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"The fighting conciliator"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ar...
I think this will be Obama's pattern: Roll out the welcome mat, but fight when he has to. If you'll remember, he was more or less like this in his campaigns too.
Hopefully, tho, he'll realize he's getting rolled a little earlier next time.
from NY Times:
After Lawrence H. Summers, the top White House economic adviser, suggested earlier on the program that the Republican party was impotent to handle the economy, Mr. Steele called those comments “laughable.”
“He acts like we have spent the last eight years in the mess that we’re currently in,” Mr. Steele said. “This is about 18 months old. The reality of it is, Bush inherited a recession. He got us through that recession.”
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/n...
Even during the Great Depression, fewer homes were foreclosed on percentage-wise than today, and many banks failed (and were allowed to) before Roosevelt was able to get legislation passed to alleviate some of the worse suffering by working people. In fact, it took over 3 years from 1929 when the stock market crashed to implementing the beginning measures. Even so, many people suffered first from want during the depression, than even when the war machine geared up for WWII, from need because of restrictions on consumer resources. It took 16 years before the post-war "boom" and the repairing of the US economy actually started.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/2/9/74530/76...
I think all the reaching out Obama does is not done in naivete but rather smart politics. I still think Obama is one of the most devious and shrewdest pols we have, and I love that about him.
The republicans want Barack to fail and that is so sad our country is in dire striats and all they care about is destroying the middle class!! This has got to geto out to the american people.
Doesn't seem like a win to me, it seems like he got played (rather badly) and is just talking tough now that it's too late.
I vote: Lame.
What is so sad they do not care about destroying the welfare of millions of Americans, only their party and hypocritical actions first. How can they look at theirselves in the mirror, or, are they actually that selfish and stupid? Well, guess so, look what they have done to us these last eight years!
To start I'd like to see the bill gutted of all those tax breaks. After all, they're there - as a 'bipartisan' move - to placate the Right. The Right doesn't want them, so screw them.
Indeed.
You can bet he will bring up his visit to Elkhart(sp?)IN where unemployment has more than tripled in a year. He will give the GOP a chance to support Dem House Package..(especially $$ to States)He will look and act as a leader and speak to us as adults...actually the part I am looking forward to is when he slices and dices the village media during the Q&A. It's goona be cooler than we think...
I don't care where they come from. We have passed Schipp with taxpayer dollars with illegal and legal immigrants getting the upperhand with tax payer dollars people please call 202-456-1111 and let our President you, no earmarks, no special interest, no pork, this is our money and you are still doing what you want with it, so don't blame the Repub's only, the Demo's are doing worse!
This bill can't be identified with 'saving America' the way it has been in blogs across the net...in saying that those who oppose it oppose America's success. We all need to welcome a 'devil's advocate' in this situation, and it seems to me the American people should be the most welcome to it. No matter what party is in power, there must be representatives standing up for the sake of checks and balances. Now, I didn't vote for McCain, but Obama's speech last week did worry me. It is frightening to think the Dems can do whatever they want...and that Obama seems to know it best of all.
http://thesebastards.blogspot.com/
Hey Republicans...GO AWAY!
We don't need your ideas at this point...we have see what it did to this country in just 8 years...By the way, I am not a Democrat....I wish it was as simple as Tax Cuts only...we don't live in 1980....this is 2009 in a Global economy in much more fast paced and dynamic world....more than just tax cuts are needed to fix problems. Get it through your thick skulls.
Who wrote that and what palent are you on?
Don't be sophomoric. The idea that this country is in a recession because of the "last 8 years" is moronic. How long will people say, "well the last 8 years blah blah...."
Guess what, this is not the last recession we will be in, some will even be worse. But the idea of spending your way out of a recession is like using your credit cards to pay off your loans. Yeah, you're ok for this month... but screwed next month.
This is exactly what this spending bill is doing. It's creating a bigger bubble that will burst even harder.
