On Tuesday President Barack Obama signed the $787 billion stimulus package into law. Obama claims the bill will create 3.5 million jobs, including more than 9,000 in the Naperville and Will County area and 148,000 in Illinois.
Local legislators' reactions tended to depend on their political leanings.
Rep. Judy Biggert complained that while some of the projects in the bill are worthwhile, a lot of the money is designated for pet projects that won't help the economy.
County Board Chairman Robert Schillerstrom had a different take, saying it would generate millions of dollars for the county.
And Rep. Bill Foster expressed confidence the bill would do what it is intended to.
What do you think? Will the stimulus bill help, or is it full of pork projects that won't lead to economic recovery?
Pres. Obama is a Socialist! 80% of his package is pork. The stimulus is a sham. Our great-grandchildren will be paying for this so-called bailout.
It's terrifying to me that this was passed. On to my children, and my yet-to-be born grandchildren. SO many items in this bill will absolutely NOT stimulate the economy. Plus it was never available on-line to all us regular 'joes' prior to the vote as originally promised. What a sad day.
Personally, I agree with Judy Biggert. There is too much excess attached to the stimulus that is completely unnecessary and self-serving to certain interest groups. I think Obama is being used as a pawn by the Democratic Congress to shove this package through. I believe there were no Republicans who voted for the package as-is. What was all of this about 'reaching across the aisle and working together'? I think it's necessary to have both sides work together as it will hold both sides (a little more) accountable... which is something we desperately need in American politics.
What will have after 1 Trillion?
A. A Hover Dam?
B. National High Speed Rail System?
C. Electric Trolley systems for the largest 100 cites in the USA?
D. 250 Nuclear Reactors ($4B ea.) replacing all other energy sources in the USA inc. oil?
F. Bankrupt country with a worthless currency, companies fleeing to low tax countries, capital flight, millions back on permanent welfare, two tier citizens with Govt. unions (UAW, Teachers, etc) on top, our children and grandchildren enslaved to foreign investors?
Correct answer F
To re-make a country, first you have to destroy the old system (France, China, Soviet Union, Cambodia etc); Capitalism is being destroyed.
Get ready for Federal micro management of your entire life with rationed medicine being denied when you hit 65; unless you have your union medical coverage or you are one of the billionaires that backed BKO. 600 Private jets (vs 300 for GWB) landed for his Inauguration, who does he really represent?
The new CA air pollution laws don't apply to Bentley and Ferrari, what a surprise. All the little people forced off the road so the Bentleys don't have to slow down.
PS Bush was a liberal in case you weren't paying attention, Obama is finishing the job. Harvard and Yale leading the way off the cliff.
I agree with the rest. The only thing this stimulus plan will stimulate is the Democrat's special interest groups.
The stimulus plan is stimulating me to quit work, stay home, and collect the free government money. I for one am sick of paying for loafers, crooks, and illegals. I want to enjoy the benefits that they have had I think this might be the way. Wish me luck!
The new mortgage program is better. You can get a reduction if you don't pay. Stop paying your mortgage now so you can get your reduction in three months.
Change we can believe in. Who?
This plan is an absolute farce. And guess what? Our now controversial Senator Burris was the 60th vote in the Senate. Had he not have been seated, this garbage plan could have been filibustered. Burris is an opportunist. He would have never won that seat in a regular election. Heck, he would have never even won the democratic primary. He should have been the so called "man of integrity" he supposedly is and declined the seat when it was offered to him. Does not matter now. The Democrats got their 60 votes along with the three obvious Republicans who are not really considered republicans.
All this plan does is create temporary contract labor jobs. After the road or bridge is fixed, then what? These jobs will not go on for the foreseeable future.
I have no faith in the government to fix this. It is the government's fault that we are in this mess in the first place and the fault of both parties for letting money become way too easy to obtain. Our national debt will never be paid down and/or off and that should be troubling to all of us.
Our leadership is 435 members in the House, 100 in the Senate and 1 President. This very small number people have our country of 300+ million completely turned upside down.
The last eight years of Republican rule has virtually destroyed the USA, so i'm amazed at this pouring of outrage when action is finally being taken.
The very worst thing that could be done is to just carry on with the same Republican policies. I know you're still upset that you lost the election, but the constant moaning is not going to solve anything.
I thought people in Naperville were patriotic, but these comments clearly show that many people here want this country to fail.
I agree with John @ February 18, 2009 4:07 PM. Yeah, the stimulus plan isn't perfect. No one, even Obama himself has ever claimed that it is. Whether you supported it or opposed it, the deal is done and the stimulus pack has been passed. Now is not the time to sit around with your arms crossed talking about what a sinking ship this country is.
Unless you guys have plans to leave the USA, this is problem belongs to all of us. If you disagree with how things are being handled, keep your eyes on recovery.gov and be a citizen watchdog for any money being mismanaged and start blowing whistles, calling all of your representatives and any newspaper who will listen to you.
I don't think the stimulus was the best solution, but what's done is done, and I refuse to sit around and spread doom and gloom over what a failure the government is, how I don't have any faith in this country's leadership, and all this other noise.
As far as all the Republicans crying socialism for the past couple weeks is concerned, compare the quality of life of your average European living in a country like Sweden or France with the average American and it's really hard to argue against any of these changes. (How far you have to scroll down a list of average life expectancies to even get to the United States is downright embarrassing for the "most powerful country" on the planet.)
Has anyone started in on reading the actual bill? It's a big one, and it is, so far, not a plan for anything; it's a grab bag of spending earmarks. Maybe somewhere further on there'll be talk of some sort of plan to create jobs, but so far it's $120 million for this, $160 million for that, $400 million for these guys over here, $200 million for those guys over there. No job creation, no new directions, no new programs, just earmarks and pork.
By Buttonwood Mama on February 18, 2009 11:22 AM
"It's terrifying to me that this was passed. On to my children, and my yet-to-be born grandchildren. SO many items in this bill will absolutely NOT stimulate the economy. Plus it was never available on-line to all us regular 'joes' prior to the vote as originally promised. What a sad day."
Are you kidding me! Your generation are the fools that got us into this mess in the first place. It is your fault. I repeat, your fault. I just hope you passed on a better fiscal responibility on to your children. The so called greatest generation and the baby boomers screwed us.
Also it was available online. Just because AARP didn't post a link doesnt mean you cant go to a .gov website and read it.
Get a clue.
John,
Bush= Bigger Govt, big spending, big deficits, amnesty, bank owner bailouts, free tradeism, lots of new programs
Obama=Bush
If you think govt is the solution, then these two are interchangeable.
Change would have been a drastic decrease in govt spending, programs to get us off imported energy like 200 nukes, any kind of rail system that worked, go after slave labor employers, get the govt out of the political mortgage business, reorganize and or liquidate insolvent financial institutions etc etc.
