The Obamanation

[slang]

Originally Posted by classicman

Howard Fineman: "He wasn't specific enough."

Only because telling the American people that his plan is to crash the economy and start over again re-, ...uh, I mean green - would not sell to the vast majority of the electorate.

[classicman]

I really don't get that Slang. Explain to me why he, or any American politician would want to do that.

The premise that he wants to destroy it seems more than far-fetched to me.

[slang]

Originally Posted by classicman

The premise that he wants to destroy it seems more than far-fetched to me.

Yes, it sure does. What in the world was I thinking? ...destroy the capitalist system to reboot in O's fundamentally transformed America.

I really need some professional help.

[TheMercenary]

Destroy it? I doubt he can really do it. But he sure is trying hard to reshape it in his own image.

[classicman]

An open letter from actor Jon Voight to President Obama:

June 22, 2010

Dear President Obama:

You will be the first American president that lied to the Jewish people, and the American people as well, when you said that you would defend Israel, the only Democratic state in the Middle East, against all their enemies. You have done just the opposite. You have propagandized Israel, until they look like they are everyone's enemy - and it has resonated throughout the world. You are putting Israel in harm's way, and you have promoted anti-Semitism throughout the world.

You have brought this to a people who have given the world the Ten Commandments and most laws we live by today. The Jewish people have given the world our greatest scientist and philosophers, and the cures for many diseases, and now you play a very dangerous game so you can look like a true martyr to what you see and say are the underdogs. But the underdogs you defend are murderers and criminals and want Israel eradicated.

You have brought to Arizona a civil war, once again defending the criminals and illegals, creating a meltdown for good, loyal, law-abiding citizens. Your destruction of this country may never be remedied, and we may never recover. I pray to God you stop, and I hope the people in this great country realize your agenda is not for the betterment of mankind, but for the betterment of your politics.

With heartfelt and deep concern for America and Israel,

Jon Voight

I think this is the first actor of any significance to really speak out against the president. At least he has the balls to do so.

[Happy Monkey]

Interesting conflation of "Israeli" and "Jewish". It's not like the Prime Minister of Israel is the Jewish Pope.

This is also an interesting formulation: "You have brought this to a people who have given the world the Ten Commandments and most laws we live by today." It simultaneously associates the Commandments and law, while avoiding making an actual (false) claim that law is based on them.

[classicman]

Not where I was headed, but now that you mention it - that is interesting.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by classicman

At least he has the balls to do so.

But not a foreskin.

[TheMercenary]

Feds wasted millions in utilities program for poor

MIAMI — A federal program designed to help impoverished families heat and cool their homes wasted more than $100 million paying the electric bills of thousands of applicants who were dead, in prison or living in million-dollar mansions, according to a government investigation.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spent $5 billion through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program in 2009, doling out money to states with little oversight of the program. Some states don't verify applicants' identifies or income. For example, the program helped pay the electric bill of a woman who lives in a $2 million home in a wealthy Chicago suburb and drives a Mercedes, according to the yet-to-be released report obtained by The Associated Press.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...7RewwD9GMCFIO3

[classicman]

Obama faces growing credibility crisis

“The bottom line here is that Americans don’t believe in President Obama’s leadership,” says Rob Shapiro, another former Clinton official and a supporter of Mr Obama. “He has to find some way between now and November of demonstrating that he is a leader who can command confidence and, short of a 9/11 event or an Oklahoma City bombing, I can’t think of how he could do that.”

In private, informal advisors to Mr Obama are almost as negative. According to one, the US public’s loss of confidence in Mr Obama’s leadership is a factor above and beyond their dissatisfaction over the state of the real economy, which continues to slow as last year’s $787bn stimulus starts to run dry. The adviser, who asked to remain anonymous, said the public did not know what Mr Obama really believed. Examples include his lukewarm support last year for a public option in the healthcare bill and his equally lukewarm support today for a Senate bill that would extend unemployment insurance and aid state governments to keep teachers in their jobs.

In both cases, Mr Obama has offered only token, negotiable, support. “I never thought I would say this, but even I’m unsure what President Obama really believes,” says the adviser. “Instead of outsourcing decisions to Congress, he should spell out his bottom line. That is what leaders are for.”

Next week, Mr Obama is likely to sign a historic Wall Street re-regulation bill into law. Earlier this year he did the same for healthcare. But polls show the public either does not care, or even opposes these otherwise big reforms. “The longer this goes on, the more it looks like Obama wasted his first year on healthcare,” said the outside adviser. “It’s still the economy, stupid.”

Link

I've been saying for a long time. Get people employed and you can do pretty much whatever you want. Did Obama miss that message? Should have learned from the W administration.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by classicman

Get people employed and you can do pretty much whatever you want.

But the two charts seem to indicate that his approval has gone down as more people became employed...

[classicman]

Not really - It looks like it went up slightly at the same time in the slight spike in employment. I think its "dishonest" that the units are so small - That same info on graphs with larger units would look quite different - especially thr unemployment graph.

[Clodfobble]

That chart on the right is the unemployment rate--the spike is more unemployed people, not more employed people.

[classicman]

I stand corrected - I read it wrong.


(reminder to self - never question the brain of the clodfobble)

[Clodfobble]

The phenomenon still makes no sense to me though, unless it's just coincidence. I guess it's like, when I'm unemployed I like the guy who's big on social programs, but as soon as I find a job I'm all, "No you can't tax me for social programs, bitch!"