To Those Who Consider President Obama a Disappointment; You're Just NOT Paying Attention!
If
you think President Obama is a failure, or you're "disappointed" in
him, the problem pretty much has to be you. So far, this president has
done most of what he said he would do, and he's only halfway through his
first term. Not only is he NOT a "failure," he's pretty much the
opposite. Hell; he even took out Osama bin Laden, something Bush
couldn't do in eight years. Of course, Bush also said several times that
he really didn't care bout bin Laden, anyway...
Is
he perfect? No, he's human. Does he deserve some criticism? Sure. But
criticism about certain specific problems is one thing; taking on an
overall "Obama sucks" meme not only has the potential to put another
Bush into power, but it's also a lie to say, or even imply, he's a lousy
president.
Anytime someone, right OR left, tells you Obama sucks, or is a
"disappointment," show them this list and tell them to kiss a part of
your body not usually considered pleasant to kiss.
The first section alone should make them sit down and shut up.
Legislative Prowess
Despite
the characterizations of some, Obama’s success rate in winning
congressional votes on issues was an unprecedented 96.7% for his first
year in office. Though he is often cited as superior to Obama,
President Lyndon Johnson’s success rate in 1965 was only 93%. http://n.pr/i3d7cY
Fiscal Responsibility
Within
days after taking office, he signed an Executive Order ordering an
audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse. http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5
Created
the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make
operations more efficient to save the federal government money. http://n.pr/hcgBn1
On his first full day, he froze White House salaries. http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIx
He appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending. http://www.cio.gov
He committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems, and also signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting system. http://bit.ly/hOw1t1 http://bit.ly/fz8GAd
Through an executive order, he created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. http://bit.ly/hwKhKa
Improving the Economy, Preventing Depression
He
pushed through and signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
otherwise known as “the stimulus package,” despite the fact that not one
Republican voted for that bill. In addition, he launched recovery.gov,
so that taxpayers could track spending from the Act. http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSs http://1.usa.gov/e3BJMk
In
his first year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created and
sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economy 3.5%. http://reut.rs/i46CEE
He completed the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan, and recovered virtually all of its costs. http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVS http://bit.ly/eCNrD6
He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan. http://1.usa.gov/goy6zl
He oversaw the creation of more jobs in 2010 alone than Bush did in eight years. http://bit.ly/hrrnjY
He oversaw investment in updated and improved manufacturing processes. http://bit.ly/fJEyDI
He also doubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership which is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency. http://bit.ly/eYD4nf
He
signed the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal
government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner
of the financial system. It also created a bipartisan Financial Crisis
Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the
economic meltdown. http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7
He
signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure
(CARD) Act, which was designed to to protect consumers from unfair and
deceptive credit card practices. http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcS
He increased infrastructure spending after years of neglect. http://bit.ly/f77aOw
He
signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the
Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid
preventable foreclosures. The bill also provided $2.2 billion to help
combat homelessness, and to stabilize the housing market. http://bit.ly/eEpLFn
Through
the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and
Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers,
which helped the U.S. housing market recovery. http://bit.ly/dZgXXw http://bit.ly/gORYfL
He initiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses.