I heard President Obama say the other day that the "failed polocies of the last 8 years" caused a trillion dollar deficit.... Well, Mr Presidant Obama sir, how much will the defecit be after you one trillion dollar spending plan?
that's 2 trillion to you dummycrats that can't add.
Anyway
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/opinion/09kru...
This article is insane. 2 trillion is not enough?!!? how much money do you want??? 85 gazillion? 23 quadrillion? or maybe a google of cash?
You think that money grows on trees? If you have a job, you will see your taxes go up to pay for this multi-trillion dollar proposal. And your children and children's children will be paying the inflation costs to make up for this deficit.
You think approving trillions will create jobs? To do what? rebuild bridges, roads, schools, parks, statues, government buildings? Assuming that this creates 4 million jobs (which is bull crap) What happens after all these infrastructure projects are completed? There goes the 4 assumed million jobs that it created, and now we have 4 million unemployed and a trillion dollar debt (added to the existing debt) and 'pop' there goes the bubble again.
Stop this ridiculous spending to increase the size of government, and promote the private sector by cutting taxes for the rich and middle and poor (or even eliminate taxes for the poor). I hate to tell you this, but rich people create jobs. Case in point, you are an entrepeneur... you take advantage of low taxes to start your widget business. Your widget business takes off and now you are rich, and employee 100,000 people..... Oh but you can only make $500,000/ year because you are now an evil person because we are in a recession because the government forced to you give out your widgets for a loss to people that coudn't afford in the first place.
I pay 33% percent of my income in federal and state taxes. Most people pay anywhere from 22% to 35% in taxes... (Rich people pay up to 60%). I have an idea to stimulate the economy. How about we cut taxes 10% for everyone, eliminate all these bloated government programs that suck up this money, and let everyone take home an extra 10% percent of their salary.
That would mean if your net pay is $45,000 (about $65k gross), you are now taking home about $52,000/ year. Yes you just got a $7,000 raise because the government cut your taxes.
That may be a better stimulous plan then spending trillions which will ultimately INCREASE your taxes.
Tell the government to stay out of your wallet.
I could answer these questions more delibrately.... It's proof that he is making it up. Give a concise answer. Don't give me 10 minutes of b.s.
Economists who draw parallels between the 1930's Depression with today's recession are rather loath to acknowledge the most vital difference between the two era. It is an unpleasant fact - but it is still a fact - that, despite the saintly FDR's valiant efforts to revive the economy, the Depression would have prolonged its ugly reign well into the 1940's and beyond but for the sudden, simulataneous appearance of three other not-so-saintly characters on the world stage. It was the evil trio of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and General Tojo who, by plunging headlong into a world war, brought a sudden end to the depression in a weird, cataclysmic way. The truth and validity of the old saying "It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good" was never established as comprehensively as in the case of the Second World War. The Allied war effort which created an insatiable demand for enormous numbers and quantities of weapons and munitions, ground transport equipment, ships, aircraft and other war supplies, together with the conscription of eligible adults, opened up employment opportunities for men and women, which did not exist before. But, today, we are not in such (bad) luck. Even the Russian bear has gone into hibernation and the Chinese dragon has also stopped spitting fire towards Taiwan and is content with making and exporting Barbie dolls and baby diapers to the US and elsewhere. Thus, there are no likely contenders for starting a global conflagration in the near or distant future. All other miscreants like Iran or North Korea are no more than just miscreants and are capable of causing only some easily stoppable nuisance . Hence, the active and vital ingredient that played a major role in stopping the Great Depression in its track is not in the medicine to treat today's economic malaise.
Aping simply FDR's 70-year old remedial measures won't do in the very different world of today. There should, therefore, be a completely revolutionary change in the mindset of the "experts" who are now entrusted with the task of lifting the country out of the economic morass into which it has fallen. Investment must be focused on new technologies to replace the old and departed ones and workforce must be trained to master them and to acquire the necessary skill-sets. Otherwise, you may throw trillions of dollars into the stimulus plan but all that money will inevitably go down the drain.