Obama Wins Economic Approval, Despite Deficit Woes

When will the public reconcile their growing support for the stimulus spending with their equally burgeoning demand for a more balanced budget? They simply don’t add up.

“…only IF…”

I’m really sick of hearing Obama say that he “inherited” this deficit. He voted in favor for much of what he “inherited”. He needs to quit trying to convince the American people he is our “economic saviour” when he is partly responsible for this mess to begin with from his time as Senator!
Bail-outs DON’T WORK!!! Nobody ever wins when you rob Peter to pay Paul!

OGLiberal, no actually deficit spending is bad regardless of which party does it. I think the concern is that President Obama is spending several times more than President Bush ever did.

as a black Man I’m still trying to understand how you all desenters can PLACE the BLAME for this ECONOMY MESS on President Obama, when President Bush is the one who was in charge for the last EIGHT YEARS, Mr Obama just took office last month and you are blaming him only because he wants to expose the truth; you see Mr Bush kept you blind and n the dark, now that the light has come to town most of you can’t stand to see yourself

“We are at the verge of bankruptcy, we are moving into a New Era, believe it or not, with the dollar and our economy and the world economy. This is a New Era.” — Ron Paul; January 24, 2008
Sad but true. This debt will crush us.

President Obama is not spending anywere near what Bush spent. The fact of the matter is Republicans spend FAR more than Democrats. The national debt was just under $1 trillion when Reagan took office. When Clinton took office, the national debt was at $3 trillion. The debt rose slightly during Clinton’s tenure but mostly due to interest accruing, and he actually paid down $600 billion on the debt and balanced the budget, something no Republican President has done since the 19th century. Bush increased the national debt by another $5 trillion, putting it a little over the $8 trillion Obama now has to deal with. No one likes spending, but please, don’t put it on the Democrats.

OGLiberal, no actually deficit spending is bad regardless of which party does it.
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So, everyone should pay cash and never be in a deficit. No credit cards. No mortgages! No college loans! No car loans! Cash for everything. If you don’t have enough money to pay cash well tough luck. Just as it is unrealistic for people to not have deficit spending the same goes for governments. The question is not whether it is deficit spending but whether it is deficit spending that will reap rewards for the economy later on.

The level of republican hypocrisy no longer amazes me. It’s sad, but expected.

Democratic Capitalist, most of the deficit increase is related to two wars and Obama had nothing to do with those. Bush said the Iraq war would cost $50B and it is likely to cost $2T. Who in their fiscally right mind would cut taxes to the richest at the time of starting two wars? It never has happened before. This is Bush’s fault and it is also the fault of those who only seem to have learned how to complain since Obama got into office.

Chuck Wavy Dean, FedUp – Ron Paul stood against the republican’s spending. He voted against the Iraq war and has never voted for an unbalanced budget. He now questions Obama’s spending policies. I see no hypocrisy in Ron Paul’s statements. At least there is one republican. For the others though, you are right, they have renewed their supposed fiscal conservatism now that a dem is in the White House.

So, Republicans are not too concerned about the deficit when we’re spending the money on a war of choice in Iraq, but they’re worried about spending money on American citizens? So, it’s fine to spend money on Iraq’s people and infrastructure, but it’s “irresponsible” to extend unemployment benefits for American families struggling to put food on the table, or “pork” to devote money for infrastructure in our own country?

We are screwed and we all know it. Obama should go back to Chicago. They like him there.

OMG – The Democrats have all the power & they are still blaming the Republicans….UNBELIEVABLE!

Truth Seeker: And you are right also. Yup it’s ok to bomb Iraq for no reason, then spend tons of money to rebuild it, but when our own country needs it that’s another story.

The size of the national debt is too large regardless of how we got there. Now lets stop making it bigger and figure out how to reduce it so we do not continue to mortgage our future. We are already paying $200 Billion a year (about 5% of our budget) on interest and that is going to go up very soon with this stimulus borrowing.
Congress is a bunch of drunken sailors on leave with money and none of them could run a lemonade stand and make a profit even if the lemonades, the cups and the location were free.

What am I missing here? 87% are concerned, 59% are very concerned, and 50% of Democrats are very concerned, but “almost all of the concern coming from Republicans”?
This is an American people concern, not a Republican concern.

