Accomplishments of President Obama

[classicman]

Merc, Can you explain how those numbers add up? I thought ... that most of the stimulus went for things besides job creation and the title stimulus was really not as accurate as some would lead us to believe.

When looking at stimuluswatch.org it certainly doesn't paint a great picture, but still those are some seemingly outrageous figures.


ETA - They updated the site to http://stimuluswatch.org/2.0/

[chrisinhouston]

We had a huge section of toll road built totally with the stimulus money, the link connects our area of NE Houston to Clearlake TX which is south of Houston half way to Galveston. Our Republican congressman, Ted Poe has been totally against any of the stimulus plan and has taken to the house floor to lambast it numerous times. He also showed up to have his picture taken at the ribbon cutting when the road was opened and spoke about how this new road would help his constituents and the communities.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by classicman

Merc, Can you explain how those numbers add up? I thought ... that most of the stimulus went for things besides job creation and the title stimulus was really not as accurate as some would lead us to believe.

When looking at stimuluswatch.org it certainly doesn't paint a great picture, but still those are some seemingly outrageous figures.


ETA - They updated the site to http://stimuluswatch.org/2.0/

I am pretty sure they sort of go through the numbers in the link, I will have to double check it.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by chrisinhouston

We had a huge section of toll road built totally with the stimulus money, the link connects our area of NE Houston to Clearlake TX which is south of Houston half way to Galveston. Our Republican congressman, Ted Poe has been totally against any of the stimulus plan and has taken to the house floor to lambast it numerous times. He also showed up to have his picture taken at the ribbon cutting when the road was opened and spoke about how this new road would help his constituents and the communities.

My only question is how many people were actually helped and at what cost? Or is it just another land "bridge to no where"?

[Lamplighter]

Post No 1, Item No 4 on Radar's list will be crossed off soon...

CBS News
October 21, 2011 12:23 PM

Obama announces end of Iraq war, troops to return home by year end

President Obama announced Friday that the United States will withdraw
nearly all troops from Iraq by the end of the year,
effectively bringing the long and polarizing war in Iraq to an end.

"After nearly 9 years, America's war in Iraq will be over," said Mr. Obama.

He said the last American troops will depart the country by January 1
"with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing
that the American people stand united in our support for our troops."
<snip>

[TheMercenary]

Good job Obamy! You should be proud!

The president is full of it when he talks about creating or saving jobs. During his State of the Union address Wednesday night, he said, “Now, because of the steps we took, there are about 2 million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed. … Economists on the left and the right say this bill has helped save jobs and avert disaster. … That is why jobs must be our No. 1 focus in 2010, and that’s why I’m calling for a new jobs bill tonight.” This is pure fiction. Job losses under President Obama’s watch have increased steadily without remission.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...ployment-rate/

[TheMercenary]

There comes a time and a point in history which indelibly define a President. Oftentimes the event may not be of major import in the greater scheme of things but the management of it is of such prominence that the success or failure in the handling of the issue is permanently attached to the individual. Such a moment has happened to Barack Obama. His incompetence, inability to lead, prevarications, petulance and immaturity in the debt ceiling crisis have indelibly created an image of abject failure in the minds of a critical mass of people in the United States and around the globe. He will never be able to overcome the portrait that has been etched in too many minds.
Barack Obama's only interest in the debt ceiling debate was to raise the borrowing limit sufficiently to get by the next election, and as a cudgel to denigrate the Republicans. His concern was not for the American people and the impact of overwhelming national debt, nor an impending and inevitable credit downgrade. Rather, he was determined that raising the debt ceiling would not become an issue during the presidential campaign. Thus, spending cuts created out of whole cloth, combined with tax increases aimed at stoking the embers of class envy, were bandied about by his party in order to justify an increase in the debt ceiling of $2.4 Trillion.
The destruction wrought by the nearly $5.5 Trillion (more than a third of the total debt of a nation 222 years old) he will have added to the nation's balance sheet by the end of his term was immaterial, thus no detailed plan was forthcoming from the White House, and no lie or accusation aimed at the opposition was too absurd to tell. The only matter of importance was his re-election; the long-term health of the country be damned.
With this lasted chapter of Obama cynicism he has gone a bridge too far; and that bridge has collapsed behind him.

Continues:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/...residency.html

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

Obama announces end of Iraq war, troops to return home by year end

What a load of horse shit.... he it trying to say this was in his agenda from his campaign promises, Bullocks! The only reason we are pulling out is because they Iraqi Government and our minions could not agree on a Status of Forces Agreement that would not make US Troops subject to Iraqi Law. Otherwise we would still have a few thousand quick reaction forces there for the forceable future. At least 10 years IHMO.

[Lamplighter]

The status of the Status of Forces Agreement does seem to be the reason for the decision,
but I doubt their would be much happiness in Merc'ville if the decision were to be the other way.

IIRC, it was the Iraq's decision to tell Bush to get US troops out of Iraq.

But it matters not a twit... getting almost all troups out is the event
and it's happening on Obama's watch, so he gets the credit this time.

[classicman]

How many of the paid mercenaries are going to stay?

[ZenGum]

Hush now, please not to ask the embarrassing question.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by classicman

How many of the paid mercenaries are going to stay?

None that won't have criminal immunity, that's for sure. Right now, that pencils out to... let's see... zero.

[Bullitt]

Many, many contractors.
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011...-iraq-eternal/

[classicman]

Originally Posted by classicman

How many paid mercenaries are going to stay?

Originally Posted by BigV

Right now, let's see... zero.

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Many, many contractors.

the State Department will command a hired army of about 5,500 security contractors, all to protect the largest U.S. diplomatic presence anywhere overseas.
... 10,000 U.S. State Department employees throughout Iraq — which, in case anyone has forgotten, is still a war zone.

It’s a situation with the potential for diplomatic disaster. And it’s being managed by an organization with no experience running the tight command structure that makes armies cohesive and effective.

You can also expect that there will be a shadow presence by the CIA, and possibly the Joint Special Operations Command, to hunt persons affiliated with al-Qaida. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has conspicuously stated that al-Qaida still has 1,000 Iraqi adherents, which would make it the largest al-Qaida affiliate in the world.

So far, there are three big security firms with lucrative contracts to protect U.S. diplomats. Triple Canopy, a longtime State guard company, has a contract worth up to $1.53 billion to keep diplos safe as they travel throughout Iraq. Global Strategies Group will guard the consulate at Basra for up to $401 million. SOC Incorporated will protect the mega-embassy in Baghdad for up to $974 million. State has yet to award contracts to guard consulates in multiethnic flashpoint cities Mosul and Kirkuk, as well as the outpost in placid Irbil.

“We can have the kind of protection our diplomats need,” Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough told reporters after Obama’s announcement. Whether the Iraqi people will have protection from the contractors that the State Department commands is a different question. And whatever you call their operations, the Obama administration hopes that you won’t be so rude as to call it “war.”

[TheMercenary]

Obama helps banks with new housing bailout.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...n_1028554.html