http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0b
http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0b
He
created business.gov, which allows for online collaboration between
small businesses and experts re managing a business. (The program has
since merged with SBA.gov.) http://www.business.gov
He played a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis. http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5
He took steps to improve minority access to capital. http://bit.ly/f9xVE7
He created a $60 billion bank to fund infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges. http://bit.ly/e1SSaQ
He implemented an auto industry rescue plan, and saved as many as 1 million jobs. http://bit.ly/ibhpxr Many are of the opinion that he saved the entire auto industry, and even the economy of the entire Midwest. http://bit.ly/gj7mt5
Through
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he saved at least 300,000
education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors
that would have otherwise been lost. http://1.usa.gov/ez30Dc
Provided
funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save
thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the
recession. http://bit.ly/g0IKWR
He
used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance
agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eV
Crafted
an Executive order stablishing the President’s Advisory Council on
Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all
Americans. http://bit.ly/eyqsNE
Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protection
Ordered 65 executives who took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money. http://huff.to/eAi9Qq
He
pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most
comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression. http://bit.ly/hWCPg0 http://bit.ly/geHpcD
He
made it so that banks could no longer use YOUR money to invest in
high-risk financial instruments that work against their own customers'
interests. http://bit.ly/fnTayj
He supported the concept of allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation. http://bit.ly/fnTayj
He
wholly endorsed and supported the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of
2009 that would close offshore tax avoidance loopholes. http://bit.ly/esOdfB http://bit.ly/eG4DPM
He made a deal with Swiss banks that permits the US government to gain access to the records of criminals and tax evaders. http://bit.ly/htfDgw
He established a Consumer Protection Financial Bureau designed to protect consumers from financial sector excesses. http://bit.ly/fnTayj
Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination
He advocated for and signed the Matthew
Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a
federal crime to assault anyone based on his or her sexual orientation
or gender identity. http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7
He
pushed through and signed a repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask
Don’t Tell” policy that forced soldiers to lie to fight for their
country, and put our troops at risk by disqualifying many qualified
soldiers from helping. http://bit.ly/fdahuH
He appointed Kareem Dale as the first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0
He extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCj
He's appointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history. http://bit.ly/g1lA7D
He
signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections
against pay discrimination for women and other workers. This was after
the GOP blocked the bill in 2007. Only 5 Republican Senators voted for
the bill. http://bit.ly/fT3Cxg
Wrote
and signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Council on
Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies
evaluate the effect of their policies and programs on women and
families. http://bit.ly/e1puTk
He expanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act. http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0x
Fighting Poverty
He provided a $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). http://nyti.ms/gfLqyM
He signed an Executive Order that established the White House Office of Urban Affairs. http://wapo.st/eWECA8
Improved Foreign Relations and American Status Abroad
He visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six months in office. http://bit.ly/hZycda
As he promised, he gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration. http://nyti.ms/dKvY4g
He
did much to restore America's reputation around the world as a global
leader that does the "right thing" in world affairs, at least according
to the rest of the world. http://bit.ly/h743y7 http://bit.ly/ho4TCr
He re-established and reinforced our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues. http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDj
He established a new U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. http://1.usa.gov/eX28DP
He
established new, more reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba,
such as allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money
to support them. http://n.pr/hY3Kwa http://nyti.ms/emQBde
He
ordered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay. It was Republicans
(and a smattering of Democrats) who prevented him from following
through. http://bit.ly/eW6CVF
Ordered
a review of our detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the
use of torture, or what Bush called "enhanced interrogation." He ordered
interrogators to limit their actions to the Army Field manual. http://bit.ly/g6MTuC
He ordered all secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed. http://bbc.in/h6N9ax
He released the Bush torture memos. http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0
On
his second day in office, he signed a detailed Executive Order that
banned torture, reversed all Bush torture policies, and put the United
States in compliance with the Geneva Convention. http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zve http://nyti.ms/hzWWys
Better Approach to “Defense”
Created a comprehensive new strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat. http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nE
He authorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2
He
restarted nuclear nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear
inspection infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush.
http://lat.ms/gkcl3i
He signed and pushed to ratification a new SALT Treaty. http://bit.ly/f3JVtw
He created and executed a plan to end our involvement in Iraq in a responsible manner, and followed through. http://nyti.ms/fHTfrJ
Through
the Defense Authorization Act, he reversed the Bush Administration and
committed to no permanent military bases in Iraq. http://bit.ly/hk73OJ
He
developed the first comprehensive strategy with regard to Afghanistan
and Pakistan designed to facilitate the defeat of al Qaeda and the
withdrawal of most troops, as well as the rebuilding of Afghanistan. http://wapo.st/ee4Xcs
He returned our focus to Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing our troops from the country. http://bit.ly/lNXUna
Treating Soldiers and Veterans with Respect
He
made sure that families of fallen soldiers could be on hand when the
body arrives at Dover AFB, by providing funding for it. He also ended
the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers. http://nyti.ms/glqN66 http://bbc.in/gWSSkA
He funded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans’ services. http://1.usa.gov/huhqfo
He provided the troops with better body armor. http://bit.ly/hzSv2h
Created
the Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military