Wouldn't building 200 nuke plants use a lot of cement, iron, and US workers and give us near complete energy independence?
I don't know how enslaving our children to foreign investors while their standard of living declines is a form or patriotism.
Were you and Rambo in tears when Bush's helicopter left for the last time? (un) Fortunately, it looks like BKO is his third term.
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By John on February 18, 2009 4:07 PM
The last eight years of Republican rule has virtually destroyed the USA, so i'm amazed at this pouring of outrage when action is finally being taken.
The very worst thing that could be done is to just carry on with the same Republican policies. I know you're still upset that you lost the election, but the constant moaning is not going to solve anything.
I thought people in Naperville were patriotic, but these comments clearly show that many people here want this country to fail.
Well I'll wait & see how this bill is suppose to create jobs. As for the $400.00 he is going to give me...if he thinks I'm going to go out & stimulate the economy by buying a wide screen tv, go on a shopping spree or even waste it at the local pub (not likely anyways) he does not have a good grasp of what is going on. Sorry Charley this is going to pay medical bills and that will not even scratch the surface. Most people this will go to pay current or past bills or supplies for their children's school needs...basics not anything extra that will stimulate us from where we have been. Heck Trump is going bankrupt & the prostitutes too so I doubt anyone will even waste it on those things!;-)
Between Bush's $750,000,000,000 stimulous plan and Obama's $870,000,000,000 stimulous plan, they are both costing each United States resident, grandma, husband, child and baby $5,400 dollars.
Basically the people that lived within their means are now being asked to bail out the people who do not live within their means....the people who bought the McMansions and the McMercedeses.
Obama should have let this mess hit rock bottom. His intervention will not work. It is an artificial crutch that will collapse. He should only offer all these McMansion folks a nice tent to set up in Florida, Arizona, Nevada or California in a warm weather park.
If the next generation sees the high rolling baby boomers living in tents, maybe they will be wiser and try to live within their means.
Maybe, I should ask Obama to reimburse me for the losses I took in the high teck bubble of 2000-2002. The CEOs who ran those companies scammed me out of a nice percentage of my life savings. If people can be bailed out of their bad homes, why can't I be bailed out of my bad investments. They are both investments......right!
When Greenspan kept reducing interest rates between 2000-2002, to stabilize the tech collapse, it did not work. Lucent went to cents and Nortel filed bankruptcy. All he did is delay the inevitable.
All Obama is doing is delaying the inevitable. I say let home values collapse as far as the market will allow. I hope they collapse 75%. At that point I will buy my Mom a house. She has been living in her apartment within her means. She didn't screw up. I saved some money so I would like to buy her a nice house for 25 cents on the dollars.
So my advice to Obama is leave it alone and let it all collapse. At 25% of their inflated former values, these homes will be a robust value and the real estate market will boom again.....hopefully not to a bubble again.
Now, how will the City of Naperville survive on 25% of the current taxes, if homes are allowed to drop 75%, is a question I can not answer. Well, I guess they recently borrowed $50 million so I assume they would have no difficulty borrowing another $100 million. Maybe, the City of Naperville also needs to hit rock bottom and learn to live within its means.
From a Baby Boomer: I'd like to make sure that you 20ish folks thank your kids and grandkids for paying for this stimulus package and the other stimulus packages yet to come. It will greatly help my retirement.
OBAMA FEAR MACHINE
"10 Million Americans loosing their homes".
10/4 people per house = 2.5 million foreclosures. About the same number we have already had.
The housing bubble has to deflate to "market price" which is what it is doing all by itself. People that have some savings are now buying the houses at market prices; WOW a market economy actually works, supply meets demand.
The problem is self correcting; unfortunately more political loans from Fannie and Freddie are in pipeline. This is on top of the 1 Trillion BKO just spent to repay his contributors. Tell your kids and grandchildren "BOHICA".
Arizona, Nevada, California and Florida are grossly overbuilt. Tens of thousands of no-document (illegal alien loans under assumed identities)are collapsing; the illegal aliens are simply walking away once their speculative house goes upside-down, they stop making payments while their 6 month to one year foreclosure process runs its course. If its a rental property, they pocket the entire rent for a year then flee the country or assume a new identity at a new address.
They probably either work a cash job or use a false SSA number claiming 10 deductions, either way they pay no taxes. I have seen this in Naperville first hand and hear the same story from friends and family in other states, the Tribune ran a story on this in Chicago where they are handling thousands of illegal alien walk away foreclosures on speculative properties.
No doubt, BKO will want a vote from every temporary bailout he claims as a victory while the bubble is kept inflated and the houses kept unaffordable.
No wait, BKO will give you a Federal Credit so you can thank him later for the inflated price you will pay; and your children will repay the credit with a lower standard of living.
Machine politics.
John and Rambo: Thank you!
All this hostility from the conservative side is downright depressing. And the right-wing talk radio and TV is full of it: Better to let the country go down in flames than allow liberal policies to succeed, because if they do, the country is doomed anyway. This isn't patriotism, just more of the blatant self-interest that contributed to these problems in the first place.
In today's address and previous ones, O has been calling for responsibility and accountability on the part of those receiving govt funds and all Americans in general. Today he said states would be watched on how they used stimulus money and would be "called out" on inappropriate uses. I thought the conservatives would like O's call for a return to personal responsibility, since the lack of it seems to be one of your main gripes. But no, all we hear is more inflammatory whinin', cryin' and dyin' from the right about socialism, communism, comrades, blah blah blah. The Reps bring nothing to the table in the form of solutions; all they do is continue to be part of the problem. The more the Reps condemn and complain, the more certain I am that their brand of politics is a toxic element in America at this time and we did the right thing getting them out of power.
It is interesting that Bush and Obama both think the banking system and auto industry should not be allowed to fail. The difference, I think, is that Bush was willing to bail out the banks and auto companies but do nothing for individual Americans who were suffering the consequences of these companies' mismanagement. While bank execs were looting the TARP funds in the form of multi-million $$ bonuses and "retention fees", they were laying off workers by the thousands. I'm hearing GM is planning the same move, to accept billions more in bailout funds while laying off another 47,000 employees. So now the Reps are losing their minds that the Dems want to help ALL Americans in the form of a stimulus package? Giving trillions in TARP funds to bail out and further enrich irresponsible and greedy millionaires was no problem for the Republicans, but try to extend unemployment benefits or create jobs for ordinary Americans and the Reps scream bloody murder? Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you people?
Are you so entrenched in your economic fundamentalism that you can't see when it obviously isn't working, or do you see it but don't care? As long as you've got yours, forget everyone else? Kind of like if they're starving, let them do so quickly and reduce the surplus population? The fact that we're all sharing the same lifeboat seems to evade this mindset. If the country sinks, you too will eventually end up in the water, no matter how safe you think you are. And trickle down economics IS a myth. Recent events have proven what most people intuitively knew: only s**t rolls downhill.