The US Government is not a business. It has nothing to give. Any money that any citizen recieves has been loaned to us from China w/ a running interest rate. Use your brain. Make due and survive with less. Don’t be weak and stupid by willingly destroying your own country for short term relief.

Let’s start at the beginning and give Clinton some credit for the housing crisis we are in now. His administration is the one that pushed Fanny Mae to lower the lending practices and give people loans who should have never been given one to start with! That was the beginning of all of this! Let’s see… yes, the war cost A LOT of money. War costs money…. the alternative… let the terrorists continue to spread fear. I didn’t see very many people against the war after they attacked us on our own soil! I stand behind this war. I was against Bush’s bail-outs and I’m against Obama’s bail-outs. Let the free enterprise system work itself out instead of growing our government!

If the USA ever ceases to exist or is taken over by a foreign power, it won’t be because of a military defeat, it will be because of the fiscal irresponsibility of our political leaders. What Bushie Jr. did to the federal deficit while in office is a crime for which he should have been impeached, removed from office and thrown in jail. People — WAKE UP! Write to your elected reporesentatives and DEMAND that they pass a balanced budget amendment to the constitution!

Well said Indy_voter. It’s also important to note that Texas started talking about seceding from the union way before Obama was elected – Who cares! – and guess what, whether you’re sick of it or not, he did inherit this mess.

I was against the Bush tax cuts when he institued them. We were just starting to pay off the national debt under Clinton and it was predictable that we would fall into a deficit even without war spending. If Bush truly made the hard decisions like he said he would have raised taxes like his father when we got involved in Afghanistan and Iraq to fund those wars. Instead we have paid almost $1T so far to fund a war in Iraq that was started under false pretenses and has served to help ruin the reputation of the US in the world. Bush placed his reelection above the real needs of the US, unlike his father.

“Concerned About the Deficit? You Join 87% of the Nation” – “The skyrocketing increase in worry about the deficit has occurred entirely among Republicans.”
If we were actually to believe these two statements, we would have to conclude that 87% of the nation is Republican! That would be hard to explain in light of the last election’s results!
This article seems filled with some very misleading “numbers” – including poll results showing that only 50% of Democrats but 73% of Republicans are “Very concerned” about the deficit. What were the other categories? Pretty concerned? Quite concerned? Concerned? Concerned-but-I-think-something-else-is-more-critical-right-now?
These poll results also show that less Republicans than Democrats were “Very concerned” back before Christmas. Given eight years of unparalleled deficit spending at a net rate of about $600 billion a year, why are Republicans ONLY NOW catching up with Democrats in their concern over this?
I think the realistic answer must be simply that Republicans no longer feel “in control” to spend the deficit in the ways that THEY WANT! Charging at the Capitol Mall on the national Visa card seems okay when YOU are doing the charging and SOMEBODY ELSE will have to pay all the bills! But it is a whole different ballgame when these roles are reversed!
I think Republicans are MUCH MORE concerned that all this need for emergency deficit spending is going to bring a spotlight to bear on THEIR OWN history of irresponsible fiscal management – since 1981 or before.

I am worried that Republicans who have totally lost their moral compass want to hijack the media with their obstructionist rhetoric. We endured 8 years of pure he$$ under the Bush regime and all they want to do is obstruct this President from day one. They just adamantly refuse to cooperate and work together to pick up the broken pieces of this country and find new ways to put it back together that include transparency. They are all about private profit and socialized debts and that is never going to cut it again with the American people. People are talking revolution and they mean it. We need to wipe out both parties from the House and the Senate as they are all part of the corruption problem and we need to outlaw lobbyists or thiings will never improve.

Obama inherited an aweful situation but he is only making it worse. First of all our Constitution doesn’t authorize the President to make laws or policy. The Executive(President) is supposed ENFORCE the laws while the Legislative(Congress)CREATES the laws, and the Judiciary(Supreme Court) INTERPRETS laws to decide if they are Constitutional. Obama is up in the White House making laws with Executive Orders and a democratically controlled Congress like he is King or Dictator of America. Bush did the same thing and I called him out on it too. Obama is supposed to be a Constitutional lawyer which would make one think that he would understand and give a @#$% about the document he studied and now took an oath to defend. The Constitution cleary states that Congress can only tax the people directly “for the general welfare of the people” and such tax MUST BE reapportioned EQUALY to all Americans, not some or those that he thinks needs it. He can’t spend my tax money on bailing people out of their houses, it’s Constitutionally illegal and immoral.