personnel, in order to improve the quality of their medical care. http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxW
He
put an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in
Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. (personal note: my son
will be in harm’s way for six fewer months with Obama as president, so
you know I love this one.) http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7Q
He
supported and signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and
Transparency Act, which made more money available to enable better
medical care for veterans. http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1
He
ushered through the largest spending increase in 30 years for the
Department of Veterans Affairs for improved medical facilities, and to
assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and
extended care facilities. http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3x
He
created the Green Vet Initiative, which provided special funding to the
Labor Department to provide veterans with training in green jobs. http://bit.ly/epwUQY
He oversaw a $4.6 billion expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health professionals. http://bit.ly/gjzTxX
Education
He
has repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid, and at the
same time cut the banks completely out of the process. http://bit.ly/gYWd30 http://bit.ly/e9c7Dr http://bit.ly/eEzTNq
Completely reformed the student loan program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate. http://nyti.ms/dMvHOt
Through
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he invested heavily in
elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. http://1.usa.gov/gGRIAr This includes a major expansion of broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide http://bit.ly/fNDcj3 , as well as an expansion in school construction. http://bit.ly/fYwNrV
He passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds. http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUe
Greater Transparency and Better Government
He signed an order banning gifts from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch. http://bit.ly/fsBACN
He
signed an order banning anyone from working in an agency they had
lobbied in previous years. He also put strict limits on lobbyists’
access to the White House. http://nyti.ms/gOrznV
He held the first-ever first online town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public. http://bit.ly/gVNSgX
The Obama White House became the first to stream every White House event, live. http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5
He established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities. http://www.serve.gov
He provided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history. http://1.usa.gov/hQ7ttV
He
crafted an Executive Order on Presidential Records, which restored the
30-day time frame for former presidents to review records, and
eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former
presidents to do the reviews. This will provide the public with greater
access to historic White House documents, and severely curtails the
ability to use executive privilege to shield them.
http://1.usa.gov/gUetLb
http://1.usa.gov/gUetLb
He
improved aspects of the Freedom of Information Act, and issued new
guidelines to make FOIA more open and transparent in the processing of
FOIA requests. http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2
National Safety and Security
He’s
restored federal agencies such as FEMA to the point that they have been
able to manage a huge number of natural disasters successfully. http://bit.ly/h8Xj7z
Authorized
Navy SEALS to successfully secure the release of a US captain held by
Somali pirates and increased patrols off the Somali coast. http://nyti.ms/efBO7B
Has repeatedly beefed up border security http://bit.ly/mMYB4i
Ordered and oversaw the Navy SEALS operation that killed Osama bin Laden. http://bit.ly/jChpgw
Science, Technology and Health Care
He created a Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making.
http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuw
http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuw
Opened up the process for fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects. http://bit.ly/j0KV2U
He
eliminated the Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.
He also provided increased federal support for biomedical and stem cell
research. http://bit.ly/h36SSO http://ti.me/edezge
Through
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he committed more federal
funding, about $18 billion, to support non-defense science and research
labs. http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7
He
signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first
comprehensive attempt to improve the lives of Americans living with
paralysis. http://bit.ly/fOi2rb
He
expanded the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which provides home
visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and
their families, to cover more first-time mothers. http://bit.ly/jRRRJc
Conducted a cyberspace policy review. http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvC
Provided financial support for private sector space programs. http://bit.ly/fn8ucr
He oversaw enhanced earth mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use. http://bit.ly/dNTRyP
He ushered throough a bill that authorized the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products. http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViB
As a result, the FDA has Ordered Tobacco Companies to Disclose
Cigarette Ingredients and banned sale of cigarettes falsely labeled as
“light.”
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he provided $500 million for Health Professions Training Programs. http://bit.ly/ecQSgA
He also increased funding for community-based prevention programs. http://bit.ly/frMPG3
He oversaw a 50% decrease in cost of prescription drugs for seniors. http://bit.ly/e5b1iq http://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9
He eliminated the Bush-era practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price. http://bit.ly/fOkG5b
Two weeks after taking office, he signed the Children’s
Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which increased the number of
children covered by health insurance by 4 million. http://bit.ly/fDEzGv
He
held a quick press conference, and urged Congress to investigate Anthem
Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation. Rep. Waxman
responded by launching a probe, and Anthem Blue Cross put the increase
on hold for two months. http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9C
Ushered
through and signed the Affordable Health Care Act, which expanded
health insurance coverage to 30 million more people, and ended many
common insurance company practices that are often detrimental to those
with coverage. He also established http://www.healthcare.gov/
Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he allowed children to be covered under their parents’ policy until they turned 26. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Through
the Affordable Health Care Act, he provided tax breaks to allow 3.5
million small business to provide health insurance to their employees,
and 29 million people will receive tax breaks to help them afford health insurance. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he expanded Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level. http://nyti.ms/ekMWpo
Through
the Affordable Health Care Act, health insurance companies now have to
disclose how much of your premium actually goes to pay for patient care.