Before the lot of you whip yourselves into a socialist/communist/whatever frenzy, I realize the stimulus package is not perfect, but it's better than doing nothing. And I'm not anti-capitalism, either. I'm very much pro-capitalism, but unregulated, laissez faire cap has proved once again to be a disaster. This is what has brought us to where were are now, not government interference. Deregulation allowed the few to exploit the system for self-enrichment at the expense of the many. Freddie and Fannie opened the door, sure, but basic human greed and self-interest did the rest. Since this will always be a part of human nature, capitalism must be regulated or it will not endure. We'll see more and more of what's happening now until the only solution to save our country will be socialism, just not stimulus bills.
Apparently one of our esteemed congressmen has proposed that term limits for the president be removed. That way we can be stuck with the Obamassaiah for ever! Viva Chavez!
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=hj111-5
Bail out the stupid, lazy, and unscrupulous. Penalize personal responsibility and ethical behavior. Abolish the Census Bureau and put the census under Rahm Emanuel's control (hello, gerrymandering?). Eschew bipartisanship and transparency (as promised) in favor of pure partisanship and opaqueness to get the Pelosi ghost-authored spendulus passed....the classic sleazy Chicago way. Run unfathomable government debts by selling Treasury bonds to China and Japan. Deal with Hamas, al Quaeda, Ahmadenijad, and N. Korea by engaging in "talk" with them. Put as many people as possible on the government teet, especially in California, our most populous state which now has by far the highest income and sales taxes and is driving out every decent hard working human being via taxation, only to leave behind the lazy "where's mine?" liberals and illegal immigrants. But that's OK because ACORN will get all the illegals registered to vote...Democrat, naturally.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, then I realized I lived in D204, which is a mini-corrupt organization of its own.
Does this qualify as a great depression yet? Sure feels like one.
Big Mike: God forbid we should try some new policies and behaviors! Look how well the policies of the last 8 years have worked. As usual, heavy on the criticism but totally absent of any solutions, the typical conservative complaint.
Big Mike, you got it and it is bleak isn't it? Say hello to someone who has lost almost 1/3 of my net worth since 3rd qtr 08 and the Rambo and John think we are mad about the election. By the way Rambo, I did not vote for Obama. I do not like ANYTHING he stands for so I am standing with my arms crossed in opposition to everything he does. Biggert, Dick Turbin, The Great Rolando and all the other cheezy politicans are going to hear very pointed messages from me everytime Obama and his corrupt administration intoduce legislation that tramples my interests. I don't agree whats done is done as Rambo suggests and I do not agree we are all in this together. I only hope Rambo and John lose as much of their wealth as I have and THEY live longer than I do to pay off this so called stimulus bill. It is nothing more than a gigantic jump of the size of government and we are only a couple of months into this mythical idiot's presidency. Funny how he when he signed it none of the Democratic cadre were surrounding him. I wonder why??? The good news, what we are in together; Keyboard Rambo and John get screwed too.
Subj: Stimulus Payment info
This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a
very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format:
Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.
Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.
Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen.
Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV
set, thus stimulating the economy.
Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China?
A. Shut up.
Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your stimulus check wisely:
If you spend the money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China .
If you spend it on gasoline, it will go to the Middle East.
If you purchase a computer, it will go to China and India.
If you purchase fruit and vegetables, it will go to Mexico , Honduras , and
Guatemala (unless you buy organic).
If you purchase a car, it will go to Japan, Germany or Korea.
If you purchase drugs, it will go to Columbia.
If you purchase useless cr*p, it will go to Asia.
If you pay your credit cards off, it will go to bank management bonuses and they will hide it offshore. Same with commissions from your new stock investments.
Instead, you can keep the money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to baseball games, spending it on prostitutes, beer and wine (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are the only American businesses still operating in the US.
it is so nice to see at least ONE person on these blogs has an open mind and an original opinion. Thank you What the ? - for speaking up for everyone who isn't enjoying the whine and cry of those stuck in the past who are only worried about themselves (gee, you don't think these are the same people who caused half the problems we have right now do you?). If at any point, those of you who think you are so much smarter than everyone else, feel like opening your minds and considering - yes, just CONSIDERING - that a different approach might be worthwhile (even if it doesn't benefit only you and those exactly like you) .... these blogs might become an interesting forum for discussion. Sadly all I see these days is conservative arrogance .... why anyone thinks this is funny or entertaining, or even worse, intelligent is disheartening to say the least.
Socialism has never worked, and never will. This was not a stimulus package, but a pork-laden parcel supporting a liberal agenda. Keep your power dry because a long overdue revolution is in the making. Americans are feed up with all the criminals and lowlife in government and their failure to listen to the citizens.
P.S. to Glock 22: I think W. takes the presidential idiot prize. And his idiocy wasn't mythical.
A humorous response: I got the same email from a friend in MO. You and I must be on the same chain mail list!
Glock 22: OF COURSE you guys are mad about the election. If you weren't, you wouldn't be misdirecting your anger towards Obama. You'd be directing it where it belongs, at the Bush administration. The deregulation and total lack of any kind of oversight allowed those in positions of power to abuse the system, causing the crash in the real estate market which = the loss of 1/3 of your net worth. But you can't hold the actions of your own party responsible, because this hits too close to home and you might have to question your belief system. It's much easier to stand with your arms crossed in opposition and complain, while the rest of America rolls up their sleeves and tries to get to work. No wonder the Republicans have such an image problem!
Keep in mind I am not a fan of the stimulus bill; I regard it as a necessary evil at this time. It irks me to no end that my tax money is being used to pay down or refinance my neighbors mortgage so he can keep a house twice the size and value of mine. But it also irks me that the Republicans have no problem throwing billions of taxpayer $$ to the architects of this disaster, the bankers and masters of the universe on Wall Street, but refuse to help the Americans who were victimized by their actions. This is a warped value structure.
If you stand for personal responsibility, then the people at the top should be held accountable for their actions as well and be allowed to fail regardless of the consequences, just like the little guy. If the people at the top get a bailout, then average Americans should get some of their tax money back in the form of some assistance also. It amazes me that Republicans support this kind of governmental inequity. Give the banks and mortgage companies billions of dollars to continue their lavish lifestyles but allow the people they lay off to lose their homes and live out their cars? Like I said, warped.
So stand around with your arms crossed if you like; we'll go on without you. But we'll remember it at the next election.
What the ?, just because your guy won the election does not mean anyone is buying your revisionist history. Sure, deregulation of the loan industry happened...under the Clinton administration. Sure, the Bush administration gave a bailout to the banks...because the democrats pushed him to do so. You seem to forget that the first attempt failed...because of the republicans in congress. I could go on, but you will keep denying the democrats role in this whole mess.