We’re doomed there is no way out of it pretty soon they’ll take over the banks, the media. (Socialism)here we come….Change

One needs only to go back 33 days ago to the Bush regime to know what happened. I don’t hear them complaining about the billions upon billions spent in Iraq, a war based on total and complete fabrications.

The country won’t become like Cuba. There will be a revolution though. Hard working Americans are tired of the entitleist mentality and will unite. Our government is corrupt and everyone in it needs to go. Big government does not work in a democracy.

So, NOW all of a sudden the Republicans are concerned about the deficit ?!?! Regardless of whether the president is a democrat or a republican, I just Thank God that GW couldn’t run for a 3rd term so the lemmings could vote him in again…The gene pool is a goner. This has been coming since we started opening factories on foreign soil 50 years ago, we went off the gold standard 40 years ago, stopped the draft 30 years ago to disgrace the thousands who paved the way for our present-day lethargy and somewhere along the way, we also decided not to pay the extra $1.50 for American built cars so we could maintain our economy and everyone expects some kind of quick fix and an $80,000 job right out of college ?. I wish everyone all over the world would move here just to drink the milk and never feed the cow…I’m ashamed of all of you. Should I send you some cheese to go with your wine ? – The Justified Cynic

Obama can just run those money-printing presses and print more money to pay off the debt of the US. Easy as pie! The rule is supposed to be “don’t TELL anyone you’re printing lots of money,” though. Them telling the world could cause inflation if the US didn’t control certain banks.

Just for the record, I was concerned about the deficit before the current financial meltdown. I was concerned about the billions of dollars being spent in Iraq on our “glorious war.” I’m still concerned, but I’m happy to see that the money is going to Americans.

The poll seems to suggest that only Republicans are concerned about deficit.
Where were the ‘concerned’ Republicans when they doubled the deficit?
Where were the ‘concerned’ Republicans when thye helped Bush to waste $1 trillion in Iraq?
What a bunch of hyprocrites.

Washington has done what it wants (be they democrats or Republicans).When you say Republicans weren’t concerned about spending before now, other than political rhetoric, how does one back that up with any facts. Just because Bush and the GOP control legislature spent like democrats does mean that weren’t MANY Republicans expressing their unhappiness about it. Did Washington listen whe the voters said no to the first bailout? And the second?

We all need to STOP putting the blame on the GOP and Democrats and START doing something ourselves to better our economic condition. Stop waiting for a handout and get out there and do something to better your life. You have to work at McDonalds and shop at thrift stores for awhile then so be it but PLEASE stop complaining.

Liberals love to use the term “inherited” – but the fact is that the Obama administration took complete ownership of this mess on January 20th – and has been making things worse since then.
Obama DOUBLED THE BUDGET DEFICIT with a single stroke of his pen when he signed the so-called “stimulus” bill, which will do nothing to help the economy.
So how does Obama plan to cut the budget deficit by half, as he claims? He doesn’t say. But you can be sure a massive tax increase for all Americans is on the horizon – which will drive American businesses into the ground, create massive unemployment, and destroy our economy.
Anyone who has any trust in the Obama administration is a complete and utter fool.
It is high time for a revolution in this country, to purge our government of destructive Liberal ideology.

Max | Feb 23, 2009 3:27:02 PM….Your last sentence also applies to their level of debt situation.

oh, PLEASE. I’ve been concerned about deficit spending for YEARS because Bush ran it into the stratosphere. Now a Democrat is in the White House and Republicans want to suddenly make us think that they are the party of fiscal responsiblity and restraint? I realize that the Limbots are stupid enough to fall for it but the rest of us are NOT. And, fyi, I am a moderate Independent.

as a black Man I’m still trying to understand how you all desenters can PLACE the BLAME for this ECONOMY MESS on President Obama, when President Bush is the one who was in charge for the last EIGHT YEARS, Mr Obama just took office last month and you dummys are blaming him only because he wants to expose the truth; you see Mr Bush kept you blind and n the dark, now that the light has come to town most of you can’t stand to see yourself
Posted by: vern
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The problem vern, is that the Democrats were in control of Congress for the last two years of Bush’s term and that’s when the recession started. Yes, the Democrats DO carry some of the blame.
Yes, Obama is the first black President and that is a milestone, however, nothing is ever a free lunch. With the Presidency, comes a price. The President ALWAYS takes the blame whenever a recession hits. whether the recession is the President’s fault or not.