http://nyti.ms/fNB26V
Strengthening the Middle Class and Families
He worked to provide affordable, high-quality child care to working families. http://bit.ly/fNfidS
He
cracked down on companies that were previously denying sick pay,
vacation and health insurance, and Social Security and Medicare tax
payments through abuse of the employee classification of independent
contractor. http://nyti.ms/fOGLcj
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he cut taxes for 95% of America's working families. http://bit.ly/eSEI4F
Under Obama, tax rates for average working families are the lowest they’ve been since 1950. http://bit.ly/f74pD8
He extended and fully funded the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax for 10 years. http://bit.ly/eFeSdP
He
extended discounted COBRA health coverage for the unemployed from 9
months to 15 months, and he’s extended unemployment benefits several
times. http://aol.it/evtVxD http://nyti.ms/emrqKJ http://bit.ly/hOtIpg http://bit.ly/fTT7kz
Environment and Energy
He fast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact federal fuel efficiency standards that were above federal standards. http://nyti.ms/e8e94x
He
fast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning
with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been
increased in a decade. http://politi.co/hiaPKM
He
oversaw the establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas,
which creates more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy
technologies. http://bit.ly/lZp73y
His EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history. http://bit.ly/lP3yEL
He ordered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances. http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbu
He
ordered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy
through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021. http://reut.rs/fV155p (As you can see, Republicans are trying hard to kill it.)
He
oversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and
manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers. http://bit.ly/mjnq2R
Bypassed Republican opposition in Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions. http://bit.ly/froaP5
His EPA ruled that CO2 is a pollutant. http://bit.ly/iQTSNN
He doubled federal spending on clean energy research. http://bit.ly/iN0sCE
He pushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars. http://bit.ly/j8UP5Y
He
created a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of
our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind,
wave, and ocean currents. http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWq
He
reengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements
talks, and even proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N.
Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush era stance that
climate change was a “hoax.” http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3 http://bit.ly/fE2PxK http://nyti.ms/hfeqvv
He fully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide. http://bit.ly/eJ6QOO
He required states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption. http://bit.ly/lBhk7P
Following Bush’s eight year reign, he reengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic. http://bit.ly/fzQUFO
Created
tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid automobiles, and later he and
Democrats morphed that program into one that includes electric cars. http://bit.ly/glCukV
Mandated
that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American
vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental,
fuel-efficient vehicles. http://bit.ly/h5KZqy http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5c http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk
He strengthened the Endangered Species Act. http://bit.ly/hscjsH
His EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year. http://bit.ly/jYH7nt
Through
the EPA, he took steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in
livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans. http://bit.ly/fBuWd2
He increased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10% http://bit.ly/fbJPjY
Other Stuff
He has expanded trade agreements to include stricter labor and environmental agreements such as NAFTA. http://bit.ly/etznpY
He
oversaw funding of the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of
African American History, which is scheduled to open on the National
Mall in 2015. He protected the funding during the recent budget
negotiations. http://on.fb.me/fD0EVO http://bit.ly/ff5Luv
Oversaw and passed increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. http://bit.ly/dFb8qF
He
nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.
Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice in the court’s history, and the
women represent only the third and fourth women to serve on the court,
out of a total of 112 justices. http://huff.to/eOChg6 http://bit.ly/i02wgP
He appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president. http://bit.ly/dX6vNB
He eliminated federal funding for abstinence-only education, and he rescinded the global gag rule. http://bit.ly/eCFAI1 http://bit.ly/f92drF
He
loosened the rules and allowed the 14 states that legalized medical
marijuana to regulate themselves without federal interference. http://huff.to/eQfa7j
His FDA banned the use of antibiotics in livestock production. http://bit.ly/jUjLzo
Ushered
through and signed national service legislation, increasing funding for
national service groups, including triple the size of the Americorps
program. http://bit.ly/idgQH5
30 comments:
Rah! Rah! Rah!
That is a great list of accomplishments...although some people will argue that they are not all good accomplishments.
This will make all of those millions of unemployed feel so much better.
I don't think out nation can stand much more of this "success."
maybe you could ask your party to join the rest of the country and lend a hand with passing some JOBS BILLS! SF...
How does a president get the country back on its feet when everything he proposes gets shot down by the GOP?
The GOP said it was JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! that was its foremost goal while it was promoting its candidates in the fall of 2010.
Where are the jobs, Mr. Boehner?
They went after Planned Parenthood instead.
