Stimulus: One year later

Well, Mark, it isn't just Republicans who are wondering where the jobs are, Democrats are wondering that too. Just yesterday, Sen. Evan Bayh said if he could just create ONE private sector job that would be ONE job more than Congress has developed in six months!

Politicians will usually take government money handed to them. But, Mark, an economy and jobs are NOT created by the government. It is the PRIVATE sector that creates them. After 10 years of government creation by FDR, the U.S. was still immersed in a Depression by 1940. It was WWII that got us out of it and all of the PRIVATE sector jobs created to build ships, tanks and whatever else. Factories opened.
Anyway,, $300 Billion is going to have little to no effect on a $13 trillion economy.

I agree with John D's comment that jobs are created by the private sector. However, he makes the sweeping and incorrect generalization that all the stimulus money has gone to government jobs. That's not remotely true - it's an argument that conservatives make repeatedly, but they are either misinformed or are misinforming. If you research the breakdown of the stimulus spending (and 2010 is the peak year for spending) you will find many areas that benefit the private sector and small businesses (tax cuts, construction, green jobs, etc). Now it's also true that part of the stimulus has gone or will go to preserving public sector jobs - policeman, fireman, teachers, etc. Many localities would have to lay these people off without stimulus funds. Ask them if they don't appreciate the stimulus. Also ask the Republican politicians who are taking credit for them keeping their jobs.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

The damage done to America by Republican control of Congress for 12 years and of the Executive for 8 is deep, structural, systemic.

President can't dwell on this, of course. He must present the brave, confident, forward-looking example, to try to resuscitate the country, as FDR had to do.

There are spots of truth, as there were after the 1929 crash.

Frontline's The Warning is a good place to start in understanding what happened and who was responsible. Hint: Summers, Robert Rubin, Greenspan and other enablers of Wall Street thievery.

Also that brilliant article on the Crash, in last May's New Yorker.....

But the public still seems sadly ill informed about "what really happened" and who caused it.

But the Wall Street thugs still have a choke hold on Congress. No financial reform legislation to speak of. No indictments to speak of.

I can well understand why an Evan Bayh would quit. He's too well brought up to say what he really thinks of the performance of his "colleagues" in the Congress.

Perhaps now we can have a Truth Commission?

With Evan Bayh as Chairman?

Perhaps the Truth Commission could be combined with the Debt Commission.

The White House has failed in properly informing the public that most economists agree that the Recovery Act saved the economy from entering a far deeper hole than it did and that most Republicans who vocally opposed the program have demanded stimulus funds for their states and districts.

They need to be more aggressive in their messaging if they want more than 6 percent of Americans to believe the Recovery Act worked.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

A Harvard economics professor stated today that the stimulus has been a waste of money. He calculated it has created or saved 500,000 jobs at the cost of $1,574,000 per job. Even if it created or saved 1 million jobs each job would still cost over $750,000 per job. Let the loony liberals keep putting the stimulus up as a accomplishment and they will be trounced in November like they were in New Jersey, Virginia, and Massachusetts.

I am an Executive Recruiter with almost 25 years in the business. This is the worst job market by far I have ever seen by a long shot. The Stimulus Bill may have saved some existing jobs but I have not seen any new jobs emerging. Most of my clients have position openings that have not been authorized to be filled. They are waiting to see if the economy does really recover and how the so-called Health Reform Bill plays out in Congress. Unfortunately President Obama and the Democratic Leadership (Pelosi and Reid) in Congress wasted almost a whole year on the Health Bill when their attention should have been directed toward the economy and jobs. Although the United States is in a very weak recovery, the rest of the World from Greece, Ireland, Spain in the European Union and the Euro all are having very serious problems. We all must hope and pray that the World, including the United States, does not slip back into a Double Dip Recession. If that does happen there will be more hard times and higher unemployment. And to my Hard Core Friends on the Political Left and Right, this is not a Democratic or Republican problem but an American problem.

The DNC is being disingenuous here, and those who accept their assertion at face value are sheep.

Put yourself in the place of a Republican senator or congressman. You voted against the stimulus bill, but it passed. Now, government money is available. You're not going to try to get some for the people back home? Of course you are; you'd ill serve your constituents by not doing so, and it'd come back to bite you at re-election time. Your Republican primary opponent, and certainly the Democrat who ran against you in the general, should you make it that far, would have a field day on it.

If the situation were reversed, the Democrats would be lapping up that money too.

The economy has got a fevah, and the only prescription is more cowbell.

Get ready for the Son of Porkulus...another do nothing, tax dollar wasting, union enriching, capital sucking, turd of legislation.

Crooks_in_DC, I'm assuming you are referring to Harvard professor Robert Barro. He's a smart guy, but he's kind of like what Scalia is on the Supreme Court - staunchly conservative and free-market, regardless of the situation. For example, he proposes the abolishment of federal income taxes for corporations saying the overall economy would be better if they re-invested the money in their own companies. That's a nice theoretical concept, but it's far removed from reality, as are his "statistics" relative to the stimulus.

Why doesn't president panty waist and his band of merry men follow the President Reagan model???
The Reagan policies of tax cutting helped create 20,000,000 jobs in the 1980's and into the 1990's.
It's a pro-business, pro growth and pro-capitalism blue-print that works.
Oooops, did I say pro-capitalism...I think I just answered my own question.