Republicans being concerned about the deficit is like a debutante being concerned that $500 for a roofer is too expensive to fix the leak just after she comes home from her $100K shoe and handbag shopping spree.

Why should people worry, Obama will save us from any issue – especially if you are very bad on personal financial decision making. Multiple credit card overdraft, can’t pay your $2500 mortgage, can’t pay for that extra piece of rock cocaine or oxycodine, no problem. Isn’t that the reason he was elected – to solve all these minor problems. All hail Obama, All hail Obama. Next week will be a worship service for our beloved leader! Newsflash – Obama is Human.

the stock market loves this adninistration. we are all in the stock market whether you know it or not. what a shelling i am taking and i played by the rules.time to get out and hoard cash and or gold.the stimulus bill that did not stimulate.

The numbers on the poll have more to do with class warfare than political parties. Household incomes at $50k or under are in favor of the way Obama is handling the economy where as it drops to 50% on households making over $100k. I guess you get punished if there are 1 or 2 successful people under 1 roof.

What’s happening to US? As a nation we are becoming more and more willing to buy into schemes that defy common sense. Why aren’t we DEMANDING that our presidents BALANCE BUDGETS anymore? Not even during a major crisis like this? Obama has promised change and I’ve hoped that change meant financial responsibility too.
Not to even mention balancing the budget while spending like this? What is it, some sort of shame to talk about balancing the books?
Enough is ENOUGH – Demand: Mr. Obama, BALANCE THE BUDGET within your first term in office!

“We all need to STOP putting the blame on the GOP “…no, I think we really need to dig in our heels and make sure it sticks, in fact. I was listening in on an economic roundtable, and read THE ECONOMIST magazine frequently, and it’s unanimous that we need a economic stimulus package, except for folks who do not understand the economy, which seems to be unanimously republicans. Honestly. They do NOT GET what they have done. And that just means they’ll do it again and again and again. One economist said, and I quote ” at least this should put the nail in the casket the idea that simply handing out trillions to the most wealthy creates anything but huge deficits”….well, does it???? I dont think so. I stil l hear “when did a poor man give you a job?” I’ll tell you when, when collectively, all those poor people buy the products that americans make, when those ‘poor’ or middle class people collectively eat in our restaurants, buy US made clothes and US made Ipods or computers. Collectivley the buying power of the middle class and lower class outstrips the most wealthy and what they buy DOES fire up over 75% of our economy. Not to mention that a good number of hte works projects from the depression STILL make MONEY for the counties that own them, such as northeast skiing resorts that were created DURING the depression by works projects, that are STILL owned by the tax payer of their respective counties and STILL bring in profits and revenue year after year. Those poor folks who cut those trees, they bring in jobs, specificallly Gunstock mountain and Sunapee MOuntain ski recreational resorts in NH. Those weren’t good investments, they were GREAT investments! And they provided jobs. NEVER would a republican ever thought of them or supported them, yet here they are, getting revenue to help run their schools by them. Go figure.

Republicans don’t seem to have memories that work. They caused the deficit. Bush and Cheney were in a surplus and by their tax cuts and wasteful spending CAUSED the deficit. Obama is just trying to fix your mess. Unfortunately, it does cost money to repair serious damage.
Since everything the republicans touch turns to disaster, they need to stop touching.

Now that Obama has rewarded poor preformance from the banking, auto and mortgage (borrowers) industry, I get to pay for it. For the pst 21 years, I worked 2 jobs to get ahead. As he raises taxes on those that actually pay taxes, pay out mortgages on time and lived within our means, I’m about ready not to work for others. Why bust my rear to pay off others misdeeds? Maybe I’ll shift gears and be a nonproducer.