Do go on without us, and hopefully many more people will remember it the next election, especially all the non-stimulus parts of the stimulus that our grandchildren will still be paying for after we are all gone.
Stopandthink: A lot of what I read on these blogs reminds me of a remark by William Shatner's character Denny Crane on Boston Legal. When verbally sparring with a Democratic colleague, he said, "You should be like us Republicans. We stand by our convictions even when we know they're dead wrong." :)
Ken: No, deregulation of the loan industry BEGAN under Clinton; the Bush administration expanded it to present day levels. And Bush gave a bailout of the banks NOT because the Dems pushed him to do so; his administration pushed the Dems. YOUR brand of revisionist history won't work because I've been awake during the whole process. I watched when Bush was told that a total meltdown of our economy would occur unless the government acted and he passed this fear on to the American people via a televised press conference. The Dems were not happy to pass the TARP bill, I don't think anyone was. But after a week of bickering and constant fear prodding from Bush to act NOW or we were doomed, it went through. I don't deny the Dems had any part in where we are now; after all, they pushed thru Fannie and Freddie which opened the door to all this. But it was unregulated Wall Street that figured out how to exploit this legislation. Something that was well-intentioned was morphed into a money machine by those in the position to do so, and there was no oversight to stop it. THAT'S what I hold the Bush administration responsible for, being asleep at the switch and allowing it to come to this point. Unregulated capitalism can be corrupting and destructive, as we're now witnessing. Yet Republicans still cling to this ideology like a rock in a storm, even when the ideology caused the storm in the first place.
Like I've said before, it's time to look at some different solutions, try some new approaches. What's been done in the past obviously hasn't worked. Adapt or drown in the storm.
Oh, and Obama squelched the return of the Fairness Doctrine today also. This is something many conservatives were concerned would make a comeback. But I'm sure you all will find a way to spin this into negative propaganda as well, as that's all the Republicans seem to do these days.
Since BKO took a $100K "discount on his mortgage" from Northern Trust to buy his Mansion, should BKO rescue himself from all matters involving mortgages, banks, and the economy?
If anything BKO does benefits NT, does this become a $100K bribe to a US Senator, like Sen. Dodd's "special-rate-mortgage" from bankrupt Countrywide?
This is in addition to the smart financial land deal between Mrs. Obama and Mrs Rezko that helped to pay for the Obama Mansion.
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1. FEC Admits Obama Got Preferential Mortgage Rate
The Federal Election Commission has closed its file on a complaint alleging that then-Sen. Barack Obama received a below market rate mortgage loan in 2005 for a $1.65 million home in Chicago.
But while the FEC ruled that no laws were violated, the agency did confirm that Obama received the discount rate.
And the lending institution has acknowledged that Obama got preferential loan terms due to his position in the Senate.
The complaint was filed in July 2008 by Judicial Watch, a non-profit educational foundation that works to combat government corruption.
It stated that Obama received a home loan of $1.32 million at a rate of 5.625 percent from Northern Trust in Illinois, although the average going rate at the time, according to two different surveys, was between 5.93 and 6 percent.
The Washington Post, which first raised questions about the loan, noted that "Obama paid no origination fee or discount points, as some consumers do to reduce their interest rates."
The Post calculated that the favorable rate would save Obama $300 a month, amounting to at least $108,000 over the life of the 30-year loan.
Judicial Watch contended that these preferential loan rates constituted an illegal corporate campaign contribution to Obama.
Northern Trust Vice President John O’Connell "essentially admitted the company provided Obama preferential loan terms because of his position in the U.S. Senate," according to a statement from Judicial Watch.
O’Connell told the Post: "A person’s occupation and salary are two factors; I would expect those are two things we would take into consideration."
Judicial Watch's complaint also cited a report from the Center for Responsive Politics that Northern Trust employees contributed $71,000 to Obama’s political campaigns since 1990.
The FEC based its decision to exonerate Obama largely on the fact that Northern Trust claims it provided preferential terms to other "similarly situated" but unnamed borrowers in addition to Obama.
The Judicial Watch statement concluded: "For the FEC to base its decision to excuse Obama on the fact that a few other unnamed borrowers also received sweetheart mortgages seems irresponsible . . .
"The fact is, Northern Trust's [vice president] admitted Obama received the loan, in part, based on his position. This is improper and almost certainly constitutes an illegal campaign contribution (or gift). In our view, the FEC’s response is inadequate."
The loan enabled Obama and his wife Michelle to buy a mansion with six bedrooms, four fireplaces, a four-car garage, 5 1/2 baths, wine cellar, music room, library, solarium and granite-floored kitchen.
Dare I even ask what "BKO" stands for? I'm surprised you people aren't referring to him as B. Hussein O. or something equally ridiculous in attempt to be as condescending as humanly possible.
Oh, bubo, you post illustrates my point perfectly. Condemn, complain, accuse, bitch moan groan, on and on and on. The Reps peck away at this stuff like chickens. Can't anything useful be brought to the discussion (*sigh*)?
Boston Legal? What the ? is quoting TV Hollywood LA LA writers of Boston Legal? Who was complaining about the lack of intelligence of conservatives? Good grief. I'd rather read mindless mush about comrade "0" than quotes from a sit com. Like the King himself threatening to call out Mayors or Governors who don't spend stimulus money to his, the One's satsifaction. We survived 4 years of Jimmy Carter ruining this country with the likes of Burt Lance and now trying to kill us with his poison peanuts. Go buy your Barack Obama collector coins and innaugaraton speech reprinted on an official White House napkin for $39.95.
What the? & Rambo,
From your posts, you don't question the special deal that our Senator received? You do agree he got a special deal. Not all citizens are equal? Some are more equal?
Why do you think Dodd, Obama and others got special deals from companies they regulated?
Pay to play?
They regulated the banking industry that just collapsed and got a bail out over the objections of 90% of the population.
Assuming the 10% was Rs, that means that 70% of the Repubs were against the bail out of the bank owners. I know I was.
Pay to play?
Obama was the winner, the last time I checked, in contributions from the financial industry.
Our new Senator is looking at possible perjury charges, our second to last Gov is in Prison, our most recent Gov was impeached and may be on his way to prison, Rezko and Levin bag men for both parties are in prison along with others; and our current President from Illinois was taking special deals from NT and Rezko to buy the mansion.
If convicted and looking at serious jail time, it will be interesting to see what revelations Blago has about his associates including Ramm Emanual the Fanniemae multimillionaire and BKO his campaign manager (?) or was it special adviser, along with Rhamm.
WOW
Were not in Kansas any more toto!
