pure. And even a gold bullion bar is only 99% pure.
So there you go repubs, keep up with the shenanigans and watch as either Hillary or Joe will be swearing in their oaths, as the next President of the United States of America four years from now...
Hillary or Joe? God save us. Look I voted for Obama TWICE, but I am not ready to go down that path. Do we not have anyone younger? If we don't then we have no future. Yes we need a "rock star image" to combat the douchebag image of the republicans and to attract young voters. Maybe some young (35) hot Bi or Bi curious woman.
I think you are right. The demographic trends that have helped put him into the White House - and which the Republican Party has been trying to deny are reality - are only going to work increasingly in favor of the Democrats.
Apparently, were it not for Republican State Legislatures gerrymandering Congressional Districts, the Party of "No" would have also lost the House. [Total House Democrat vote exceeded Republican vote by 1.2 million.]
That fact would seem to indicate that "the bully pulpit" is the means by which to drive policies through Congress, which are supported by a majority, but frustrated by conservative State Legislatures that are to the right of the mainstream.
Now may also be the time for a Constitutional amendment to eliminate the anarchism of the "Electoral College" and begin electing the natiopnal offices of President and Vice President by cumulative popular vote.
Frank - Hahaha...or, as a minimum, someone under 70. Although, I like Biden and Clinton, you make an excellent point.
Hillary is a proven compulsive liar. Democrats eat that stuff up.
If Obama cheats on his wife they will vote him another term.
bugmetoo
Fixed it.
Salud
Odd, how a few percentage points in the popular vote wins the Presidency, and the winning "side" declares they had a "sweeping" victory with a "MANDATE" yada yada bullsh**...
There was NO mandate, nearly half the country voted for the "other guy"...
Get that?
That means, the "other side" doesn't just roll over and say "no problem, you can have whatever you want..."
Must be some good chit you lefties are smoking these days.
FACT is, there are three branches of government.
It matters NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING...hey, did I say NOTHING...what the Campaigner in Chief "wants"....he will NOT GET IT.
His outrageously partisan tone, clearly indicating he will not compromise, means NOTHING will get done in the next four years.
I have never, and I mean NEVER, heard such a partisan speech from the POTUS outside the election cycle.
His declaration of "NO COMPROMISE" may please you lefties, but anyone with two brain cells between their ears knows his attitude will not be good for our Republic.
Even centrist Democrats were appalled at his speech yesterday.
This is a great opportunity for the NEW GOP to win back some fiscal conservatives, and take back the Senate in 2014.
With Obama refusing to address his out-of-control spending, another credit downgrade is in the offing.
But hey, I wouldn't expect a low-education liberal to understand the intricacies of the impact of debt service on our budget.
Just print more money, right?
What's the New GOP?
And how does it differ in platform from the Old GOP?
Please don't bring up the liars club. Republicons have that wrapped up.
Do you remember Iran/Contra? Reagan had the most criminals in his administration until bush/cheney came along.
Study: Bush, aides made 935 false statements in run-up to war - CNN
Criminals In The Bush Administration « Suzie-Q's Truth and Justice Blog
Hmmm, seems I heard that before... oh, yeah, just before the presidential election in 2012. How did that work out for ya?
About as well as the "permanent Republican majority" in 2006.
Why is the scientifically established fact of human-caused climate change a hard sell? For the same reason that the dangers of cigarettes was a hard sell long after it was established that they were unhealthy. Big Money.
Big money, plus the "addiction" of cheap energy.
"Cheap" energy is where they pump it up and you pay for it. "Obama" energy is where the phony alternative energy company runs off with half a billion bucks of tax money and no energy is produced.
Human caused climate change? Prove it. IF the climate is changing, the Earth has been everything from a molten ball of Iron and Nickle (temp 1500 degrees F) and 1/3 covered with miles thick glaciers. (temp minus 200 degrees F) Please discuss what the CORRECT TEMPERATURE is.
For us the correct temperature would be to avoid any shift large enough to cause a serious impact on present human civilization - i.e. a three foot rise in sea levels, which would swallow a lot of coastal real estate.
Steve the dog man
Science has already proven it to the same extent that it's been proven that smoking causes serious diseases.
Sure. And the Earth will eventually be burned to a cinder by the dying sun a few billion years from now. Nothing can be done about that. But humans caused the present climate crisis and only humans can solve it.
I remember how much doom and gloom the far right posters were predicting six months to a year ago.
Such as Romney would crush Obama, the Senate would be taken and Obama care repealed.
I didn't pay them any attention then, because I knew they were full of it. Today, I still don't pay any attention to them, because they are still full of it.
Forward with progressivism!!!