I see wall street is confident that these packages will not work. the market has plunged again. Watch!! Another trillion will be needed to take it over. Thanks candoers

87%? Give it a little more time and watch the numbers drop as sure as night follows day and as we all sink deeper into this mess brought on by Democrats & Republicans alike. Unfortuantely, Obama is in over his head and is being guided by the same culprits, mostly “Clintonians,” who were probably most responsible for this economic mess (e.g. circa 1998: “Glass-Steagull repeal, deregulation, Fannie Mae Freddie Mac, government forced loans to those who could ill afford mortgages, etc…)

One_American….. CLEARLY (LOL) you don’t understand the difference between the Annual Federal Deficit and the long term National Debt. Here, let me explain it to you…. over the past 8 years, the Bush Administration has been spending more money than they have been taking in (that’s a “federal deficit”)…. every year, for the past 8 years, that “deficit” has accumulated so high, that our NATIONAL DEBT (Overall what our government has borrowed to pay expenditures)… it rose by $5 TRILLION during the past 8 years. It takes 1,000 Billion to make 1 TRILLION…. so, your hero, G.H.W. Bush…. spent $5,000 Billion in those 8 years (not including the amount that the government did in fact have in revenue to pay the bills). Now, do you really think that Obama can solve this problem just during his first term in office…. G.H.W. Bush spent more money than any other President in the history of our nation. You have to be “not to bright” to think that Obama’s going to fix the NATIONAL DEBT, let alone the annual defecit, within his first couple of months as President.

How many of you on here have credit card debt, an ARM, 2 new cars, debt… debt… debt. We can blame government ALL we want, but until everyone takes resposibility for their spending and living beyond their means nothing will change. As long as people think they can LIVE on someone else’s dime and then declare bankruptcy or scream “unfair” treatment because the bank or my employer or whoever screwed me… we are in for a long road ahead. Nobody FORCED anyone to spend money they didn’t have… how about some of us take some resposibility for our own actions and quit claiming to be the VICTIM here! No, it’s the American Way to live it large and then let our government come along and bail us out! We have become the laughing stock of the world! GROW GOVERNMENT GROW! Let’s lose our freedom… one bail-out at a time!

No matter how you come up with the answer it is the same. You spend more than you make = deficit. So why is the gov’t spending more that it receives in taxes? Maybe if Obama actually made some of his cabinet pay taxes it would help. Maybe, because the rich knows how to beat the system and the middle class just gets screwed. Maybe if Obama’s Chief of White house staff, Emanuel paid property taxes on the house that he lives in Chicago would help IL with their budget shortfall. Oh yea, Emanuel doesn’t have to pay property taxes on the house that he and his wife live in because it is own by the “Rahm Emanuel and Amy Rule Charitable Foundation”. A non-profit organization that is exempt from paying property taxes. Thank Emanuel, you just gave me an idea about how to beat the tax system. I am going to set up a non-profit organization, have this org purchase my house and pay me 400,000 a year from donations. In your case kick backs for favors in the White House. Seems like Obama cabinet is making Bush’s cabinet look like small criminals.

“see wall street is confident that these packages will not work.”…wallstreet is all about how much money will be made today, ok maybe next week, or this quarter, that’s it. These stimulus plans are mix of short term a nd long term goals. Wallstreet isn’t into long term. They can trade stock this afternoon if it doesnt’ perform, they’re not going to wait it out over teh long run. They are all about what makes money todya, by end of day, or trade it. obama’s plan is going to take time, and that is not what they want to hear. Ah well. Nothing will work within 7 days time. Nobody, nobody, c ould make them “happy” right now. You need to wait it out and let it start which will take a few months and until then, we are going to keep going down and wallstreet, and most folks, know it. Bush put us in the downward death spiral and for now, that is exactly how we are going to stay until the stimulus starts being spread a nd programs start. That’s going to take a few months. And even then, it wil lbe years before we are actually economically healthy. Dont blame the man who took over hte sinking ship that there is water in the stern. He knows. He stepped on board into the puddle.

We’re being told the only way to cure an economy burdened with huge deficits is by running up a deficit. Of course the majority of Americans would be concerned about printing more money–its unsustainable.

The spin is now reaching absolutely unprecendented levels. He’s spending and spending and spending and AT THE SAME TIME preaching spending restraint.
The zombies that watch the liberal media will buy a lot of his garbage, but they WILL NOT BUY THIS.

Blaming Bush and the GOP is commendable, but it’s not enough. The next Congressional elections are not far away and that is the time for voters to massacre every Republican running for office. Those jerks tried to completely destroy our country and elections are our chance to finish these fascist pigs off.