Redskin: Good grief, Redskin, you guys have absolutely no sense of humor left. Bitch moan groan. Even popular culture can see right through the Reps BS. It's called satire. Look it up. Jimmy Carter and POISON PEANUTS!?! WTF!?! Too much! You guys might be miserable, but you're sure comic relief to the rest of us. Thanks!
What the? & Rambo,
I see little difference on the big picture between Bush and Obama.
Both are: big govt, free trade, big deficits, lots of new govt jobs, bail outs, etc etc..
Core Republicans abandoned the party after Bush's reign and voted for Obama.
The core is fiscal conservatives, evangelicals and libertarians.
The hole we are in is a direct result of free tradism and politicians in the banking system doing social engineering Clinton, Bush, Greenspan and now Obama.
I would have supported the 1 trillion if the country was getting something out of it. What will we have to point to after the 1T? Nothing but further enslavement to foreign investors, up in smoke.
Apparently one of our esteemed congressmen has proposed that term limits for the president be removed. That way we can be stuck with the Obamassaiah for ever! Viva Chavez!
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=hj111-5
Bail out the stupid, lazy, and unscrupulous. Penalize personal responsibility and ethical behavior. Abolish the Census Bureau and put the census under Rahm Emanuel's control (hello, gerrymandering?). Eschew bipartisanship and transparency (as promised) in favor of pure partisanship and opaqueness to get the Pelosi ghost-authored spendulus passed....the classic sleazy Chicago way. Run unfathomable government debts by selling Treasury bonds to China and Japan. Deal with Hamas, al Quaeda, Ahmadenijad, and N. Korea by engaging in "talk" with them. Put as many people as possible on the government teet, especially in California, our most populous state which now has by far the highest income and sales taxes and is driving out every decent hard working human being via taxation, only to leave behind the lazy "where's mine?" liberals and illegal immigrants. But that's OK because ACORN will get all the illegals registered to vote...Democrat, naturally.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, then I realized I lived in D204, which is a mini-corrupt organization of its own.
Does this qualify as a great depression yet? Sure feels like one.
This was me.
By Anonymous on February 22, 2009 9:45 PM
What the? & Rambo,
I see little difference on the big picture between Bush and Obama.
Clinton wraps Asia trip by asking China to buy US debt
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.42a44b0f5d9cf5c9762e80574e79a3d5.831&show_article=1
This is a National Embarrassment, banging the tin cup in China.
Bush put us on this path, Obama is standing up on the gas peddle, your children and grandchildren are being sold down the river by both parties.
Free Tradeism is anther failed political ideology that both Bush and Obama subscribe to.
Hey, Bubo!
So what if O got a "courtesy" interest rate on his mortgage for being a senator? That was up to the bank to offer that if they wanted to; he didn't ask for it or promise anything in return. I would bet a lot of politicians, like celebrities, get offered these types of things. I'm sure he could still have bought the house and paid the extra $300 a month without it. $300 is really small change when you're talking a $1.2 MM mortgage, Bubo. It didn't make or break his ability to buy the house, if that's what you're suggesting.
I think the reason most people don't care about this stuff is because I would bet, if you were to pick any politician at random, Bubo, you'd find the exact same type of things. A lot of this is part of the political climate in which they work and live. And if a politician doesn't give in to any kind of corruption directly, it would be nearly impossible for them not to cross paths at some time or another with someone who did; e.g., Rezko, Blago, etc. If you think this makes all politicians guilty by association, then we'd better throw out our system of government, Bubo, because there wouldn't be anyone qualified to serve! It's all a matter of degree of legality, and some, like Blago and Ryan, cross that line because they can't tell where it is or are so hell bent on self-enrichment they don't care. Obama is obviously not one of these. You may choose to differ, but I really think you're beating a dead horse here.
If you want to make a big deal out of a politician's association with a bank, let's talk about John McCain's association with the Keating 5 when he was a senator. Now that's theatre!
Bubo: As for Blago, if he were smart, he would shut up, stop appearing on any talk show that will have him and write a tell-all book. God knows they're going to need the money. And his attempts to name drop himself out of trouble are pathetic, trying to drag in Rhamm, Obama, even Oprah! That's just a sad attempt to connect himself to powerful politicians and celebrities who want nothing to do with him. Go away, Blago, and take Burris with you!
If you want to make a big deal out of a politician's association with a bank, let's talk about John McCain's association with the Keating 5 when he was a senator. Now that's theater!
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W's Daddy first lowered then raised the reserve requirements for S&Ls, a pain in the Bank's side. After raising the percentage for reserve a bunch of them were declared insolvent and seized.
My recollection is that on appeal and counter suit the Courts found that the FEDS had acted in bad faith in seizing the S&L and violated Keeting's rights. Of course the S&L competition was almost completely destroyed at this point.
There is no doubt about who runs the country at this point, NYC. DC is a puppet.
If McCain were a crook, that makes it OK for Obama?
Bubo
Bubo are you just now discovering that politicians are crooks? Where on Earth do you think anyone gets the power, influence, and money to win a national election without being crooked in one way or another?
TO: So what? So what if O got a courtesy rate? I thought we all were in this together. COOL DUDE President gets favors and a courtesy rate and YOU think he gets no favors in return. Dodd gets the VIP rate from Coutnrywide. Funny, when I refinanced to 5% fixed for 15 years two weeks ago, I went through more hoopes than I did when I financed my first houses 30 years ago. When I asked for the Chris Dodd VIP rate, no one thought it amusing. I wasn't trying to be funny. I was as serious as a heart attack. 45% equity, a credit score of 832, $0 credity card debt and I cannot get a VIP rate. They even called the day of funding to make sure I and the wife were still employed. I thought we were all in this together? DODD and His Majesty prove that we are not all in this together don't they? Special rates for special people who don't get any favors. Lets see, 0 is the president and Dodd ranking, and I mean ranking on the Senate banking committee. 2 TRILLION DOLLARS of deficit FED spending since 08 and you think DC knows how to solve this problem.
You need to get serious my friend. They know nothing about finances, they are 1) politicians and 2) liberal democrats. God help this country.
Anonymous: President Obama did not get a courtesy rate. Senator Obama did. And probably tons of other senators did too. Along with celebrities, sport figures, and other VIP's. That's the nature of our culture. Sorry, if you want to get a VIP rate or discount or anything else, you're going to have to be a VIP.
We are all in this together. No one said we're all in it equally.
Bubo!
McCain is not a crook. He's a decent guy and a patriot. He just did business with some guys who turned out to be crooks. Kinda like Obama with Rezko, that type of thing. Get it?