Paulo

Instead of talking in generalizations, let's just look at the facts. It is easy to get monthly unemployment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which I have done for 2008 and 2009 and put into a graph. This demonstrates very clearly that the stimulus has had a strong positive effect on employment. http://chart.inetsoft.com/chart/img?g=bIeUTZDG

The "stimulus" HAS created jobs!
Three jobs, to be precise:
Scott Brown in MA, Bob McDonnell in VA, and Chris Christie in NJ.
And maybe a fourth, for the person at the White House whose job it is to try and make the job numbers look better.

Now lets start ringing the BELLS, Okay call these COWARDS on the right out and do it BY NAME.

Every time they open their mouths run the WE HATE AMERICA mantra, we are the party of NO, we are OBSTRUCTIONIST.

We only serve the interest of the SPECIAL INTERESTS and SOCIALIZED CORPORATIONS.

Now is the time to shove it down their throats make them gag on IT show the constant barrage of no to America, NO to its CITIZENS.

lets show what real Spineless, Gutless, COWARDS the republiCANTS are, it on Sound and Video. lets drive this WORTHLESS SCUM out of office 1 YEAR of NO, NO,NO, lets get rid of the republiCANTS.

The WH said that the Stimulus would keep the unemployment rate below 8% in 2009. Way off. The significance of that assertion is that it proves the WH didn't have a clue what they were dealing with. If they didn't know what they were dealing with, how can they fashion a remedy for it? Answer - they can't. So what they did instead was throw 800B dollars of borrowed money at a problem they didn't understand, and hoped that some of it would stick. I don't doubt that throwing a ridiculous amount of borrowed money around will create some (temporary) jobs, but it is grossly inefficient, a colossal waste of money, and completely unfair to future generations to make them pay back the bailout for a problem we caused. I said from the beginning that we made this bed, and we need to sleep in it.

Depot Jim, you are absolutely correct in your assessment. Europe is on the brink of falling off a very steep cliff and the U.S. is not far behind. And it is an American problem, not just a Democrat or Republican problem.
However, much (not all), but much of that problem lies squarely at the feet of liberal policies. For two decades now, much of Europe has experienced high unemployment in the 8 to 12 percent range. The U.S. is on the verge of duplicating that. Because of stifling taxes on people and corporations, anti-growth policies and ridiculous regulations, these economies are suffering. India and China are growing. Why? Because they are letting capitalism work. When China's economy is more capitalistic than our own, then there is a problem.
Greed and living beyond our means also has been a huge problem. Yes, Wall Street greed did not help and did aid in the problems we face today. American debt also is a problem, and not just the national debt, but the individual debt we all face because too many of us (and I have been guilty myself at times) spend more than we should.
More government programs, though, will not solve our economic problems. They will only exacerbate them. Obama and the Democrats have done just that in the past year.

It seems we're at an impasse where consumers need to have jobs and some security before they go back to spending. Business has jobs open, but they are waiting for consumers to start spending so the economy picks up. Everyone is waiting for somebody else to pick up the tab. IMO, business is finding out that it can make better profits because a smaller workforce means less salaries and much less health care benefits. They're squeezing their current staff to be more and more productive, and the result is that there are less jobs for everyone. Not to mention that the banks have severely restricted credit for business, while making huge profits and paying obscene bonuses to their executives (how many jobs would those bonuses fund anyway?). This makes it much more difficult for the economy to be jump-started.

WSJ UNCOVERS MORE EXAMPLES OF GOP LAWMAKERS PRIVATELY ADMITTING STIMULUS CREATED MORE JOBS!!!

The Wall Street Journal has followed up on The Washington Times report about Republican lawmakers who publicly opposed the stimulus but privately sought stimulus funds to create jobs in their states and districts.
.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703562404575067372476731404.html
.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/09/stimulus-foes-see-value-in-seeking-cash/

- Rep. Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican who called the stimulus a "wasteful spending spree" that "misses the mark on all counts," wrote to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis in October in support of a grant application from a group in his district which, he said, "intends to place 1,000 workers in green jobs."

- Republican Reps. Sue Myrick of North Carolina and Jean Schmidt of Ohio sent letters in October asking for consideration of funding requests from local organizations training workers for energy-efficiency projects.

- The Environmental Protection Agency received two letters from Sen. John Cornyn of Texas asking for consideration of grants for clean diesel projects in San Antonio and Houston. Mr. Cornyn is the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. One of the letters was signed jointly with Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, also of Texas.

- The agency also appeared to have received eight identical letters from Republican Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah recommending infrastructure projects in his state, seven of which were sent before stimulus legislation was passed by Congress.

- The entire congressional delegation of Alabama, including its two Republican senators, wrote to then-Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell asking for $15 million for cogongrass eradication and control programs in the state. The state ended up getting a $6.3 million grant.

It's not just the WSJ and Washington Times that are paying attention. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Gov. Tim Pawlenty used stimulus funds to balance his state's budget. TPM notes new Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell has privately thanked the administration for offering stimulus funds to his state.
.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/virginia-gov-bob-mcdonnell-then-stimulus-bad-now-thanks-for-the-cash.php

If Republicans truly believe the stimulus is such a bad thing, shouldn't their private behavior match their public rhetoric?