Mike C….lets see in gov’t construction jobs you are usually required by LAW to use X% of minority subcontractors. Yep no matter if they are qualified or not to handle the job. What usually happens is the GC (General Construction Company) has to fire the minority sub contractor for poor workmanship. Or another situation the minority company can’t bond the job but hey the bonding will be wave because it is a minority company. I call that discrimination. And for the final situation. Minority company is set up but it is really a shell company that has a token african american owning 51% so that the real sub contractor can do the work. But the minority gets a kick back to do nothing but allows the real sub contractor to do the work. WHy dont’ you ask Rekzo, who built several housing projects in Chicago how that went. I hear those projects are built so badly that they are going to have to be bulldozed down. Oh that was another Obama buddy…Rekzo.

I personally think it’s time for the American people to stand up. It’s time for a 2nd Revolutionary War. Anyone who believes anything ANY politician says is a FOOL! What a bunch of blind followers of ignorant propoganda we’ve all become! I feel sorry for our children and our children’s children for the whole we are digging them!

Oldrtoy…… Do you even understand what we’re talking about here??? We’re not talking about the economic crisis… we’re talking about the “National Debt Crisis” and the “Annual Federal Deficit Crisis”!!! MY GOD, NO WONDER REPUBLICANS DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON…. THEY DON’T EVEN UNDERSTAND THE SUBJECT!

oldrtroy…nicely stated but the Dem’s blogging do not want to face the facts of the failed banking and housing industry. Infact the MEDIA won’t even blame Reid, Frank & Dodd or question them on WHY they kept telling Bush that the banking and housing industry was just fine. Bush question the deregulatin 27 times while in office, McCain introduced a bill that would put some checks and balances on Fannie & Freddie only to be shot down by FRANK, DODD, REID & PELOSI. Yes the deregulation started during the Clinton years and the sub-prime lending as well. Obama & ACORN help speed the process up with filing a lawsuit against a bank who would not loan a couple money for a house. What Bank, wants to spend a half of million dollars in defending itself in a lawsuit…But hey it is all Bush’s fault and no matter how we lay out the facts, the Dem’s enjoy blaming others for things that failed.

Camp50…. I would agree with you that President Clinton signed into law, 2 bills that helped create the economic mess…. but you need to do a little more research before you go blaming Frank, Dodd, Reid or Pelosi…. go check your facts buddy. THE TWO LAWS THAT CREATED THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS WERE THE 1999 FINANCIAL SERVICES MODERNIZATION ACT, AND THE 2000 COMMODITY FUTURES MODERNIZATION ACT…. BOTH SPONSORED AND COSPONSORED BY REPUBLICANS DURING A REPUBLICAN CONGRESS AT THE END OF THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.

frank… I’m impressed. You know a lot about the economy and what is happening. I agree TOTALLY with your earlier statement… “If you want to know a little bit about how the economy works, try reading something
FACTUAL like THE ECONOMIST magazine for a change. Not as much drama as republican radio, but when you say cliche’s like “printing money” when in fact, that is actually not a concern at all right now, we all know where you’re getting your talking points from.”……………… LOL……. that’s the problem here… they all just listen to “FOX NETWORK”… and they never do any reading for themselves!

“Yes the deregulation started during the Clinton years”…the reason why even economists will not side with you on this ‘argument’ is that during the clinton years we WERE growing a new industry – the IT industry, and computer industry were booming with the commerical availability of hte internet, and who made that possible?????? Gore. Laugh all you want that “Al Gore invented the internet” but in fact, he did make the money available to make the internet (the information superhighway – remember????) available for everyone. Republicans dont value investment in technology and industry. this always puzzles me, and economists,that republicans dont notice the atom bomb, going to the moon, the internet, all the BIG leaps in technology a nd American industry occur under democratic presidentsas a result of their vision and investment in something that helps the greater society at large by putting us ahead in technology AND creating jobs. And when you loosen loan regulations WHILE you are swimming in money, no biggie. It was fine for Clinton to loosen them as it is Fine for a rich person to take out a million dollar mortage. But Bush NOT tightening regulations when growth Stopped, during bush’s many years of stagnation, WAS criminal, THAT is akin to a janitor taking out that million dollar loan. The time to tighten was NOT during clinton’s term. in fact, during clinton’s term, it WAS the right thing to give folks a chance when inother times, you could not absorb the loss. The person who SHOULd have tightened regulations was Bush. If you made a ton of money 9 years ago, THAT is when you could make risky investments, NOT 9 years later when you have money coming in. Bush ran the country into a death spiral downward. Fact.

