The ..2012.... Political thread
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Obama Is Barely Treading Water The president's problem is simple: the economy and jobs By Mortimer B. Zuckerman Posted: July 2, 2010 The hope that fired up the election of Barack Obama has flickered out, leaving a national mood of despair and disappointment. Americans are dispirited over how wrong things are and uncertain they can be made right again. Hope may have been a quick breakfast, but it has proved a poor supper. A year and a half ago Obama was walking on water. Today he is barely treading water. Then, his soaring rhetoric enraptured the nation. Today, his speeches cannot lift him past a 45 percent approval rating. complete article: http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2010/07/02/mort-zuckerman-obama-is-barely-treading-water.html
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Andy_Shofar:
Obama Is Barely Treading Water The president's problem is simple: the economy and jobs By Mortimer B. Zuckerman Posted: July 2, 2010 The hope that fired up the election of Barack Obama has flickered out, leaving a national mood of despair and disappointment. Americans are dispirited over how wrong things are and uncertain they can be made right again. Hope may have been a quick breakfast, but it has proved a poor supper. A year and a half ago Obama was walking on water. Today he is barely treading water. Then, his soaring rhetoric enraptured the nation. Today, his speeches cannot lift him past a 45 percent approval rating. complete article: http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/mzuckerman/articles/2010/07/02/mort-zuckerman-obama-is-barely-treading-water.html
Then, in 2012, the Rich and Powerful Elite will trot US out another Golden Boy (or Girl). They'll say all the right things and make very moving speeches that push all the right buttons. The People will be optomistic until We find, once again, that the new boss is the same as the old boss. The solution? Burn the whole Fuçker down and start over!!!
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Obama Has Shot 41 Rounds of Golf as President by Keith Koffler on July 16, 2010, 3:30 pm President Barack Obama has played a remarkable 41 rounds of golf since becoming president, easily outpacing his predecessor and possibly damaging his ability to portray himself in 2012 as a populist advocate of average folks. ... That?s the equivalent of twenty five eight-hour work days, or five work weeks spent smacking golf balls. complete article: http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2010/07/16/obama-played-41-rounds-golf-president/
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Hehe Remember the Vacationer IN Chief?
Nice that Obama gets a little time off now and then at least he's doing a good job -
mustangsally10:
Hehe Remember the Vacationer IN Chief?
Nice that Obama gets a little time off now and then at least he's doing a good jobNo, he's not.
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EADG:
mustangsally10:
Hehe Remember the Vacationer IN Chief?
Nice that Obama gets a little time off now and then at least he's doing a good jobNo, he's not.
thanks for the opportunity to show what Obama has been doing since he became president...it's good to know we have a president who knows what a library is Major Legislation: Financial Reform Bill "represents the most profound restructuring of financial regulation since the Great Depression". Below is a brief outline of the bill: Creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to be housed in the Fed. The new agency will have the power to write and enforce new rules governing mortgages and other financial products and Banks with more than $10 billion in assets would be subject to examination. The government will be given the power to seize and close down large failing firms. Shareholders and unsecured creditors would bear losses, and management would be removed. Nearly all derivatives deals will have to be conducted through central clearinghouses, so investors can be confident about settling their bets, and firms will have to raise money to cover any unexpected losses. Most derivatives would be traded on public exchanges, not in private side deals. Large Wall Street banks will have to spin off some of their trading of derivatives. The Fed, FDIC and Office the Comptroller of the Currency would each have jurisdiction over different types of banks, with the FDIC, for instance, regulating state banks while the OCC would be responsible for national ones. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a sweeping piece of legislation that will allow 32 million Americans access to health care coverage. The key changes are outlined below (note these changes will take place between 2010 ? 