"Last month, two Republican Senators – who, by the way, opposed the Recovery Act from the beginning – released a report claiming that Recovery Act funds have largely been wasted or mismanaged and the program is not working. Curiously, their report came just as we learned the economy had begun to grow again for the first time in more than a year – something many economists say is largely due to the Recovery Act – and right after the Congressional Budget Office, Congress’s nonpartisan research arm embraced by Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, said that the Recovery Act was already responsible for well over 1 million jobs. At the time, we debunked many of the claims in the report."

"But CNN recently decided to find out for themselves – and the verdict couldn’t be more clear":

“But we took a closer look at the Senators’ top ten examples of so-called waste, we found nine of the ten did not tell the whole story and in some cases were inaccurate.” [CNN, 1/25/10]

"The question is not whether the Recovery Act is money well-spent. EVERYONE FROM INDEPENDENT ECONOMISTS AND THE CBO TO REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS AND WORKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON THE JOB AT STIMULUS RECOVERY PROJECTS SAYS THAT IT IS. The question is whether critics like the two Senators will finally admit that they were wrong to oppose this vital job-creating legislation - and that it’s working in Arizona, Oklahoma and across the country?

*
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/01/26/cnn-sets-record-straight
*

GOP Welfare Queens Attacked Obama's Stimulus, Yet Requested And Enjoyed Billions in Benefits!!!

Oh the hypocrisy:

Republicans have been attending ribbon cuttings for stimulus-funded projects that they voted against.

- Republican Senate Candidate Rep. Mike Castle Takes Credit For Over $5 Million In Stimulus Funds He Voted To Kill

- In KY, Republican Mitch McConnell Brags About Stimulus Projects, Requests More Money; In DC, McConnell Says Stimulus Should End

Republicans Who Opposed The Stimulus Continue To Pan It As A ‘Failure,’ While Also Taking Credit For Its Success

- Republican Jindal Tours Louisiana Attacking ‘Washington Spending’ While Handing Out Jumbo-Sized Stimulus Checks. Jindal takes credit for stimulus, presents constituents with jumbo-sized stimulus check.

- Republican Rep. Shuster Bashes The Stimulus As A Failure While Taking Credit For Its Success

Republicans Who Opposed The Stimulus Line Up To Criticize It Publicly, Request More Money Privately

- Republican Kit Bond Touts Effects Of Stimulus Bill He Voted Against

- All In A Day’s Work: Republican Rep. Kingston Smears The Stimulus On TV, Takes Credit For Stimulus Jobs In His District

The GOP is not interested in productive policy, they are only interested in sabotaging the President's agenda. I'm not sure what good he thinks this meeting with them (GOP) is going to do other than hopefully point out their rank hypocrisy, but so far he's giving way too much deference to the party of "no" that deserves none. The Republicans are more than happy to continue to drive the economy into a ditch if they think it will keep them in office.
-
-
http://www.alternet.org/news/145629/rachel_maddow_exposes_gop_welfare_queens_who_attacked_obama's_stimulus,_yet_enjoyed_billions_in_benefits?page=entire
-
-

You lefties live on another planet but apparently they drink a lot of the kool aid there also. Palin let Levi escape. No ifs, ands or buts about it. Before you go from message board to message board cutting and pasting your useless words you should do some research, morons.

Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | February 17, 2010 9:16 AM

Paulo,
Please explain to me how a President passes laws on his own? Who controlled Congress in the 80s? You should learn about how the government actually works before you talk. Family Guy should do an episode about you.

Depot Jim,
I am an a recruiter and super busy. Try recruiting in a different field. This is Liberal way of looking forward. Staying back and doing the same things that fail is Conservative.

* * * * *
Posted by: DaveB | February 17, 2010 9:42 AM
.
You know that’s not really the issue. The problem here is the hypocrisy of Republican congressmen opposing the stimulus bill and then attempting to reap the political benefits of its passage.
.
Frankly, I would have hoped that the Republican congressmen would have had the courage to say something to the effect of: “Here’s the money that Washington sent you. I have to admit that I didn’t vote for it because I thought it was a bad idea. I still do. You are getting money that your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will pay for with the sweat of their brow. Your profit is their loss.”
.
But they didn’t say that. They all said, “Here’s money for that new bidet museum. It comes from Washington where I work. I’m great, am I not?! Here, scoot in behind the big check I’m holding for the cameraman. Now smile.”
.
I hope fair minded voters turn those two-faced politicians out of office, and soon.

Mike_from_Chicago

How about one of Obama's economic advisers basically saying the same thing. It does not take a genius in economics to realize what is coming out of DC does not match what is happening in the real world. And what about the real unemployment figures which are near 17.5%, why is this not being reported by the comrades in the mainstream media.

Washington Times - GOP LAWMAKERS PRIVATELY ADMIT THE STIMULUS CREATED JOBs

If there's one thing that unites the Republican Party it's their phony claim that the stimulus bill was a job-killing piece of legislation that was the worst thing in the whole entire world for the economy, right? Or maybe that's just what unites them in public, because in private the Washington Times reports they've been working overtime to get their hands on job-creating stimulus cash.

Remember Joe "You Lie" Wilson?