If you go to the hospital with appendicitis and die of a staph infection, the hospital doesn’t get off the hook simply because the patient was “aready sick.”
How long do you think you can “blame Bush”? Ask Clinton how long that kind of thing works (for those of you old enough to remember 1994).
Besides, nobody “left” Obama anything. He took it. He said “give it to me because I’m the only one who can fix it.” So you voted for him. Then he signed the bill he says will fix it. It’s his now. You gave it to him by voting for him.
You may hate Bush and the Republicans, but they don’t make the laws anymore, so they can’t do much to fix it. If it doesn’t get fixed, it’s clearly Obama/Pelosi/Reid’s fault. Although it’s early yet, the indicators are uniformly negative. Mid-term elections are only 20 months away, and the Dems will be the only incumbents around to take the fall if the only thing being “stimulated” is the national debt.

“You know a lot about the economy and what is happening. “….why thank you, mr. X, my employer is certainly banking on as much ;-)
And speak of the devil, it’s time to get back. Good day all.

Bottom line … who cares what Republicans or Democrats think? Our political leaders owe it to the American Public to put partisan politics aside and to figure out how to help those who can’t help themselves. Might I suggest that the media do away with the status quo where measurements like this are concerned. As, it’s time we measure success by results that count, not opinions.

Patrick….. as Jesus said, “Forgive ‘HIM’ Lord, for he knows not what the hell he’s talking about!”… LOL… that’s all I have to say about your comment.

Good God, are Democrats naive… who do they think is paying for the stimulus package? Is the money coming out of think air?
No, it’s coming from the pockets of those who started with nothing but worked their butts off, and that group includes a LOT of Republican voters.

“If you go to the hospital with appendicitis and die of a staph infection, the hospital doesn’t get off the hook simply because the patient was “aready sick.”"………….but if you die from an infection that started in the appendix, then the appendix IS the causal reason for death. Do you imagine that all bush has done has no causal effect to where we are now? Are the troops home from Iraq? did the Towers suddenly appear and those 3000 dead in New York and 4000 dead in Iraq suddenly rise from the graves? To suggest that all is forgiven and the waters calm from the past eight years is not only niave, it’s just not accurate. We will be feeling the effects of bush foriegn policy and economic policy alone for decades, and the performance of republicans, their obstructionist hypocritical crocodile tears over the stimulus plan and Rush’s wish for us to fall into Depression were more than a little bit despicable. I, again, am not for allthings democrat. I was horrified by even the suggestion of protectionist wording, and I certainly do not, to a first order, want to reward bad behavior, but there needs to be some pragmatic realism to the situation at hand that republicans cannot seem to grasp. The comparison to a plane going in death spiral is quiteaccurate, I assure you. we have not moved far enough away from the precipice to be sure we will not fall into a Depression, on the contrary, that is still a very real possibility. We in the industry are all of an opinion that 8000 is the bottom of the market, we think. We hope. but that is a fragile expectation andonce an expectation is shattered panic sets in too soon. This rising unemployment is verymuch the fallout of the stock market crash all those months ago and the death grip Americans have one their wallets right now. What remains to beseen in the future, we can only guess. Obama is doing the right thing with the very few tools he has. I have to give that to him. He was square on arguing with Democrats against protecdtionism. The man has been correct on his views and ideas. He has obviously studied the problem exhaustively. Honestly, you folks who are obstructionist and, forgive me, quite ignorant on these matters, SHOULd make an effort to education yourself. The wallstreet journal, the ECONOMIST magazine, do READ and education yourself. Thiscountry is only as strong as its weakest link, and at the risk of being uppity, I have to say, our weakest link has been our electorate, clearly. bush’s second term election was unforgivable. Kerry promised “pay as you go” and you all voted Bush back in. before you whine one more word about deficits, do remember that. This deficit of our would have been HALF or even less, had you voted for Kerry. And he was, economically, again, a far superior choice to Bush. If you do not believe me, do googgle the numerous award winning economists pleading with the American electorate for Kerry over Bush and see their reasons why. It’s a bit chilling to see their predictions now. I have to go. good day.

I’m not crazy about Obama but the Repubs are trying to say Obama has done more damage in one month than bush did in 8 years. It is so stupid, it made most people laugh. The Repubs whining about the debt is ridiculous since they have nearly doubled it in 8 years!! I don’t think Obama is going to be a great or terrible president just mediocre. His approval numbers will probably average in the 50s over the next 4 years unless he does something idiotic like invade a country. I was against the Iraq war, against Bush’s bailouts last fall and now I’m against Obama’s stimulus. Our debt has always and will always be a very important issue for me. Saddling our country down with so much debt is destroying our country.