Have you seen the debt Obama has racked up? Doom is still on the way.
Yes, bugmetoo, we have seen that policies enacted under President Obama have racked up just over $1 trillion, while policies enacted by the Republican/TP Inc. party have racked up about $15 trillion. We've also seen the yearly deficit drop every year since President Obama has been able to affect it with his, and the Democrat's policies.
"Have you seen the debt Obama has racked up?"
Presidents do not spend money -- Congress spends money. The spending programs that are part of the cause of the current debt were around before Preaident Obama took office and a huge number of the were passed between 2001 and 2006 when Republicans controlled Congress. You must be a Fox viewer because you don't have a clue how government actually works.
94% of the national debt belongs to just 3 people.
Reagan
Bush
bush/cheney
Obama has actually been pretty stingy about creating new debt.
ReaganBushDebt.org
Only the liberal/leftist media could say that Obama is not out of the mainstream. He has had to reign it in a bit due to the Republican controlled House, but his record and stated philosophy are quite far left of the average American.
What's an "average American?" Your perception may be skewed.
Every year we become more of a Progressive Nation. History points this fact out.
Job1...the national debt is going up, the deficit is going up, the crime rate is going up, the number of illegals is going up....
You may be right! Sucks.
"Average" American is someone who is: buying or owns a home, buying or owns a car, is EMPLOYED, believes that for all of her faults, America is the greatest nation on Earth, would prefer lower taxes, less government intrusion, lives within his/her means, believes that FAMILY is the basis for society, and not more government. But that's only my humble opinion, for what it's worth. But then again, I don't live in one of the many cesspools that are urban centers either...
I'm right there with you Dan, but the opposite of your description is now present in numbers large enough to elect an otherwise unelectable president.
I love the "progressive" euphemism. But I must agree. We are constantly pushed to the left. Every day we see more laws, more restrictions, more government control. Why? The major media, universities, and Hollywood appear to be major factors. All are in the perfect positions to indoctrinate people.
Oh, and "stone6" - ever consider that YOUR perception could also be skewed? I will admit that Oregon, if you ignore Portland and Eugene (a wise choice), tends to be fairly conservative, but even the mainstream media, if you filter out the propaganda sorts of words, shows most Americans considerable less "progressive" than Obama.
NPCDan - Urban cesspools were created by the process of industrialization, primarily over the hundred year period from 1870 to 1970, and were a primary factor in the economic growth of the United States. They became "cesspools" when the jobs left and they lost much of tgheir tax base, by which they maintained their infrastructure.
Jim - 80% of the population lives in areas such as Portland, Eugene, or otherwise classified as "urban." I do not disagree with you about the goals, but facts show that the "goals" aren't necessarily aligned with behavior. During one year of the housing bubble, U.S. household savings actually went negative.
stone,
So why do we perpetuate the cesspool with welfare?
I really think we should take care of those that cannot care for themselves but, I cannot find the reasoning to continue welfare for those that have simply chosen to live in the areas where no job exists.
Right now, federal welfare costs are up because of food stamps and unemployment. And, the major federal welfare program, that I am aware of is the Earned Income Tax Credit, which encourages people to work in order to receive what is essentially a "subsidy." Most welfare was reformed back under Clinton, although a lot was just shifted down to the States, from the Federal government.
Point is that the increase in welfare is essemntially due to a poor economy and the lack of jobs. If you own a business and do not have the volume of business to hire someone, you really aren't to blame for NOT adding a job when it doesn't make sense. But, the governmen t isn't a "business." Never was; never was supposed to be. It cannot let people go homeless or starve because the private sector won't hire them.
In sum, as the economy improves and creates more jobs, related welfare costs will go down, as will poverty.
Broadly, each "recession" brings a greater and greater "job less recovery," as companies "go lean" and get rid of marginal people hired during boom times, when there were labor shortages. It would take several long posts, but basically the old 3-5% "normal" unemployment level is probably today unachievable unless we are in an unsustainable "bubble" of economic boom...producing a relatively high, but temporary, GDP growth rate.
Add to that the nature of the last recession...a systemic financial/banking/credit crisis. They occur less frequently than other types of recession, which seem to run in cycles. There is data that indicates the type of recession he just came through is longer lasting and requires a longer recovery period...on average five years of recovery. Officially, the recession ended in June 2009, which would poin t to substantial recovery by June 2014.
And, on moving for a job...remember this was also a real estate recession...many people, who are still making mortgage payments and holding on, can't afford to move elsewhere for a better job, because their house is "under water."
Stone,
Thanks for the reply. I can't disagree with most of what you have said.
