The Obamanation

[Shawnee123]

It's been 5 months. Are you really as obtuse as you pretend to be?

[TheMercenary]

Why am obtuse? Because I disagree with the fantasy that Obama and the Demoncrats have sold the American people?

[Shawnee123]

Because you're so busy nay-saying you can't see 5 inches in front of you.

Give it up.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Give it up.

Never. I will be here to point out his failures for the next 8 years. Or 4 if he really screws up.

[glatt]

I hear ya bitchin' Merc, but without a time travel machine, there's no way to go back in time and not spend the stimulus money to see how bad things would have gotten if we hadn't spent the money.

Maybe Obama's right and 3.5 million jobs have been saved. Maybe unemployment would be at 50% if the spending hadn't been done. No way to know for sure.

I went to the mall yesterday with my wife because we were near there and had to kill some time. The place was packed with people, and most of them were carrying shopping bags. From what I could see, there was no recession. My wife even bought a pair of pants.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Obama said, "This plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector, jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges, constructing wind turbines and solar panels, laying broadband and expanding mass transit."

Immediately prior to that quote, as part of the same sentence in fact, he said, "Over the next two years".

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Nope, not 3.5 million jobs...

I'm not sure who you're trying to refute here. If you want to assume the stimulus was supposed to save or create jobs at a linear rate (probably not a good assumption), I guess you could complain "Nope, not 730,000 jobs." (5/24ths of 3.5 million).

It reminds me of the Y2K problem. We spent billions fixing Y2K bugs, and then people complained about the hype when we hit Y2K and the bugs were already fixed.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

If you want to assume the stimulus was supposed to save or create jobs at a linear rate (probably not a good assumption), I guess you could complain "Nope, not 730,000 jobs." (5/24ths of 3.5 million).

Ok.

Not even close to 730,000 jobs yet.

glatt and HM,

[ohrant] that is the point, it is all smoke and mirrors and yet we continue to bleed over 500,000 jobs a month. In the mean time our deficit rises to the TRILLIONS. Well hell, who is going to pay that off? Our great great great grand kids? Look, if I could have just seen some restrained defined spending in these "stimuli bills" I would not be bitching so much. I truely held out hope for Obama, not so much the Dems in Congress, but I really had a little hope that they would all do what they said they were going to do. He is rubber stamping this shit. And Obama and the Dems are in this together. There is no separation of powers. The Repubs were no different, but he could have significant influence over what the Dems produce. But no, they have fucked us over and over. Look at the bills coming from Congress, they are filled with pork and they have ram rodded the legislation through Congress will little other than "my way or the highway". There is no frigging transparancy till it comes out of Pelosi's ass. And then few changes are made. Granted the Republickins were not much different but is that an excuse? They had a historic opportunity to straighten this shit out in a concerted and pinpoint way but instead they have just thrown our frigging money at it and really have had little idea if it was going to work, if it worked a little, or even if it will really work in the long run. I am a bit more wrapped up over the health care issue because I have been in it for 30 years and I know the issue pretty well. And what they are proposing and how they think it will work is filled with holes, uncertainty, and more smoke and mirrors. And if you really look closely it is all being INFLUENCED by the darlings of the DEMS, the big pharm and insurance corps and we are about to be royally butt fucked. So yea, I am a little more than wrapped on the issues. [/endorant]

thanks.

[TheMercenary]

Another fine example of the Double Standard....

Democrats irked by Obama signing statement
By ANNE FLAHERTY (AP) – 35 minutes ago

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has irked close allies in Congress by declaring he has the right to ignore legislation on constitutional grounds after having criticized George W. Bush for doing the same.

Four senior House Democrats on Tuesday said they were "surprised" and "chagrined" by Obama's declaration in June that he doesn't have to comply with provisions in a war spending bill that puts conditions on aid provided to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

In a signing statement accompanying the $106 billion bill, Obama said he wouldn't allow the legislation to interfere with his authority as president to conduct foreign policy and negotiate with other governments.