President Obama walked into a burning building, so-to-speak. These issues were building long before he got here. He is doing his best to “put out the fires” that were dumped in his lap and I hope the American people are smart enough to realize this. This horrible situation can not be fixed quickly. At least he is trying…more than the Bush Admin. did. But it has to be stressed that it is not only the “blue collar” folks who need to step up to do their part….this predicament didn’t come soley from us/them. Large Corporations and greed from White collar and above need to be accountable as well.

eyeonyou,
Did you even read my post? I said in clear English that I called out Bush for writing and implementing illegal executive orders too. Based on your logic its o.k. for Obama to violate the Constitution with executive orders because Bush did it and what I am saying is NEITHER nor ANY President have a right to do it. And as far as calling me a neocon you couldn’t be farther from the truth. I voted for Obama as a lesser of two evils in my opinion, but I am an independent that lends conservative and libertarian. Ron Paul was my man and I donated and helped in his campaign and promote the Campaign for Liberty now. I can’t stand neocons because they are big government socialist like many liberals. It just shows that many Obama supporters’ blind loyalty makes them believe that anyone critical of Obama must be a neocon. Please drop this false paradigm ,America, and wake up and realize that the GOP and Dems in their current forms are just opposite wings of the same bird of prey. This isn’t about party, or right or left this is about Americans and restoring our Constitution that so many men and women have died over two centuries.

I am not sure who you are polling. Everyone that I talk to think that the Government should just stay out. Everything that they do makes it worse. When are they going to quit already. American needs to Wake Up and see this. This is crazy they are sending our economy into a downward spiral. I am afraid. My husband has a good job and this is the first time I have been afraid. I am not spending money and I am a big spender. I have quit spending and I am saving my money that may not be worth anything soon. Our retirement is going too. I am sorry but this sucks.

Can we believe in Poll? Never.all bias and subjective.
The honeymoon has not been over yet. Give the man 6 months to a year.
Sit back , relax and take the ride.

With all the money that has been given to banking astablishments and car industries that are taking the money and running, leaving without care for the people and employees that have worked hard.
Do you realize how much money every US citizen would have received if we were given the money instead of the bankers and car industry. I think the issue of stimulus and recession would not be an issue right now.
I am a laid off employee and we are all feeling the recession right now in Riverside. If I was to receive Government monies, I can certainly assure you that I would be spending the first million dollars within the first year within my community enriching my economy and families well being.
Oh, and I can assure you after every adult US citizen had been paid a couple million dollars each, it still would be less than the monies they have paid out and are still thinking of paying out.
What in the world do these industries think we are “STUPID?” to pay for their greed, leaving employees unemployed and fending for themselves running away with Government money. Who do these companies think the government is? Don’t they understand their taking my money and closing their doors for business or restricting Loans that we have to pay back while pocketing my money and paying their investors. It was because of their greed that gave money to illegals and to those who could not pay the money back. I simply find these companies unethical and we need to take our money back and give it to the people that made it in the first place. The American Tax Payer.
Then we can tell those that lay off hard working American employees to blow smoke up their tute. Frankly, I don’t like being lied to when they took my hard earned tax dollars.

Don’t know much about the economy or how to fix it. I trust our President!
As I listened to McCain and Pailand and folks like Limbaugh- I’m appalled that any decent American can associate themselves with the party.

ok, its real americans have gone nuts! go find out who picked the company to haul in gas for iraq, then check to see how much was lost, and we repaid everytime, same as construction!who agreed to rebuild every building?while Iraq is sitting fat & not helping, we are going broke.the lowest bidder was thrown out the window the last 8yrs why?
I am so sick of the party fights, who cares, its time to get together and fix this country!not to pick sides!

we are in this mess because of ourselves. We allowed our government to make a mocker out of us. When Bush came in he continued where his father left off. Now Obama, has to clean up his mess. We need to reduce our consumption of foreign imports. We need to rise as a nation and move as one. We need to take steps into creating a better tomorrow. Reducing the cost of food, giving farmers and groccers a tax cut for the next 5 years. Put a end to credit card companies with issuing out new cards, or raising limits for the next 5-10 years and lowering the APR below 6% regardless of the individual’s credit score at this time.