"Rep. Joe Wilson, South Carolina Republican who became famous after yelling, "You lie," during Mr. Obama's addresses to Congress in September, voted against the stimulus. Nonetheless, Mr. Wilson elbowed his way into the rush for federal stimulus cash in a letter he sent to Mr. Vilsack on behalf of a foundation seeking funding. "We know their endeavor will provide jobs and investment in one of the poorer sections of the Congressional District," he wrote to Mr. Vilsack in the Aug. 26, 2009, letter.
-
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/09/stimulus-foes-see-value-in-seeking-cash/
-

Kudos to the Washington Times for having done the leg work of filing the FOIA requests to expose these examples of Republican lawmakers talking out of both sides of their mouths, publicly lambasting the stimulus as a job-killing measure, but privately conceding that it actually created jobs. It's hard to imagine a more effective way of demonstrating Republican hypocrisy on the question of whether the stimulus bill creates jobs, and Dems should remind them of it every waking day.

Johnny Sir Dunce-a-lot,

Read Krugman's latest on Europe's woes.

You couldn't be more wrong.

I am an a recruiter and super busy. Try recruiting in a different field. This is Liberal way of looking forward. Staying back and doing the same things that fail is Conservative.

Posted by: uggh | February 17, 2010 1:35 PM

Dear uggh:

Although I am placing people this is the worst job market I have seen in almost 25 years in the business. Certain areas there is some demand. Our Temporary Department is doing "ok" but the permanent job operations has had serious problems. Most of my clients, which includes many major insurance companies, are in a holding pattern. And the smaller companies have been in no hurry to hire or fill vacant openings. I have done what I think everyone else has done and worked "out of the box." I have worked out of my field specialty and that has increased production some. But overall this job market still stinks. There are many professional people out there that have been out of work 3 months, 6 months, and even over a year. Things out there are not good.

@uggh.
The democrat Congress in the 1980's was much different than the loony socialist left of today.
Being wise, I thought you would take that into account, but you're otherwise.

Paulo

Mr. Doesn't Understand Irony, and I'm never surprised when those on the Left do not understand anything, Krugman has no clue, despite his Nobel. Sheesh, Obimbo has a Nobel Peace Prize for doing crap! Gee, I wonder how the surge in Afghanistan and the potential sanctions of Iran fit into that Peace thing???

But, Clueless About Irony, rather than Krugman leading you astray, let's deal with REALITY:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/7252288/Greece-loses-EU-voting-power-in-blow-to-sovereignty.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1248584/European-economy-crisis-panic-leads-euro-tumble-jolt-stock-market.html

Is there anything you DO understand?????

It is great seeing all the cut and pasters Right Wing kool aid drinkers doing there jobs since they have no other way to be productive members of society.

Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | February 17, 2010 9:18 AM

The GOP Wants to Take Away Your Social Security

It really is that simple. In the contest between tax breaks for Paris Hilton or corporate welfare for Exxon, and an ongoing multidecade contract with over 100 million Americans, judging by the latest Republican 'budget' priorities, they're working for Paris Hilton:

First, it calls for big cuts in Social Security benefits for everyone currently under 55 years of age. On top of the cuts it also calls for privatizing Social Security.
*
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2010/02/game_on_3.php#more?ref=fpblg
*

Republicans want to cut your social security until it bleeds to death and toss the drained corpse into the jaws of Wall Street. Reason? To transfer your money to the wealthiest people on earth and stick you with the bill. So, democrats, do you have a simple five-second elevator pitch at the ready for why people should vote for you this Fall? If not, how about "Republicans are going to steal your social security and give it to rich people"?

Republicans will eventually LOSE again, big time. They're currently openly calling for states to secede from the United States. Declaring that civil and human rights are optional. That the 'Rule of Law' means nothing. That they prefer an autocratic ruler -- provided he or she is a radical right wing autocrat. For only operative Constitutional amendment to be #2. That court trials are only for certain people -- certainly not for anybody announced to be a suspected terrorist, no matter how flimsy or non-existent the evidence. The only 'liberty' Republicans want is the liberty to make everybody else live and exist by their hypocritical social & religious memes. To revoke the citizenship of and deport anyone they don't like. It's called Fascism.
-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism
-

The Wingnut Teabag list goes on and on -- and makes it abundantly clear the country they wish to live in does not in any way resemble the United States of America.
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCLz7XQOIOQ
-

""In the first year of the trillion-dollar stimulus,,,,"

Is he stupid, lying, or spinning?
$787 billion is well over $200 billion under a $trillion.
Actually, he should be criticizing the bill as too small. It should have been over a $trillion, providing much more direct relief to the states.

But I forgot; McConnell wants BHO to fail, even if it destroys America.

Wow, that C. Morris sure nailed it on the head.

Johnny Dumpedinmypants,

As usual, you don't understand the concept of cause and effect. Liberal policies are not the cause of most of Europe's financial crisis. The same deregulation that occured here in the states for the last 30 years trusted your beloved capitalists to self-regulate. Didn't happen. It's like trusting you to go buy enough Krispy Kreme's for the entire office. And now they're stuck with the euro to boot.

Cart before horse. Look it up.

END THE REPUBLICAN'S ABUSE OF THE FILIBUSTER!

Republicans are abusing the filibuster, deliberately gumming up the legislative process in their effort to gain political advantage, and it needs to stop.

.
http://alternativetulsa.blogspot.com/2009/12/obstruction-gang-gop-abuses-filibuster.html
.

NY TIMES/CBS POLL!!!