What the ? In your 2:44 pm posting you proved a point made here and you really know the truth. We are not all in this together. Celebrities, sports figures, Senators and other VIP's get special treatment. Thats BS and just the begining. We have grossly incompetent, inexperienced people who were elected in part because of corrupt media who chose to hold Obama out as some sort of Messiah and criticized incessantly his opposition. We have just completed almost 2 trillion dollars in deficit spending since the middle of 08 and in most cases, no one knows where the money went. I urge everyone to read this bill carefully. No one is blogging about the contents of the bill. When you start reading it, you see just what a serious mess this really is. I'm talking about the government response-this so called stimulus bill. Obama has no idea what he is doing, his advisors do not agree with each other and now he is talking about nationalizng BOA and Citi. What a disaster/change you knew it would be.
Yes, Red, celebrities, sports figures, heads of state, politicians, the wealthy and God-knows-who-else that is considered "special" get special treatment. This shouldn't be news to you. That's the way life is, unequal and unfair at times. All Americans are effected by what's happening now but not to the same degree. I don't see what your point is with this.
If you feel a "corrupt media chose to hold Obama out as some sort of Messiah and criticized incessantly his opposition", then it sounds like you would support the return of something like the Fairness Doctrine? But I thought Republicans strongly opposed this. Really, you can't have it both ways. I also think you give me too much credit for "knowing" the future.
I do agree it would be great if everyone read the stimulus bill, but I can understand folks not wanting to given its length. That's probably why no one is blogging about it.
By the way you guys are raging at Obama, one would think HE just completed 8 years in office and flew off into the sunset leaving a huge mess behind. He's been here one month and yet you all are so certain that everything he does will be a disaster, or at least you're hoping it will be. I think HOPING his administration and policies fail is more accurate than saying you KNOW they will fail, as no one really knows how to deal with a mess such as this and can't predict the outcome. But I do know that no matter what happens, even if Citi does get nationalized, the sun will still rise in the morning, the world will still exist. Try to get a grip and some perspective on this, please.
Bubo!
I didn't have time to get into this earlier, but I do agree with you about Clinton's trip to China. Your statement "This is a national embarrassment, banging the tin cup in China" struck me as funny, thank God for dark humor. But it's true. The article is depressing. The only thing that makes it bearable is knowing that China's economy is just as dependent on us to keep buying their exports. Yep, Bush put us on this path and Obama is standing on the gas pedal--for now. Unlike Bush, he does have an exit strategy. I'm willing to see where it goes.
Later!
then it sounds like you would support the return of something like the Fairness Doctrine? But I thought Republicans strongly opposed this. Really, you can't have it both ways.
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Hi What the ?. You have been keeping some late (and early) hours lately? I've just been reading this blog and watching it go back and forth, but wanted to finally jump in and comment on the fairness doctrine. It has been portrayed by the TV media as primarily a "radio" issue, or the "Rush" issue. It is true that conservatives dominate radio, liberals have tried and failed - not sure why?
The fairness doctrine, however, also pertains to TV which is dominated by liberals. Fox News is obviously dominated by conservatives because there is no alternative. Liberals have MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and even public funded Bill Moyers can't be described as anything other than Liberal. The real reasoning for Obama backing off is that all of these TV media would have had to introduce conservative sides to their programming - something they are not willing to do (They refuse to even acknowledge the liberal slant). To think anything different would mean that Obama is afraid of Rush Limbaugh - something I don't think he is.
Maybe the next time Chris Matthews (MSNBC) says he gets a "tingling" up his leg whenever he is around Obama, they can switch to someone who has the opposite reaction?
Glad to see you, Thomas! Yes, I've been burning the midnight oil lately. Changing the world one blog at a time (not!).
Yes, I know the fairness doctrine applies to TV as well. The right is trumpeting its slap down as a triumph for media personalities such as Hannity and Limbaugh. So you think the reason Obama did not back the fairness doc is to preserve the edge the Dems have with the major TV stations? I have not considered ABC, CBS, or NBC as being either liberal or conservative. I don't see a liberal slant either, but then I'm not looking for it. I'll view them with a more critical eye now and see if I notice this. I've mentioned before that Fox has become a 24/7 Obama bash party, but CNN is still more balanced, in my opinion. They at least have what's his name, Hugh Downs(?), who really likes the word "comrade" when referring to the Democrats. And I still hear discussions on CNN that make me think I tuned in to Fox by mistake. You don't get both sides of the coin with Fox, it's unapologetically biased. Which is fine if folks just want the comfort of having their views validated. I don't watch news programs for this reason.
I thought Obama axed the fairness doc because he simply thought government shouldn't be involved in regulating the content of the media. It couldn't be that simple, could it? Does there always have to be a conspiracy of some kind connected, an ulterior motive? Is it really such a stretch to think a president can act in the best interests of his country rather than just the best interests of his party? Is the way we view Obama a reflection of our own cynicism more than an accurate interpretation of what is? And what the hell did Chris Matthews mean by that "tingling" up his leg? (don't visualize that, trust me on this one).
But really, since degrees of conservatism and liberalism are entirely subjective, that's reason enough not to attempt to legislate it. I don't remember how the media was treating W. at the time he nixed the Fairness Doc, so I can't judge whether his action at the time appeared self-serving or not. But I think you should at least consider that perhaps Obama does not support the Fairness Doctrine, not because he's better off without it, but because it simply is not a good idea.
By Thomas on February 24, 2009 8:38 AM
"Maybe the next time Chris Matthews (MSNBC) says he gets a "tingling" up his leg whenever he is around Obama, they can switch to someone who has the opposite reaction?"
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What an odd phrase, I don't believe I have heard it before in any language.
On Thomas' second point, I'm guessing that someone pointed out to Obama that Liberals control most of the newspapers, TV stations and Universities. Balanced news would put Limbaugh on every TV for 12 hours a day on every station.
What an odd phrase, I don't believe I have heard it before in any language
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Hi Bubo,
It was a very odd thing to say, The quote from Chris Matthews was the following:
"I have to tell you, you know, it’s part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama’s speech. My, I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don’t have that too often."
I thought he said "tingling", but just used the phrase "thrill". This from the impartial TV media.
Thomas and Bubo: Tingling, thrill, whatever. My reaction is the same: Ewwww.
Perhaps Mr. Mathews should try experimenting with Viagra.
Far Right Wing Conspiracy members, AP analysis of Big Brothers speech last night on the facts and substance inc Bail Outs and Stimulus spending. Apparently the media is realizing they are being used.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090225/D96IFSC80.html
FACT CHECK: Obama's words on home aid ring hollow
Email this Story
Feb 25, 3:15 AM (ET)
By CALVIN WOODWARD and JIM KUHNHENN
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama knows Americans are unhappy that the government could rescue people who bought mansions beyond their means.
But his assurance Tuesday night that only the deserving will get help rang hollow.
Even officials in his administration, many supporters of the plan in Congress and the Federal Reserve chairman expect some of that money will go to people who used lousy judgment.
The president skipped over several complex economic circumstances in his speech to Congress - and may have started an international debate among trivia lovers and auto buffs over what country invented the car.