2014). Extension of private insurance coverage for young people through age 26 on parents? insurance. Increase funding for Community Health Centers to allow for nearly a doubling of the number of patients seen by the centers over the next 5 years. Free preventive care under Medicare and new private plans. Bans lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on coverage on coverage. Small business tax credits Slowly closes the donut hole. Expands Medicaid eligibility to 133% of federal poverty level and requires states to offer Medicaid to childless adults. Eliminates pre-existing condition in private insurance. Insurance companies can no longer charge higher rates due to health status or gender. Premiums can vary only on age (no more than 3:1), geography, family size, and tobacco use. Ends rescissions. Also, included in the bill was provisions that ended fees paid to banks for student loans. That money was instead used to increase the amount of loans provided to students directly. The American Recover and Reinvestment Act of 2009(commonly known as the Stimulus Bill) was the largest spending bill in U.S. History. Below is a breakdown of the progressive spending allocated in this bill: Education - Total: $90.9 billion * $15.6 billion to increase Pell Grants from $4,731 to $5,350 * $13 billion for low-income public schoolchildren * $12.2 billion for IDEA special education * $2.1 billion for Head Start * $2 billion for childcare services * $300 million for increased teacher salaries * $70 million for the education of homeless children Aid to low income workers, unemployed and retirees - Total: $82.5 billion * $20.3 billion for food (Food Stamp Program, refill food banks, lunch programs for children and seniors) * $14.2 billion to give one-time $250 payments to Social Security recipients, people on Supplemental Security Income, and veterans receiving disability and pensions. * $3 billion in temporary welfare payments * $500 million for vocational training for the disabled * $120 million for subsidized community service jobs for older Americans Infrastructure Investment - Total: $80.9 billion * $17.8 billion for public transportation projects * $6 billion for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure Energy - Total: $61.3 billion * $15.5 billion funding for an electric smart grid * $10.8 billion investments in increasing energy efficiency * $7.3 billion for environmental clean-up Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act: This bill was originally introduced into Congress in 2001. With its passage, the 1969 U.S. federal hate crime law is expanded to include crimes motivated by victim?s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. This act is the first federal law to extend legal protections to transgender persons. Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010: This bill contains much needed funding for women veterans and provided funding to allow caregivers to stay home with veterans to help in their recovery. Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (contains Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act) Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Foreign Policy: New START Treaty signed with Russia U.N. Security Council Nuclear Arms Resolution Trade Agreement with Russia that may result in 44,000 U.S. jobs. Iraq withdrawal is ahead of schedule. Regulatory Changes: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): New rules raising fuel standard requirements. New rules to regulate coal air pollution, which may result in utilities shutting down smaller, dirtier plants. New sulfur dioxide emissions limits, which is the first change in 40 years. New rules to limit water pollution from mining. VA is making it easier for veterans to get help for PTSD. HHS announces first national strategy for HIV/AIDS. New FDA rule requiring egg producers to refrigerate eggs during storage and transportation to reduce salmonella illnesses. Federal Medical Leave Act extended by Department of Labor to include same-sex relationships. Goldman Sachs settled SEC civil fraud case and will pay a record $550mm. Other Executive Branch Decisions: The plan to bail out General Motors has been a success and they are already starting to pay the U.S. back. In May, General Motors reported 1st quarterly profits in 3 years. Executive order reversing stem cell ban. Memo directing HHS to draft rule to prevent hospitals from denying visitation privileges to same-sex partners. Reversed the "Mexico City Policy" banning funding international family planning groups that provide abortions. PolitiFact has been tracking President Obama's ability to deliver on candidate Obama's promises. Here's the tally (not including Financial Reform): Total Promises - 505 Promises Kept - 119 (24%) Promises Compromised 37 (7%) Promises Broken 19 (4%) Promises Stalled 82 (16%) Promises in the Works 245 (49%) Promises Not Yet Rated 3 (1%) of course, you may have liked things better under bush .