Poll Finds Edge for Obama Over G.O.P. Among the Public

"Still, the poll suggests that Mr. Obama and his party have an opportunity to deflect the anger and anxiety if they can frame the election not as a referendum on the president and his party, but as a choice between them and a Republican approach that yielded results under Mr. Bush that much of the nation still blames for the country’s woes. That is what the White House has been trying to do since the beginning of the year."

"For all the erosion in support for Mr. Obama, Americans say he better understands their needs and problems and has made more of an effort to be bipartisan than Congressional Republicans, the poll found."

"It feels like an attempt to sabotage the majority (Democrats) and to regain control of power rather than working on a compromise," John Smith, a Republican from Greenville, S.C., said of his party after participating in the poll."
-
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/us/politics/12poll.html?hp
-

REPUBLICAN DEFICIT HYPOCRISY

"The human capacity for self-delusion never ceases to amaze me, so it shouldn't surprise me that so many Republicans seem to genuinely believe that they are the party of fiscal responsibility. Perhaps at one time they were, but those days are long gone"

"This fact became blindingly obvious to me six years ago this month when a Republican president and a Republican Congress enacted the Medicare drug benefit, which former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker has called "the most fiscally irresponsible piece of legislation since the 1960s."

*
http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/19/republican-budget-hypocrisy-health-care-opinions-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html
*

Mark

I just want to commend you on the type of audience you have in these blogs. These children, who feel the need to cut and paste other peoples postings and even put another posters name on the bottom of it really shows their maturity. I enjoy reading your articles and the responses by the readers but this type of immaturity is beyond belief.
Thanks but no thanks. I think I will find something else to read from now on.

THE VOTE ON HOW WELL THE STIMULUS DID WILL CONTINUE UNTIL NOVEMBER (AND BEYOND).
*
Dems' blues: States reverting to red
*
The electoral map candidate Barack Obama remade in 2008 appears to be retreating into its familiar patterns.
*
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/33059.html

Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch Admits Republican ’Standard Practice’ Was To Run Up Deficit

"Every single Republican opposed the health reform bill when it was voted on on Christmas Eve, and that includes the 24 Republicans who voted for George Bush's Medicare prescription-drug expansion in 2003. Now that expansion in 2003, unlike the reform bill that's being currently debated, added tens of billions of dollars to the deficit. And this makes for some awkward politics, because many Republicans are citing worries about the deficit as their reason for voting against health reform now."

http://rawstory.com/2009/2009/12/hatch-admits-gop-standard-practice/
.

Let's see if the Stimulus did what it was supposed to. The picture below says no.

http://michaelscomments.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/correction-to-the-may-unemployment-chart/

Why is that the Stimulus supporters always list the state jobs saved are fireman, policeman, and teachers. Why not list behavioral analysts, ferry operators, or geographic information specialists? If I had to choose from which group to make layoffs, the latter group would be the first to go.

One web-site Matt - No matter how much lipstick you put on a pig, its still a pig.

If the Stimulus was such a success, why is a second one being recommended?

Byron,

According to your graph, there were 400,000 jobs gained in Janaury?

ProudLib47, have you been living off your fellow taxpayers for 62 years? Your logic, if you vote against a gov't handout, you hate America. Flatliner logic.

Laura,

Another flatliner talking point - "the GOP are a bunch of hypocrits for asking for some of the Stimulus money". Considering that the taxpayers (or should I say their grandchildren) in their district are paying for it, they should have some of the slush fund.

Uggh,

Are you recruiting for the federal gov't?

Darksyde,

If the Social Security Ponzi Scheme would give me by money back, no interest, I'll be glad to leave this theivery.

BO is on record pace

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Federal-deficit-at-43069-apf-64628164.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=8&asset=&ccode=

NEW WAPO POLL: TWO THIRDS OF VOTERS SAY SCREW REPUBLICANS AND PASS COMPREHENSIVE REFORM!!!

Obama and Congressional leaders will head into the healthcare summit (which Eric Cantor has agreed to) with some good polling backing them up for finishing the job, even without Republicans.

"Americans spread the blame when it comes to the lack of cooperation in Washington, and, in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, most want the two sides to keep working to pass comprehensive health-care reform. Nearly six in 10 in the new poll say the Republicans aren't doing enough to forge compromise with President Obama on important issues; more than four in 10 see Obama as doing too little to get GOP support. Among independents, 56 percent see the Republicans in Congress as too unbending and 50 percent say so of the president; 28 percent of independents say both sides are doing too little to find agreement."
*
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/behind-the-numbers/2010/02/americans_spread_the_blame_whe.html
*

WaPo can call that "spreading the blame," but with 58 percent saying the Republicans are resisting compromise, the summit can provide much needed clarity on where the hold up remains. At the same time, healthcare reform can't fail--this summit can't be used as an attempt to shift the blame to the Republicans and set up a failure. Too many people are counting on reform.

Look at that graph--63 percent want comprehensive reform to pass, and more Independents want to see it pass than Republicans want to see it fail. But a note of caution, while the blame is primarily falling on Republicans now, ultimately the blame will be shared if it fails, and the bulk of it would fall on Obama and the Dems, since they are in charge.

It's refreshing to see the WH take notice of growing frustration and outright anger over the dawdling pace of badly needed reforms. Going forward, voters are angry, they're looking for those at fault. There's no need to erect scapegoats when the actual perps can serve. Here's just a few examples.