A look at some of his assertions:
OBAMA: "We have launched a housing plan that will help responsible families facing the threat of foreclosure lower their monthly payments and refinance their mortgages. It's a plan that won't help speculators or that neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to afford, but it will help millions of Americans who are struggling with declining home values."
THE FACTS: If the administration has come up with a way to ensure money only goes to those who got in honest trouble, it hasn't said so.
Defending the program Tuesday at a Senate hearing, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said it's important to save those who made bad calls, for the greater good. He likened it to calling the fire department to put out a blaze caused by someone smoking in bed.
"I think the smart way to deal with a situation like that is to put out the fire, save him from his own consequences of his own action but then, going forward, enact penalties and set tougher rules about smoking in bed."
Similarly, the head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. suggested this month it's not likely aid will be denied to all homeowners who overstated their income or assets to get a mortgage they couldn't afford.
"I think it's just simply impractical to try to do a forensic analysis of each and every one of these delinquent loans," Sheila Bair told National Public Radio.
---
OBAMA: "And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it."
THE FACTS: Depends what your definition of automobiles, is. According to the Library of Congress, the inventor of the first true automobile was probably Germany's Karl Benz, who created the first auto powered by an internal combustion gasoline engine, in 1885 or 1886. In the U.S., Charles Duryea tested what library researchers called the first successful gas-powered car in 1893. Nobody disputes that Henry Ford created the first assembly line that made cars affordable.
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OBAMA: "We have known for decades that our survival depends on finding new sources of energy. Yet we import more oil today than ever before."
THE FACTS: Oil imports peaked in 2005 at just over 5 billion barrels, and have been declining slightly since. The figure in 2007 was 4.9 billion barrels, or about 58 percent of total consumption. The nation is on pace this year to import 4.7 billion barrels, and government projections are for imports to hold steady or decrease a bit over the next two decades.
---
OBAMA: "We have already identified $2 trillion in savings over the next decade."
THE FACTS: Although 10-year projections are common in government, they don't mean much. And at times, they are a way for a president to pass on the most painful steps to his successor, by putting off big tax increases or spending cuts until someone else is in the White House.
Obama only has a real say on spending during the four years of his term. He may not be president after that and he certainly won't be 10 years from now.
---
OBAMA: "Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn't afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day."
THE FACTS: This may be so, but it isn't only Republicans who pushed for deregulation of the financial industries. The Clinton administration championed an easing of banking regulations, including legislation that ended the barrier between regular banks and Wall Street banks. That led to a deregulation that kept regular banks under tight federal regulation but extended lax regulation of Wall Street banks. Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, later an economic adviser to candidate Obama, was in the forefront in pushing for this deregulation.
---
OBAMA: "In this budget, we will end education programs that don't work and end direct payments to large agribusinesses that don't need them. We'll eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq, and reform our defense budget so that we're not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don't use. We will root out the waste, fraud and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn't make our seniors any healthier, and we will restore a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally ending the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas."
THE FACTS: First, his budget does not accomplish any of that. It only proposes those steps. That's all a president can do, because control over spending rests with Congress. Obama's proposals here are a wish list and some items, including corporate tax increases and cuts in agricultural aid, will be a tough sale in Congress.
Second, waste, fraud and abuse are routinely targeted by presidents who later find that the savings realized seldom amount to significant sums. Programs that a president might consider wasteful have staunch defenders in Congress who have fought off similar efforts in the past.
---
OBAMA: "Thanks to our recovery plan, we will double this nation's supply of renewable energy in the next three years."
THE FACTS: While the president's stimulus package includes billions in aid for renewable energy and conservation, his goal is unlikely to be achieved through the recovery plan alone.
In 2007, the U.S. produced 8.4 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, including hydroelectric dams, solar panels and windmills. Under the status quo, the Energy Department says, it will take more than two decades to boost that figure to 12.5 percent.
If Obama is to achieve his much more ambitious goal, Congress would need to mandate it. That is the thrust of an energy bill that is expected to be introduced in coming weeks.
---
OBAMA: "Over the next two years, this plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs."
THE FACTS: This is a recurrent Obama formulation. But job creation projections are uncertain even in stable times, and some of the economists relied on by Obama in making his forecast acknowledge a great deal of uncertainty in their numbers.
The president's own economists, in a report prepared last month, stated, "It should be understood that all of the estimates presented in this memo are subject to significant margins of error."
Beyond that, it's unlikely the nation will ever know how many jobs are saved as a result of the stimulus. While it's clear when jobs are abolished, there's no economic gauge that tracks job preservation. The estimates are based on economic assumptions of how many jobs would be lost without the stimulus.
---
Associated Press writers Tom Raum, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Dina Cappiello contributed to this story.
How to benefit from the Stimulus Ads that accompanied article:
Google sponsored links
Obama Is Giving You Money - Read How I Got a $12K Check From The Economic Stimulus Package.
www.GovtEconomicStimulus.com
$37,383 Stimulus Checks - It's Official. The Gov Is Giving Out Billions. I Just Got $37,383.
www.GovGrantFunds.com
Bubo: Aside from the one about the origin of the automobile, which I caught also, the above rebuttals on O's statements are based on just as much conjecture, estimations, manipulative statistics and speculation as the authors claim Obama is using. Yes, presidents often put off tackling tough issues in order to pass them on to the next administration. Case in point: Bush flying off into infamy as the nation's economy comes crashing down. And yes, often presidents only accomplish a fraction of what they want because of obstructionists in Congress. That's our system of checks and balances. And numbers are always arguable. None of this is new stuff, Bubo, these things exist with EVERY administration. All this amounts to is your brothers-in-arms having a different opinion, not facts.
And really, you're preaching largely to the choir here. Given that doing things the Republican way has put the nation in this position, you guys have a real hard sell over the next several years. I think it's a fair assumption that a lot of Americans don't care what the Republicans think about Obama or his policies; we're still mopping up from YOURS. And it looks like the Reps are thinking about throwing Bobby Jindahl into the fray in '12, why else would he be chosen for the Republican rebuttal? He seems like a nice guy, but it's apparent from last night's appearance that he does not have Obama's presence or skills as an orator. In other words, he's no Obama, at least not now.
I'm thinking this must be a great time to be a Republican minority. Since the Reps have realized that part of their image problem is being seen as too old, too white and too male, they're dragging every minority Republican they can find before the cameras. So far two have been prominent--Steele and Jindahl. If it weren't for them, you guys would probably be slapping blackface on your representatives.
Yes, the media does know when they're being used, and the Reps are very transparent about it, as usual. The fact that both Steele and Jindahl were pushed to the forefront only AFTER Obama was elected is just more of the same. Some Reps have said their party went astray when they started acting like Democrats. It looks like you're still doing it, and still not doing it well.