If Congress worked with the president, we'd be in a different place, but we know that cooperation might make Mr. Obama successful in getting our country back on its feet, therefore, the GOP will NOT cooperate. The GOP has unequivocally stated that defeating Mr. Obama is their most important goal, not helping the American people.
I hope the Obama people play that scandalous assertion over and over and over again.
You are absolutely correct, Shaw. What the republicans campaign on and what they do are two completely different things especially when they are not in power.
Shaw I do believe the repubs are scared shitless because they have nothing new to offer Americans, they will run on "Obama sucks", time to give us a try...without any plans!!
My FB friend commented today pointing out Obamas genius by giving into Boners demands for the jobs speech date change. See, by speaking the day after the GOP clownfest he can rebutt all their "plans"!! Our president proves once more he is the smartest man in the room. Can't wait for next weeks speech!
it's all about the power Jerry, they crave it and fuck anyone who stands in their way. They haven't listened to a thing the people have said to them, THEY JUST DON'T CARE!
Yet people vote for them. I don't get it. Are so many Americans really that stupid? I am afraid that the answer to that question is "yes".
No wonder republicans are against education.
Yeah, but the Republicans can point to all those millions of jobs the tax cuts created. Yessiree. They're out there somewhere. I think they may be with Saddam's nukular aluminum tubes and biological weapons labs Bush found...in his head.
It's about the economy and jobs.
Perhaps as both continue to go south maybe Obama ought to start doing a damn site LESS.
At least if he did that he could use the excuse it was/is Bush's and the republicans fault.
It is about time Obama and his supporters start to acknowledge he bears some responsibility and accountability for the llusy state we are immersed in.
And it ain't gonna get better anytime soon.
And Obama is offering exactly what that is new? That hasn't been tried before by statist minded leaders throughout the world?
Why do you folks always forget that the dems held the house,senate and white house for over two years and did noting with it.Come on you cant have it both ways.
Government doesn't create jobs, economic activity does, with business owners looking to make money meeting people's needs.
Before one more lockestep liberal says "OH yeah? What about firefighters and government workers? Those are real jobs!"
Yes they are, and many are necessary, but they do not generate sufficient economic activity.
Proof? Why doesn't the government solve the unemployment crisis by simply hiring everybody?
Saying that government should hire everyone is the same stupid argument you hear when someone says increasing the current top marginal tax rate will improve the economy and a conservative comes back and says if that is so, why not increase it to 100%.
These are the type of ridiculous comments that people make when they do not have not good argument otherwise.
Why doesn't the government solve the unemployment crisis by simply hiring everybody?
Because the Right will obstruct any and all jobs initiatives by Democrats or government. They know their key to power is in prolonging economic misery for the public.
Back in the previous Republican Depression, FDR reduced unemployment in every year of all his terms to lower levels than Hoover left him. It worked.
Conservatives are re-writing history and will deny this.
When business fails to create jobs, that leaves only government to provide jobs. We are sinking because Big Money is not creating jobs while preventing government from doing anything about it.
Such are the fruits of a corporate dominated government.
To answer the rude and crude Rusty...
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/magazine/what-the-left-doesnt-understand-about-obama.html?ref=magazine
Congressional Republicans pursued a strategy of denying Obama support for any major element of his agenda, on the correct assumption that this would make it less popular and help the party win the 2010 elections. Only for roughly four months during Obama’s term did Democrats have the 60 Senate votes they needed to overcome a filibuster. Moreover, Republican opposition has proved immune even to persistent and successful attempts by Obama to mobilize public opinion. Americans overwhelmingly favor deficit reduction that includes both spending and taxes and favor higher taxes on the rich in particular. Obama even made a series of crusading speeches on this theme. The result? Nada.
Proof? Why doesn't the government solve the unemployment crisis by simply hiring everybody?
That's a fairly well thought-out proof for you Silver Fiddle. Short answer would be even if we could afford to offer roadbed construction, bridge repair, trail maintenance, green energy and earthquake retrofits, etc. to as many able-bodied and presumably younger men and women as possible, never mind their lack of training in modern construction methods and safety standards, conservatives in both parties would never have allowed it given the soaring war debts and tax cuts that have plagued the national debt in recent years. We had a lot of difficulty even passing a fairly conservative stimulus package. Conservatives are still belly-aching about how much debt it added when supposedly we could least afford it. Allow me some historical perspective just the same. Not everybody who hoped to get into the CCC under FDR was able to get a federal job. Millions were turned away. There was a lot of competition to get into the Civilian Conservation Corps which built so many park facilities and infrastructure in the 1930s. It was never an easy talking point or silver bullet. It involved some serious commitment and heavy lifting. It always does and always will to bring a nation out of poverty and joblessness. But one thing it did do was pump some real money into the small businesses, grocers, automobile dealers, etc. right where it was needed most.