On important issues, force Republicans to filibuster, not on paper, on the floor. It's doable and the lack of healthcare or a decent job is a hell of a lot bigger pain in the butt for us lowly non Senators. Let people tune into CSPAN and see some Republican stooge shut down the government and thwart popular sentiment by droning on about evil Nazi democrats, and people will get sick of it. Pretty soon that obstructionist's support will run for cover like roaches in a laser beam.

Fire someone who has failed spectacularly. Pick a cabinet official or committee chairman or whatnot that's wrapped up in Wall Street or healthcare, and demote them or kick them to the curb. This sends a powerful message throughout the Beltway and beyond that in the WH or Congress, just like in any other job the rest of us have, failure is not lavishly rewarded.

When something works, don't stop doing it. Be they bankstas or healthcare insurance executives, they are at fault and No One Likes Them. Keep them on the public hotseat, drag their sorry butts before committee and grill them mercilessly. Alternate with words from ordinary Americans whose lives have been utterly destroyed by these robber barons. Time it right and they can be stammering on about their bonuses and summer homes on one news channel even as a whack-a-doodle Republican blabber-mouth defends them with a filibuster on another (C-Span).

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Speeches are great, but this is the time for action. And these are just three examples out of a number of actions that can be taken right now, no cooperation from Republicans or right wing sell out blue dogs required. Take action, and not only do prospects improve in November, We the People could benefit forever.

The Historic Failure Of Republican Economic Policy

"Republicans are enamored by "supply-side" economics. Frankly, I have to admit it's a very easy sell. Think about it. "Cutting tax rates stimulates the economy to such a high level that tax revenues increase." However, there are several problems with this theory. The first is Republicans have not implemented the other side of "supply-side economics" -- a corresponding cut in government spending. This has ballooned the federal debt to dangerous levels under their economic stewardship. In addition, the projected increase in government revenues really haven't materialized as projected. In other words, supply-side economics is a great marketing concept, but in reality is a poor national policy."

*
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hale-stewart/the-failure-of-republican_b_63520.html
*

If the Dems really wanna end the Republican party and their electoral future they should permanently roll back the Republicans tax cuts for the rich. Why should labor pay a tax rate double that of capital? Capital doesn't create demand, wages do! And with 70% of GDP dependent on Consumer Spending, how can ANYONE argue otherwise with a straight face??? The mentality that the key to economic growth is giving the rich even more has proved to be an EPIC FAIL. Republicans took 200 years of American economic history, turned it on its head, and flushed America down the toilet. Please DRIVE A STAKE through the heart of the Supply Side Republican Vampires...

Crazy Teabag,

Supply-side economics has worked in growing the economy and thus gov't revenues, the three times its been tried - the 60's, the 80's, and the 2000's. You are correct that spending was not cut also. With the exception of the 4 1/2 years of the 2000's, the democrats controlled at least one house of Congress and usually both houses. During those 4 1/2 years of GOP control of Congress, the GOP had very small margins - nothing close to filabuster proof as BO did.

Those three times supply-side economics (cutting the highest tax rates), the US economy saw three of its five longest growth cycles in history. It works.

Capital does drive economic growth, not wages. W/O capital, you don't have wages!!!

Considering 40% of the adults in this country do not pay any income taxes, not sure how much more money you can give them. If giving more money to the wage-earners was such a good idea, the Bush-Pelosi rebates of 2008 would have saved us from the recession.

One last piece of advice, go to your local JC and sign-up for ECON 101.

AWWWW SO CUTE, THE HUFF PO, LOONIE LIB, CUT N PASTERS ARE UP TO THEIR USUAL, THOUGHTLESS SELVES. NO NEED FOR THINKING NOW THAT WE'VE GOT ALGORE'S INTERNET!!!!

*************************************************
Mark I just want to commend you on the type of audience you have in these blogs. These children, who feel the need to cut and paste other peoples postings and even put another posters name on the bottom of it really shows their maturity.
Posted by: What a Joke | February 17, 2010 5:21 PM
-------------------------------

Hey Bobby Mobbie,

If your own stupid and offensive comments embarrass you....then
- QUIT MAKING STUPID AND OFFENSIVE COMMENTS!!!

I'M NOT EMBARRASSED BY ANYTHING I SAY. I AM EMBARRASSED HOW MANY LOONY LEFTIES TRY TO PRETEND THEY ARE ME.

The entire Congress resides in a different country--La, La Land.

Let me see if I can figure out this liberal logic on the charge of Porkulus spending hypocracy...

So, instead of defending the Porkulus bill on it's merits (which I have yet to figure out what they would be), Democrats are criticizing Republicans for going back home and attending ribbon cutting ceremonies and whatnot.

Ok...so, when Bush slashed taxes, how many liberals and Democrats paid their "fair share" at the old tax rate?

hmmmm...seems rather hypocritical to me.

Hey Andre,

Nice try attempting to blame the repub for the failure of your slow learner party. Face it, you elected a moron that can't do anything but spend other peoples money. You clueless dems had a supermajority and you still couldn't cram a piece of crap bill down our throats.

You want to fire someone, get rid of the lobbyists and wall st. insiders your idiot messiah has surrounded himself with.

And by all means continue to demonize the two industries that overwhelmingly supported the inexperienced kid in the white house. They wanted this fool and now they have to live with their mistake. It would be easier to impose some controls on the industry if Barney wasn't sleeping with them.