Oops, the guy I called Hugh Downs in one of my previous blogs is really Lou Dobbs. Got the old white dudes confused!
By What the? on February 25, 2009 12:56 PM
1.
“And yes, often presidents only accomplish a fraction of what they want because of obstructionists in Congress.”
Response:
I looked up the term on Webster’s:
Deliberate interference with the progress or business especially of a legislative body.
Is there still such a thing as loyal opposition in the USA? The Democrats refusing to allow Bush’s nominees to have an up or down vote before the attacks on 9-11 is a good example of obstruction. Opposing collectivization and redistribution, while Obama intentionally crashes the stock and futures markets to fuel the “Fear Machine” ™, is a legitimate political debate.
2.
“Given that doing things the Republican way has put the nation in this position.”
Response:
Amnesty, anarchy with the total collapse of our borders, fully funding all of the big government programs including the abortion mills, no doc loans to buy the Illegal Alien vote, affirmative action racist policies, 100% increase in FED spending in 8 years with deficits etc etc etc. Yes they acted like Democrats.
3.
“it's apparent from last night's appearance that he does not have Obama's presence or skills as an orator. In other words, he's no Obama, at least not now.”
Response:
True, he’s not a Chavez, Mussolini or Hitler either, all great speech makers on the road to National Socialism. All hail Obama.
Chavez = Fear Machine + Nationalization + Redistribution
Mussolini = Fear Machine + Nationalization + Redistribution
Hitler = Fear Machine + Nationalization + Redistribution
4.
“the Reps have realized that part of their image problem is being seen as too old, too white and too male,……. So far two have been prominent--Steele and Jindahl”
Response:
You forgot Palin, but she’s not divorced, successful in her career, is a Christian, wears a bra, didn’t abort her kids and is attractive to men, so I guess she doesn’t count.
WT?
I should have read the news before posting this AM.
We can now add Stalin to the list of leaders worthy of emulation.
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Obama to Seek New Assault Weapons Ban
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Story?id=6960824&page=2
In the spirit of the “Big Lie” ™, the military grade weapons they are finding in Mexico come into the US in containers that are then re-shipped into Mexico; another wide open borders failure, many of the other military grade weapons used by the Drug Cartels are provided by the Mexican Police and Military.
Holder would have us believe that you can go into Wal-Mart and buy full auto AK47s with silencers along with FALs and UZIs.
If we only confiscate all of the guns in the Suburbs, the gang bangers in the cities will stop killing each other. More people murdered (mostly gang related) in Chicago then military lost in Iraq last year.
This one will probably be slipped into the next stimulus-spending bill at 2am the night before the vote. Not that anyone read the bill they voted on the last time.
Hey Bubo, you w&c guy:
1. Loyal opposition can still result in deliberate interference. And the Reps are always so quick with the "yeah, but the Dems in Congress did it to Bush". The Reps in Congress also did it to Clinton back in 92-95. Get over it already, this is the way the system works.
2. Then it looks like the Reps are still confused. Jindahl used the excuse, "we went along with earmarks and other things in Congress." Went along? The Republicans were in control of Congress for 6 of the 8 years. How can the Republicans claim they just "went along" with their own policies? Talk about your Orwellian double-speak! When the Reps can't stay true to their own ideals and they suck at emulating the opposition's, they've really got an identity problem!
3. Interesting that you would immediately jump to these people rather than famous American orators such as M. L. King, Kennedy, Lincoln. Sorry I can't put Bush in that list for you, but we all know he had trouble finding a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight.
4. Of course Palin counts; she wasn't male. The formula the Reps are following is less white, less old, and less male. I think the Reps would have chosen her even if she had been older. However, she's no longer in the game.
P.S. These guys have trademarked "Big Lie" and "Fear Machine'? Sorry, Bub, but to me these ideas sound like they were hatched on the funny farm.
King, Kennedy and Lincoln weren't socialists, Obama is.
I forgot Castro, in his day he could make a good crowd pleaser too.
I was speaking with a friend who is the CEO of a US based company, I asked them what they thought of Obama's speech.
The answer was that the CFO for the holding company has started running the numbers for moving all operations, senior management and development to China and leaving only a sales force in the US. This is about 500 engineers and all the operations folks.
They had been bending over backwards to remain a US company with new development here and maintenance in China.
It appears that definitions of what a socialist is differs too. I've have discussions on this blog with folks who said both Kennedy and Johnson were socialists. You've also said in past blogs that Obama=Bush. Does that mean Bush is a socialist? All this spin is making me dizzy, Bubo!
That is unfortunate about your friend's company looking to relocate to China, but I can't see what this has to do with Obama. As you know, the Bush admin gave companies tax breaks for doing this and companies relocated and outsourced like crazy during the Bush years. Maybe the company feels it needs to take advantage of the cheap labor there because of the recession, who knows. But to suggest this is because of Obama is perverse, to say the least.
Later!
Webster’s
Socialism: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.
From Wikipedia
"Socialists mainly share the belief that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital, creates an unequal society, and does not provide equal opportunities for everyone in society."
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The Govt is taking control of the banks, 20% is considered a controlling interest, Fannie and Freddi are recently nationalized Govt financial institutions that control the 10 T mortgage market.
Nationalizing the health care industry by dictating what the Govt will pay for as the sole customer, is taking over the industry.
Obama is talking about legislation nationalizing education, taking control of the schools.
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The Wikipedia quote sounds a lot like Obama's address the other night to me. He sounded like the redistributer and chief.
With respect to Bush vs. Obama, in two significant ways Obama is leaving him in the dust: Nationalizing large segments of the economy and insane deficit spending. Both are big Govt, social engineering, deficit spending, free trade and Keynesians.
Companies in the US compete globally; not only for orders, but with foreign based competitors and must be able to deliver their product or service competitively. The US is not the only game in town.
Many of the advantages the US once took for granted like flushing toilets and light bulbs are now pretty much standard in many countries. Costs incurred in the production of a product or services do include salaries, taxes and government regulations. At some point, our infrastructure and institutional advantages are canceled out by other cost factors like the Govt. I oppose free trade because I want our workers to have benefits and a safe environment; neither of these exists in China as a matter of law. 10% tariffs was the magic number to level the field. We can’t have free trade and a social support infrastructure for our workers; this is the essence of the trade and budget deficits (insane political spending aside).
When Obama goes on not only a spending binge, but lays out a program to raise taxes and increase the costs of doing business, he has changed the equation. Some companies have to evaluate if they want to stay in the US and die or do something about their costs. Yes Obama’s speech probably has a lot of companies running the numbers to see what it means for them.
Yes private companies are watching their costs; unlike the FEDS they can't print money to wallpaper poor judgment and defective policies.
I’m spent on this thread.
Bubo