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Sorry, but the so-called "Financial Reform" is putting the Fox in charge of guarding the Hen-House. And, no, I didn't like The Usurper Bush any better. But then, I guess I'm too hard to please; I haven't liked ANY of the Idiots-In-Chief since Eisenhower. Perhaps it is unreasonable of me to demand a President who doesn't think either with his Little Head or with his Wallet, but actually does the job he was elected to do: Represent The People of The United States, (not Big Oil or The Banks or the Corporations.) http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Eisenhower's_farewell_address For those of you under 50, please read the Farewell Address from Eisenhower to see how a President of The United States of America is supposed to act. Otherwise, you are unlikely to ever know.
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I didn't say he hasn't done anything. Just that he hasn't done a good job. History, as always, will be the judge and i think he will be remembered as a populist President who instituted a huge amount of costly bureaucracy that will be unwound somewhere down the road. Maybe I'll find out I'm wrong.
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A man stands with a hammer pounding holes in the walls. Beating out the pipes that run through the house and crashing holes in the stairs that lead to many rooms upstairs. He lets out a satisfied grunt. There is still so much work to do. Yes he is busy. I do not like what he is doing and I do not agree with what he is doing and I do not like the direction he is going.
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The_Fool:
A man stands with a hammer pounding holes in the walls. Beating out the pipes that run through the house and crashing holes in the stairs that lead to many rooms upstairs. He lets out a satisfied grunt. There is still so much work to do...
That's a great analogy, and very appropriate! I can see November from my house.
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Kudos to the Democrats for passing Financial Reform No more Wall Street Bailouts...period http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/21/video-what-wall-street-reform-means-you This is a Big F**king Deal Congrats democrats The Top 10 Things You May Not Know About the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act Posted by Jen Psaki on July 21, 2010 at 06:00 AM EDT Here are 10 aspects of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act you may not know about -- the online attention-deficit version. 1. Stronger protections for consumers against unfair credit card practices like rate hikes for existing credit card balances. 2. Mortgage brokers will be prohibited from making higher commissions by selling mortgages they know consumers can?t afford. 3. Free annual credit scores so people can stay on top of their finances. [Clarification: free credit scores are available if you receive worse terms on a loan because of something on your credit report, or if you are rejected.] 4. No more taxpayer-funded bailouts. If a company can?t make it, it will have to liquidate. 5. Greater input by company shareholders over how much a CEO gets paid. And companies? compensation boards are now required to be truly independent. 6. Brokers who offer investment advice will have to act in the best interests of their customers, not their own financial interests. 7. Financial firms won't be allowed to grow so large that if one fails, it will affect the entire financial system. 8. There will be one agency whose sole job is to make sure that consumers get the protections they deserve and to set clear rules to hold banks, mortgage companies, payday lenders, and credit card lenders accountable. 9. Businesses can't be charged extra fees for debit card ?swipe fees? that exceed the cost of processing transactions. 10. You can learn plenty more here at WhiteHouse,gov or at financialstability.gov 11. Updated: To tack on #11, here's a new animated video we've released to further explain Wall Street Reform. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/07/21/video-what-wall-street-reform-means-you
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I too am for NO MORE BAILOUTS banks or homeowners. How about if you can"t afford a house or a loan...don"t buy it! I know how much I make & what I can afford to payback. I want a darn bailout. I lost lots of money in the stock market in 2000 & no one helped me. Where do I go for my bailout?
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oobu24:
I too am for NO MORE BAILOUTS banks or homeowners. How about if you can"t afford a house or a loan...don"t buy it! I know how much I make & what I can afford to payback. I want a darn bailout. I lost lots of money in the stock market in 2000 & no one helped me. Where do I go for my bailout?