However I think we differ on the solution. First I don't believe everyone on welfare would starve or go homeless if we sharply reduced the program. (Again, I'm not talking about elderly or handicapped.) It was once said the best way to end poverty is to make it uncomfortable. Today, there are many receiving benefits and eating/living better than those working.
I'm underwater on my home and I still would take the loss and move if I could not find employment. Why should my problems be yours?
Ideally, the private sector would hire. In lieu of that, I would rather have the government "make work" than give money away for free. But, think you would find a lot of conservative opposition to "government employment," even on a temporary basis.
With both of those courses impractical, as deserious as they may be, the "next best thing" is private contracting via government.
Obama wants infrastructure as a result; Romney wanted defense spending. The latter might have worked faster, because the infrastructure is essentially already there (the defense industries), but ran the risk of restarting Cold War arms races.
And...wqhen you talk about people going homeless or starving, you have to be more sure than "I don't believe everyone on welfare would starve or go homeless." The forty-seven percent Romney threw under the bus and at least 5% above them thought "my chances are better with Obama."
In a country governed through elections ALWAYS play to the crowd.
I would be one to oppose the government make work option. Not that I have anything against government employees, it's just that government never seems to get smaller regardless of where our economy is.
The private contracting is an option however; crony capitalism is usually the method. Yes, Romney wanted defense spending (crony capitalism) but I really liked his energy policy. I like the green energy and there is much we can do on our own. I use LED bulbs in my home and love them. I don't think we can afford expensive fuel during these economic times.
And now, I ask, while you mention the 47%, what about the cesspool we were talking about. Are we really fixing anything?
I suppose by "cesspool" you mean people who are basically healthy, with enough intelligence to either possess or be capable of learniong a marketable skill, but who for some reason...whatever it is...refuse or avoid work, and whom the State, in one form or another, supports?
How many people do you think there are in that category? Would it correspond to the 3-6% "normal unemployment" of the past? What's un employment now? 7.9-8.3%? If you count everyone who has dropped out, maybe 20%? Or, are you counting the 47% who aren't required to pay any federal income taxes as "deadbeats?"
Didn't Romney say that you shouldn't have to pay any taxes you don't legally owe? Does that make Romney a deadbeat?
Do you honestly think that some 40% plus of the country instantly became "deadbeats" when Obama was elected?
IMO, the 47% Romney talked about...i.e. I can't do anything for them...is probably closer to the hard core unemployment number of 3% to 6%, and MOST of that is due to incapacitation, physically or mentally, and/or "turn-over" between jobs of a few weeks.
IMO, the questions you need to ask is not why is government spending too much, but why isn't the private sector creating more jobs?
Oh yeah...the trend of the federal government, in terms of the number of employees per thousand of the population, has been downward over the last thirty years or so. I think it peaked in the seventies. The growth in terms of employees has been in state and local government.
Stone,
I think we are digressing.
I honestly value your opinion.
The question that I am trying to raise is:
Are we fixing or are we perpetuating the problem. I would not live in the crime and poverty that so many do in so many cities. I travel through some rough areas of Detroit and Chicago and ask myself why do these people stay here?
I don't think so. I am arguing that I don't think that eliminating welfare would create jobs or change much in the U.S. economy or government spending. The major categories of federal government spending are social security, medicare/medicaid, defense, and interest on the debt. ALL of the rest, of which welfare is a relatively small portion, is roughly 17% of the total. Outside of medicare, I don't see anything in the major categories that has anything to do with welfare. And, I am offering some approximate figures to back the argument that it is a very small piece of the problem.
On the other hand, you are offerring anecdotal evidence about driving through Chicago and Detriot and seeing, what you believe to be a major problem in the country today. I am not arguing that it isn't a problem at all, just that the cost of welfare is not the solution to our fiscal woes.
TheGreat Depression was ended by the New Deal that put Americans to work in America. It resulted in 9% growth! It jump started the economy and soon the deficit was coming down.
The jobs bill that has been sitting on Boner's desk for years is based on the New Deal. I don't know about you, but 9% economic growth sounds pretty good to me.
David Sirota: FDR Prolonged the Depression? Really? - Truthdig
now is the time to get this show on the road.
complainers move to the back and doers move to the front. the majority of americans are behind our president, mso lets getr going.
This is a progressive nation. It always has been. So we move forward. We reject the outdated ways and means of the past as we search for new solutions to problems that weren't even dreamed about in the days of Eisenhower and Kennedy. The obstructionist conservatives can either get with the plan or get shoved out of the way. The future will not wait for them.
Steve,
Do you even know what it means to be a "progressive"?
Voice, I believe allowing dozens of bogus "alternative energy" companies to get huge grants (Solyndra half a million dollars) and then go bosoms up and run with the cash a few months later is what SteveR means as "rejecting the outdated ways."