Unfortunately many things have changed in the last seventy-five years. I don't think people are as hungry for work as they were in those difficult times. On a comical note, I daresay we have proved unequivocally that we can no longer use a war to bring us out of a depression.
What do you recommend? Tax cuts? Deregulation?
Thanks FJ!
I'll avoid the usual answers and just say that whatever makes our business competitive in the global market is what we should do. We need businesses to build things here and perform services here so Americans have jobs.
Some are criticizing businesses for sitting on the sidelines. Well, would you put your money in a rigged game?
Would you sink a large investment in an unpredictable climate where you don't know what the costs will
be a year or two or five from now?
So speaking generically, you create a predictable climate fair to all and favorable to none. If it costs a business less to build here than somewhere else in the world, they will.
Now you have economic activity, which is the goose that lays the golden revenue eggs to fund government.
Here's some more comedy...
Jim Demint said out loud on CNN's State of the Union...Employers in S. Carolina are calling back workers but those workers are saying "call me back when my unemployment and food stamps run out"
This is the mentality of a teabagger!!! Sick sick liar!!! Listen up S. Carolinians, this is what your teabagger leaders are saying about you!
Bull, SF...Corporations like going overseas so they can pay slave labor wages... as long as Americans demand a living wage from their employers I guess it will just get worse and worse. So who do you want to defend??
"If it costs a business less to build here than somewhere else in the world"
Sounds like you want to turn us into China, SF. I didn't know you were a Commie?
Well then, what's your solution?
You know what it has to come to? PATRIOTISM! Simple enough huh? How about putting country before profit, putting the American people before PROFIT so we can get ourselves moving again!! The president can not do it alone!! So stop blaming Obama and thinking a GOOPER could do a better job, bullshit!
Build manufacturing plants in OUR country without worrying about how much it will initially cost you greedy SOB's! AMERICA FIRST for once, how bout it?!
The People's Budget.
The game is rigged by corporate strings on politicians. What else can we expect when corporate cash is sanctioned as "free speech"?
An "unpredictable climate where you don't know what the costs will be a year or two or five from now" has always been the case. Nobody knows the future. This is why there's such a thing as risk in investment. Always has been. The Big Money Boys want it all, and they want it now, at no risk.
If we had a government responsible to the people instead of to Big Money, we'd see job creation for infrastructure rebuilding and maintenance. If only we could get our country back from the economic Royalists who care little for the people and everything for their limitless greed. That is a big “if”. Democracy is in a struggle for survival against the amoral elites at the top and their cold bottom line of the winner-take-all, corrupt, rigged system
"Profit first, country second" is the guiding principle for the Guardians Of Plutocracy.
Uh huh... That's what I thought.
Sue: Why don't you borrow money and hire an unemployed person? It's the patriotic thing to do, right?
I don't know how running a business just to let the government confiscate the profits is patriotic...
The Peoples Budget is a political non-starter. We have never collected that level of taxation, so it is unrealistic. Even the majority of democrats won't touch it.
It also unrealistically assumes people and businesses will just stand still and allow themselves to be taxed at confiscatory rates.
This was a constructive exchange. Big statism has failed us, so you're answer is... more big statism.
Good luck with that...
thanks Dave...
"This is why there's such a thing as risk in investment"...so true except we have Barack Hussein Obama in the WH, so trust and investing has gone out the window...how can ya trust a black dude?
Jerry, I love the Peoples Budget, makes perfect sense to me!
who said anything about borrowing money to hire an unemployed person? I said how about the corporates build plants here and not in Mexico so AMERICANS can get up and go to work...Build the plant, hire the workers, the workers make the product, there will be money in the pocketbooks, the people buy the product which makes demand, which drives the economy.....DUH
Yeah! Why don't business owners do that?
If they can make money at it, you'd think they'd do it already, wouldn't you?
SF,
At least The People's Budget is an outline of action rather than just platitudes like "whatever makes our business competitive in the global market is what we should do." and "We need businesses to build things here and perform services here so Americans have jobs." which are meaningless.
Come to think of it, that's what The People's Budget proposes -- to make our businesses more competitive and build things here.
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