Earlier in his six-month-old administration, Obama issued a similar statement regarding provisions in a $410 billion omnibus spending bill. He also included qualifying remarks when signing legislation that established commissions to govern public lands in New York, investigate the financial crisis and celebrate Ronald Reagan's birthday.

"During the previous administration, all of us were critical of (Bush's) assertion that he could pick and choose which aspects of congressional statutes he was required to enforce," the Democrats wrote in their letter to Obama. "We were therefore chagrined to see you appear to express a similar attitude."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...ZlbIQD99J2DQG1

[tw]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Another fine example of the Double Standard....

Where is this double standard? Levees are failing everywhere because of wacko extremists who loved George Jr and Rush Limbaugh. We are still patching the destruction. Today's jobs losses now and for years to come are directly traceable to wackos who stifled innovation, created enemies where none existed, tried to even get into a shooting war with China, spent so much money as to both destroy a surplus and run up record deficits, turn even our allies adversarial, subvert innovation and science by even having White House lawyers rewrite science papers, all but try to destroy Hubble, encourage GM et al to destroy even Hybrid technology (because anything done by Clinton has to be destroyed),so encouraged he destruction of education that now something like 50% of designers in the Silicon Valley are immigrants, ‘Mission Accomplished’ which we have yet to pay for (wacko George would not even put those bills in the budget), gave Afghanistan back to the Taliban (because only the dumbest would say "America does not do nation building"), enriched big pharma with laws that protect their 40% price increase for drugs, inspired hate of immigrants, gays, and other minorities, even refuse to prosecute Enron, encouraged fraud at the highest levels of the economy, even subverts the Security and Exchange Commission, refused to prosecute those who created the CA energy crisis, refuse to condemn or address those who intentionally created the NE blackout, ignored the lessons of ‘Long Term Capital Management’, protected industries so that they remain unproductive (corporate welfare), continued to destroy American jobs by protecting enemies of America such as big steel, encouraged fraud and deception across the entire financial industry - AIG, Merrill Lynch, et al, ....

But none of these stupidities caused today’s job losses? Ostrich thinking is alive and well. Job losses today are directly traceable to wacko politics and Rush Limbaugh diatribes that replaced intelligent thinking.

Even lessons from Nixon and Vietnam are déjà vue. Lies, mismanagement, spending, and denials in 1968, 1970 and later resulted in massive job losses, stagflation, and even destruction of US military power in 1975 and years later. We have yet to see damage created George Jr and wacko extremist. As intelligent people have warned long ago, we will be paying for these disasters for the next ten years. We are reaping disasters created when wacko politics were spouted here by the brainwashed. Fortunately, this time we have intelligent leadership that has apparently minimized much of the damage. Things were that close to near disaster.

Never forget the faces on those Congressmen as they left the briefing by Bernanke and Paulsen. We were that close to an abyss that was that deep. And we will be paying for years for damage created by wacko extremist politics.

How much damage? Australians are learning how that destruction has yet to affect their national security. America will suffer significant military weakness in the next decade because of wackos like Cheney. Whereas Clinton would even send two carrier groups to Taiwan to confirm their protection. Today and in years future, the US will no longer be able to do that with confidence. America military strength will diminish tomorrow due to the disasters both financial and military created by yesterdays wacko extremists. Even deja vue Nam. Australia must reassess their national security today because America’s military strength must diminish tomorrow. Thank you Cheney - who claims he was one of history's greatest military tacticians. Who even all but protected bin Laden for a politcal agenda.

Thank you George Jr for being so destructive as to do absolutely nothing useful (but sit in a child's chair) even on 11 Sept 2001. When told "America is under attack" by his chief of staff, what did the dumb man do? Sat there in a child’s chair for 15 minutes. Did not even ask one question. Did on 11 Sept what he continued to do to even harm American jobs today. Sat their so that innovators and other partiots would do nothing. Went to CA for a campaign fund raiser so that even the USS Bataan could not help save Americans in New Orleans.

Job losses directly traceable to people with too much politics, too little intelligence, and now in denial about why jobs are being destroyed.