I believe that means the constitution is "outdated". So...when the next group of 99%ers arrive at his house, they won't have to be bothered with outmoded laws and ways.
Hey, Steve the dog ass, the Solyndra meme is very worn out, especially since the program it was funded under was implemented before President Obama came into office, and the overall program had less than a 5% failure rate, much lower than any private investment firm expects. Why not look at the successful companies funded under that program? Oh, that's right, it wouldn't fit into your narrative. Never mind.
Also, Solyndra was put out of business by Chinese dumping. That is why some Chinese products are being hit with up to 36% punitive tarrifs.
U.S. Will Place Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels - NYTimes.com
Man, you people hate conservatives. We're the minority. Ironically, Democrats hate a minority. That's some funny sh*t.
No we don't hate conservatives. We just don't like the crazy ones, such as Limpball, Palin and Bachmann.
Same could be said about maddow, schultz, mayer, any member of the msnbc "journalistic" team, etc.
The way the dems bash white people they won't be happy till they are slaves.
Democrats are the biggest hypocrites when it comes to racism.
NPCDan: You can say it but you would be wrong. They have their facts straight and use some of the same charts and graphs that I do.
Mitt Romney tells 533 lies in 30 weeks, Steve Benen documents them
bikini graph | The Political Carnival
You all have a right to be communists. Good to hear you say it out loud
As you have a right to be a Nazi fascist and scream about it into the high heavens.
now, let us focus on climate change, gun control of the law-abiding citizens...lol, gay rights and immigration...
too bad your country doesn't have a REAL leader who has his priorities in order with the REAL BIG PROBLEMS he should tackle first...
lmaoooooooooooooooooo
but, you people allow them to keep screwing you...
enjoy the ride from helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
President Barack Obama and the Senate are considering sweeping legislation that will provide new benefits for many Americans. The Americans With No Abilities Act is being hailed as a major legislative goal by advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real skills or ambition.
"Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society," said California Sen. Barbara Boxer. "We can no longer stand by and allow People of Inability (POI) to be ridiculed and passed over. With this legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers, simply because they have some idea of what they are doing."
And honestly, that does sound like something Boxer or Pelosi would dream up! Thanks for the laugh "Steve"!
No problem, Danny.
HAHAHAH!!!!!
Thanks Steve!
You made my day!
(voted you up)
forward into hellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
your too damn broke to progress...
and, too damn dumb to see where your heading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
in fact, your pitiful nation cannot even afford a loaf of stale bread unless it begs china for the loan...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
now, thats impressive !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fools follow and believe fools!!!!!!!!!!!!!
see what happens when you reward bad behavior...??????????
you get f**ked more and more everytime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
keep voting the people who screwed you and destroyed your country right back in...
i can see how well it's been working for your country...lol
We had a nice Constitutional Republic until marxism took over in the early 20th century.
At least we only have 1459 more days of Comrade Obama
"We had a nice Constitutional Republic until marxism took over in the early 20th century."
Rev Larry ----- where have you been?? I see you're still on the "he's a Marxist" kick. Tell us Larry -- how's the minister/historian/NASA consultant/disabled vet/defense expert/ international business man/ millionaire high roller gig going for you? How many businesses have you started so far this year -- 25, 100, 500? How's that fire-fighter son of yours -- the one making $200,000 per year -- as a fire fighter.
i have to say...
i laugh everytime you keep backing up one party or the other...
get it in your heads, they all f@@ked up your country and the real victims are the american people, not them...they are living high on the hog because your all too damn dumb to make them do their damn jobs right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I try to stay in the middle being a decades long Independent voter. However one fact is that the Democrats had control of the House for two years and Senate for four years when G.W. Bush was in office for his two terms.
Face it the Democrats also have to stop the "Blame game" because they are just as at fault for the mess were in as the Republicans.......
your politicians got you fools right where they want you...
playing the blame game while your country goes to helllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
they just keep reaping the rewards and your getting screwed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
something seriously wrong with that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are living in a more liberal leaning society, get used to it! As the more and more liberal youths come of age, the GOP/TP will become more and more useless! Hell, they are pretty useless now! I can see the gerrymandered districts throwing the bums out, and electing more Dems. to the posts! This will happen, unless the GOP/TP come out of their caves, and join the 21st. century!
Time to wake up, America!!! Get on the train going forward, or stay, and become a memory!
Just keep drinking the kool aid there Buttercup.....I love to hear the rantings of delirious people...
Just read that Beyonce's music was faked. Of course no one should be surprised at this.....it's just like everything the Empty Suit represents.....
Wake up America and become a memory!