There was a time that I would agree with you. And some were given loans that were 4 times what they could afford. That was wrong from the start. However, there are people who did everything right - took out what they could afford. This probably worked for awhile. Then the collapse of the housing market, the recession/ depression. Houses in many areas have lost their values reduced in half or more. If the owners lost their job, or even had to take a pay cut or days off with no pay - well there goes the budget. (Can't sell the house without taking an extreme hit or having to pay the difference -- which is why some people are tempted to walk away from their house). Couldn't dip into the 401k because that was being stolen. In a stable economy -- the home owner could sell the house and recover from being hit with a job problem. OR could find a better job or a second job. (These options are not easily available in areas of high unemployment and the difficulty keeping one job). In my area -- when I had to take days off with no pay .... I applied at many many places and did not even get any person to reply. In a better economy ... I was able to find another job in a short time and a second job at times -- the very day that I went out. There are many variables - and these happened with very little time notice. I have known more people now going through bankruptcy, foreclosure, job problems, etc.... than all my years combined up to this point. Too many and all at the same time. A few years ago -- I would have felt much different than I do today about it.
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oobu24:
I too am for NO MORE BAILOUTS banks or homeowners. How about if you can"t afford a house or a loan...don"t buy it! I know how much I make & what I can afford to payback. I want a darn bailout. I lost lots of money in the stock market in 2000 & no one helped me. Where do I go for my bailout?
You don't get one. As I said, "Financial Reform" is a prime example of the Bullshit coming out of Washington. Putting the Federal Reserve in charge of this is like putting the Fox to guard the Hen House. If The Government REALLY wanted reform, they would eliminate The Federal Reserve. Plain and Simple.
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The indians are restless on this reservation The nonsense of deficits....there are "two" kinds, boys and girls...structural (that has existed for umpty dump years....known as social security, medicare) to which grandchildren and great grandchildren will pay) and budget deficits (unemployment). As long as Congress keeps jerking around regarding the Bush tax cuts, businesses CANNOT hire. Because when those cuts expire, companies will need the cash they are currently stashing to pay them This is not about democrats or republican philosophy....it's about where all of us (meaning myself, the wife and others I know) are....it is a little of both......us folks in the center
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Isn't is amazing that during the Clinton years we had low unemployment http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/html/20000112_1.html we did not have the bush tax cuts for the rich and we had record surpluses!
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PRINCETON, NJ -- Gallup's 2010 Confidence in Institutions poll finds Congress ranking dead last out of the 16 institutions rated this year. Eleven percent of Americans say they have "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in Congress, down from 17% in 2009 ..... 11% ...... Approval ... This really shows the confidence the American people have in our politicians.
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mustangsally10:
Isn't is amazing that during the Clinton years we had low unemployment http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/html/20000112_1.html we did not have the bush tax cuts for the rich and we had record surpluses!
Yes, the website is interesting Clinton4 - Clinton for - the article dated January 7, 2000 ... Isn't it about time they took that website down? It even has a section devoted toward Vice President Gore & his wife Tipper - that's really timely. Gets one thinking 'bout all the women he's been chasing while still married. Great picture Maybe the website could be Hillary4 (2012 President) : : Don't put that possibility past Bill & Hill
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Andy_Shofar:
mustangsally10:
Isn't is amazing that during the Clinton years we had low unemployment http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/New/html/20000112_1.html we did not have the bush tax cuts for the rich and we had record surpluses!
Yes, the website is interesting Clinton4 - Clinton for - the article dated January 7, 2000 ... Isn't it about time they took that website down? It even has a section devoted toward Vice President Gore & his wife Tipper - that's really timely. Gets one thinking 'bout all the women he's been chasing while still married. Great picture Maybe the website could be Hillary4 (2012 President) : : Don't put that possibility past Bill & Hill
Again, you (and most republicans) miss the point and that is that the republicans and their uninformed followers were responsible for the worst financial crisis the world has seen since the Great Depression. You turned Clintons surplus into the largest deficit we have ever had with your illegal war and the bush tax breaks for the rich. I'm very sorry that you can't connect the dots to figure it out. So, you talk about marriages and sex to distract ...really that would only distract ignorant people The bush tax breaks for the rich will expire in 2011 and will go back to the percentage they were during Clintons terms when we had low unemployment and a budget surplus. I guess you would like all that history erased....the world has suffered the american conservatives long enough.
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I wouldn't mind seeing US go back to the Eisenhower-Era Tax rates.