Jobs losses today are but another trophy of wacko extremists and those who are told how to think using only a political agenda. Even Australia must change their strategy; to make new plans for their national security due to the stupidity of those who worshipped wackos extremism and overt military crusades this past decade. So dumb as to even try to get into a shooting war with China over a silly spy plane. We have yet to see all the damage created by those so dumb as to vote for Cheney.

Wacko politics says, "Blame Obama". Then we will not blame the real reason why jobs will continue to be lost. Fortunately we have leaders who use intelligence (not politics). So a near disaster has been averted. Can you imagine where we would be today if George Jr had a ninth year? That should make every intelligent person tremble. Worse, wacko extremist already miss George Jr. Even make speeches hoping that Obama will fail. Wacko extremists never worked for America - which is why they cannot admit how many more jobs will be lost due to their politics.

[classicman]

Thanks Tom - I needed a good laugh - you actually made me smile today.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by classicman

Thanks Tom - I needed a good laugh - you actually made me smile today.

I can't read it but let me guess, it said something about blaming Wacko Extremists.

[Shawnee123]

I like tw.

[tw]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

I can't read it but let me guess, it said something about blaming Wacko Extremists.

No. It blamed you (in font=0). I was taught by White House lawyers and Cheney.

Meanwhile, we were that close to the abyss. Only one of the stories is told by PBS Frontline in June 2009 at Breaking the Bank or Breaking the Bank video. Once we eliminate all so many political cheapshots now being fired by extremist Republicans, bottom line, our leaders who did something deserve great praise for averting disaster.

Fortunately George Jr did absolutely nothing - therefore did not make things worse. Oh, he did go outside to make 20 second statements to the press about how our economy was sound. But everyone - even Republicans - acknowledged he had no idea what was happening let alone know what to do. George Jr was the classic example of an extremist who created these problems and could only make things worse.

[TheMercenary]

More of the double standard by the Obama administration....

Remember the outcry, which continues, about the people from the energy industry coming to the White House and supposedly meeting with Cheney et. al.?

Where is the transparency everyone likes to spout off about?

Where are the protests?

White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives

Citing an argument used by the Bush administration, the Secret Service rejects a request from a watchdog group to list those who have visited the White House to discuss the healthcare overhaul.

By Peter Nicholas
July 22, 2009

Reporting from Washington -- Invoking an argument used by President George W. Bush, the Obama administration has turned down a request from a watchdog group for a list of health industry executives who have visited the White House to discuss the massive healthcare overhaul.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sent a letter to the Secret Service asking about visits from 18 executives representing health insurers, drug makers, doctors and other players in the debate. The group wants the material in order to gauge the influence of those executives in crafting a new healthcare policy.

continues:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,7434392.story

[TheMercenary]

Another great view:

Obama's suicide march
21 Jul 2009 06:15 pm

I don't know if I would call it a "leftward surge" or a "suicide march"--a little hyperventilating for my taste--but David Brooks is essentially right in this column. Those, including me, who predicted that Obama's most difficult challenge would be his confrontation with Democratic party liberals have been proven wrong. Obama is falling out not with them but with the party's moderates. As Brooks says, he did it on the stimulus, he did it on the budget, and he is doing it on healthcare. Obama remains well-liked overall, but his support among independents is slipping, and his policies are less popular than he is. A rot appears to be setting in. Can the White House really be surprised?

For a moment put the merits of the policies to one side. (Just to remind, I was for a big fiscal stimulus, but wanted to see more front-loaded tax cuts; I was dismayed by the long-term fiscal implications of the budget; I am for comprehensive health reform with a guarantee of universal coverage but favor broad-based taxes to pay for it, including limits to the tax deductibility of employer-provided insurance.) Let us suppose Obama thinks that Nancy Pelosi and the unions are right on all these topics, and Max Baucus is wrong. Even then, shouldn't somebody be advising him on political strategy? This is the aspect I find completely perplexing.

Brooks says:

continues:

http://clivecrook.theatlantic.com/ar...cide_march.php