You keep on deluding yourself that people want to go to jail for not buying health insurance. The people are real happy that government workers have a 3% unemployment rate while the rest of the country has a 17% rate. Maybe the 60% that pay taxes are really excited about paying more taxes to support the losers, welfare queens and illegals your fool depends on for votes.

The best thing for this country is to block virtually everything coming out of this white house. The on the job training isn't getting through to this fool and he can't sponge off the system any longer. He sometimes does a decent job reading other peoples speeches although only the hard core of the slow learners party are still buying the lies. When BO fails the country wins.

I wonder if all the liberals including Silva Refused their Bush tax cuts because they were against them and instead paid the IRS the old rate? Bet they didn't. This isn't the DEMOCRATS MONEY, it's OUR tax dollars that funded the stimulus, not just the liberal states. As a voter and a tax payer i have a right to be against something like the wasted $787 billion dollar porkulus, yet since the Democrats push this through my state and district is entiltled to MY tax money. The Dems must think were stupid.

Here's what the Dems now need to do to win in 10:

-Blame Bush/Paulson for Tarp and the bank bailouts
-but take credit for not obstructing Tarp, as the Republics are doing to everything Obama. ('We just gave him what he wanted')
-Take credit for the recovering auto sector. (CforC)
-Take credit for preventing GD2
-Take credit for the improving economy
-Blame Bush for the economic meltdown of 08 reminding voters that Bush/McCrazy/Palin all thought "the fundamentals are sound".
-Blame the TeaBaggers for ruining any chance of HCR with their 09 shout-downs.
-blame them for rising medical rates, deductibles and denials, 15-25% premium rate increases .

The premium is, it's all true.

Ah, the hypocrisy of the Democrats never ends...................................................................................
Did Ms. Pelosi, who is a millionaire, give back the Bush tax cuts to the federal treasury she received yet voted against as a representative?....................................................................
I hope some of the "objective" journalists who are covering the speaker ask her this question..............................................................................
Being against something that is eventually passed and benefitting from it despite being against it on principle has been occurring since the beginning of the country...I suppose those who voted against the bill should return the money to the treasury..............................................................................
Like I am sure Obama, Kerry, Pelosi, Reid, Clinton and the rest of the millionaire leftists did when they got their Bush era tax cuts..........

Hypocrites.

Spending money for government jobs and "make work" temporary jobs is NOT creating jobs! That's like putting a bandaid on an open wound and claiming that you are healed; just because you have temporarily concealed the problem doesn't mean that you have fixed it.

Government cannot create jobs. It can pay out trillions of dollars from borrowed money to prop up its failure to address the issue of letting the economy create jobs and wealth. AND THAT IS WHAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS DOING. Propping up another failure; bailing out the administrations FAILURE to grow the economy.

“Why should labor pay a tax rate double that of capital? Capital doesn't create demand, wages do! And with 70% of GDP dependent on Consumer Spending, how can ANYONE argue otherwise with a straight face??? …”
.
Posted by: Crazy Teabaggers = Ordinary Republican Voters | February 17, 2010 8:04 PM
.
Okay, now I’m really confused.
.
In your world, wages create demand. I suspect you meant to say that wage earners, i.e. workers, create demand by spending the money they earn.
.
So where does Capital fit into all of this? Isn’t Capital responsible for hiring all those wage earners and paying all those wages? I was always led to believe that if you take money from those who expend Capital in business, they then have less money to use to hire more workers or pay them better wages. I must have been wrong, huh?
.
But that just leads us to the next important question: If Capital isn’t responsible for hiring and paying workers, why not do more than throttle Capital as you suggest? Why not abolish it altogether? If Capital is so immaterial, as you seem to suggest, then doing away with it is surely not the same as killing the Goose that Laid the Golden Egg. It seems to pain people like you to no end that Capital and Capitalists exist at all. I’m sure that, with our American ingenuity and an efficiently run federal government, a better job can be done of running an economy without Capitalism. Isn’t that right? Isn’t the problem always been that good ideas haven’t been implemented by good leaders (which the Russians didn’t have)?
.
Tell me how things go in that alternate universe of yours.

One year later and unemployment doubled but that is all Bush's fault EEEEEEEEEEEERRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

" John W " you seem to get confused too easy. It must be the point of view of the post, to which you are directing your devastating attack. Contrary views will do that with some people. So, " John W " is going to turn the argument around, interject a word or two, that wasn't even mentioned and finish, by presenting the classic Republican-Liberrtarian-T-Bugger attack against those who call for a more level playing field. He presents that time honored, knee-knocking " communist " threat, that the McCarthys and Nixons, honed to a national pastime. Take a break, " John W ", nobody will be replacing Capitalism, anytime soon, Greed is in ascension. you have nothing to worry about and besides, you can now boast of a nude male-model, as your Senator from Massachusetts !! What a coup !! You and your cohorts fooled the voters, again !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

* * * * *
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | February 19, 2010 7:19 AM
.
I hate to tell you this Don, but I wasn’t confused. You know what else? You have to be the only person to read my post and think I was confused.
.
If I mentioned a word or two more in my post than the poster to whom I responded, it is because he or she didn’t give the entire picture of what goes on in real life. That is also why I described his/her views as portraying an alternate reality.
.
Contrary to your comments, the poster to which I responded wasn’t asking for a more level playing field. He or she denied the basic fact that Capital has a large hand in both supply and demand. His/her statements begged for the exclusion of Capital from the economic equation, so as to justify its harsh treatment. Thus, I simply took the argument in the direction it was headed anyway. If the result sounds like an appeal to communism, it is because that was the logical end of that argument.
.
I wasn’t even thinking of McCarthy or any of that “red scare” stuff from the ‘50s. Unlike McCarthy and Nixon, I am not afraid of Communism. It is a bankrupt system that no one voluntarily accepts. When imposed involuntarily, it is a system that people with any spine love to overthrow.
.
And, BTW, those who furnish Capital already pay the lion’s share of taxes in this country. In the not too distant future, increasing taxes on Capital is likely to drive even more jobs offshore. That would put many American workers in a better tax bracket for sure; but only because the unemployed don’t pay much, if anything, in taxes. That is a scenario that should concern all of us.
.
For the last time, Don: I am not a Republican or Tea-bagger. Buy a book on the ABC’s of politics and figure out the difference between Libertarians and Republicans. Everyone but you seems to understand the difference. Why do you constantly hide behind your ignorance?

FITZ calling John W confused? And just when I thought FITZ couldn't get any dumber.

For someone who is hiding behind their ignorance, I sure have a way of bringing you out, from behind yours. That's another matter, though !! Your silliness outstripped your ignorance this time, for taking to task someone who meant, wage earner, but used the word, wages. Pettiness, they name is " John W ".
Sure you weren't thinking of the Republican-Libertarian-T.Bagger's " old reliable ", the communist, the socialist nonsense. As all of you have spewed it, during President Obama's first year in Office, so well, it's like mother's milk to your ilk, it's part of your DNA !! It is your's and the rest of the goon-squad's favorite tactic; charging President Obama with that tired, worn-out nonsense of being a socialist, a communist, a one-worlder, a liberal, an American. Two out of five labels, isn't bad, especially for your gang.
I say, if it waddles like, quacks like and squeals like a Republican-Libertarian-T.Bagger, than it is a Republican-Libertarian-T.Bagger, regardless of all your denials. You suggest I look to a book. What book do you suggest, Animal Farm !!? That book offers the perfect description of the fascist, in their silliness on classism. Maybe you should read the book, again, if for no other reason, it will offer you, another picture of how silly and mean-spirited, all of you Republican-Libertarian-T.Baggers look, these days !! At least, it would offer you a means, by which, you would only appear to be half as silly and mean-spirited, as you do, most of the time !! I'm sure though, for you, ideology is at the heart of the matter and unfortunately, you lost yours, when you embraced the present-day, rag-tag team of the Republican-Libertarian-T.Baggers. Enjoy that play, " No Exit ", one more time. It may help you to get your grey matter, firing again !!! I'm not holding my breath, though, especially after your boasts of that nude, male-model, your gang helped fool the Massachusetts voters into electing, to our Senate. Your gang sure has a talent for debasing our Constitution. Maybe, one day you will wake up and accept the fact that President Obama is our President, not " Crash " McCain and " Don't Stop Running" Palin.( I hope I didn't misspeak or misspell any words, I don't want the Pompous One to take me to task. I don' think I could take such an hilarious reprimand. )
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.

um...the poster who is an Executive Recruiter is upset there were no Executive jobs created by the Stimulus? Don't know where to start with that one....

Don,

Don’t flatter yourself into thinking you accomplished anything in your last post. You still can’t punch your way out of a wet paper sack when it comes to thoughtful argument.
.
For instance, I actually DIDN’T take the previous writer to task for using the word “wages” instead of the phrase “wage earners.” My position was that the writer was incorrect regardless of whether he meant “wages” or “wage earners.” I simply clarified that he meant “wage earners.” Ignorance means “not knowing something.” Thus, even if one were to conclude I was petty in making this correction, it doesn’t mean I was ignorant.
.
Your displayed your ignorance (again) by claiming that Republicans, Libertarians and Tea-baggers are all the same. Libertarians, unlike the others, are not social conservatives, and don’t seek to further social agenda through government action. Libertarians oppose aggressive foreign policies and foreign military entanglements. Libertarians opposed President Bush’s wars, and still do. Neither Republicans nor Democrats could make such claims. Libertarians also believe in small government, true fiscal discipline, constitutional orthodoxy, and preserving traditional civil liberties. Republicans and (by proxy) Tea-baggers are too Machiavellian to support all civil rights or to keep from shredding the Constitution. The same is true of Democrats. In other words, Don, there is no single “duck” that waddles and quacks as you claim. Had you gotten that A-B-C book on politics, you would have learned these things.
.
Then again, with clockwork regularity, I can expect you to lump Republicans, Libertarians and Tea Baggers all into the same group in your next 100 posts. The problem here is that you don’t think. You appear to trust someone else to do all of your thinking for you. This is a definite “lights-on-but-nobody’s-home” situation.
.
And BTW, I wasn’t even talking about Barack Obama and his brand of European socialism in discussing the other writer’s distaste for Capital. Unlike the writer who seemed to favor communism, socialists aren’t entirely against Capital. European socialists favor using Capital to further wealth redistribution and social justice. Hence, my criticism of that writer for his antagonism toward Capital had nothing to do with Barack Obama who, in reality, IS a socialist. Live with it and learn to love the label if you agree with Obama’s policies.