Obama Pushes Small Business Aid, Says the American Dream Needs a Loan

The best thing Obama could do for small business is get off his arse and push for a strong public option in the health care bill.
Thousands of entrepreneurs are shackled to their dead end jobs because they don’t want to lose their health insurance.
Its time to unleash that pent up potential by smacking down the conservadems and whipping them into line.

So I guess the banks then get to dictate salaries at those small businesses?
Oh- and Flash Override – a public option is not the answer. A restructuring to move insurance away from a benefit to a purchase is the answer. Permitting insurance companies to cross state lines would then help bring down premiums as would permitting purchasing co-ops (not healthcare co-ops that act as insurance companies).

The only dream Obama thinks about is his own.
He has done nothing to help small business. Wait until health care and cap/trade are passed.
Small businesses will be forced to fire more people. I hope the first to go are Obama supporters.

Obama sure has made the dreams of his pals on Wall Street come true.
They donate to get him elected then he stuffs their pockets with enormous bonuses guaranteed by the stimulus that he signed–without reading it.
Obama’s fake outrage at Wall Street–it was so effective they paid big bucks to hear him fuss at them–wink wink.

Sure…
Cap and trade and health care fees will
help a lot.
And Nancy’s VAT tax will help us all.
Liars

It was the same words that got all of us into the mortgage mess. All he need to do is cut tax. Stop pushing banks into bad loans and punish them later. Such a fake.

American business doesn’t need a loan, what they need is the level playing field that the WTO (of which the US is an active member) was supposed to provide.
What American business needs is for companies like WalBarf to quit reqiring vendors make their products in China!
What they need is for the US Government to quit selling out the American people and business and quit forcing and worse yet encouraging American business to make their products outside the US.
The more in debt the US Government gets the more they owe China who is the US’s Banker.

Are you a small business owner? If so, you’re the only one I’ve heard who thinks that. Every government mandate is harder to absorb financially by a small company than by a big one.
Posted by: Yehudit | Oct 24, 2009 10:25:15 AM
My husband owns a small business (18 employees) and I’m self employed. We both support health insurance reform and a national insurance exchange with a robust public option.

I’m glad that someone (Obama) is finally speaking up for the small business man. Unfortunately, it is too little, too late for me. I’ve been on a rice and beans diet for nearly six months (along with my wife and children). The old “ground zero” was at the twin towers in NY. The new “ground zero” is main street America and my home.

Yes, let’s regulate the hell out of small businesses so that government (Obama) can come to the rescue! Has he been fitted for his cape yet? Government will tell small business you MUST provide healthcare coverage for your employees or we’ll just take a percentage of payroll and provide it for you. More intervention. Can you believe how far we’ve fallen and we’re not even to Halloween with this pres.?

“Thousands of entrepreneurs are shackled to their dead end jobs because they don’t want to lose their health insurance.”
In general, entrepreneurs are not found in dead end jobs. But why is anyone shackled to his job because of fear of losing his health insurance? Because the US Congress made it that way through the tax code,
So what’s the congressional prescription for addressing the disastrous consequences of a previous intervention? Why, more intervention, of course. And the serfs are all hot for it, as serfs always are.

And why is this so? Again, look to the US Congress; this time it’s the McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945. And the solution, as always, is more, not less, congressional intervention. This time they’re finally gonna get it right, by golly!
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 24, 2009 11:19:49 AM
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And who, Fascist, hasn’t wanted to repeal their anti-trust exemptions via that very act? And who is pushing to repeal that? Perhaps interstate competition will be allowed on a national exchange with federal regulation and alongside a robust public option– eventually– per your preference. :>)

It’s pretty obvious most of those commenting have no experience in business operations and are only seeking to grind a political axe.
The cost of health insurance has been an issue for small business owners for decades and continues to get worse. Many small business owners can’t afford good coverage (or in some cases any coverage) for their employees and as a result see higher turnover due to employees who would like to remain but who must leave to seek better benefits.
This was true going back at least to the eighties, and only continues to get worse.
As for loans, that’s exactly what they need. Businesses in general need loans to survive, and those who are saying they don’t have obviously never run one. In addition to money needed for expansion, even the most successful businesses run into short term cashflow issues, and that’s why they sometimes need loans.
Most banks are no longer interested in giving these loans, so what other options are there?

The cost of health insurance has been an issue for small business owners for decades and continues to get worse
======
Yes, the cost of health insurance is a burden for small business owners.
How do you expect a public option to make that change?

“And who, Fascist, hasn’t wanted to repeal their anti-trust exemptions via that very act?”
I hate to disillusion you, but the insurance anti-trust exemption has no bearing whatsoever on health insurance companies (Harry Reid wants you to think otherwise, but he knows how easy it is to fool the serfs). It was enacted to allow property and casualty insurers and malpractice insurers to share risk-of-loss data without fear of running afoul of the Sherman Act, with the result that premiums were lowered. If it were repealed tomorrow it would have no effect at all on health insurers, who are subject to the same prohibitions against price-fixing, concerted refusals to deal, monopolization and attempted monopolization that cover all other American businesses. I for one couldn’t care less if they repeal it; let them go ahead and then we can all see the results.

“…interstate competition will be allowed on a national exchange with federal regulation and alongside a robust public option– eventually– per your preference.”
You have misstated my preference. I do not consider it competition at all when one of the “competitors” (the government) sets the terms under which others will be permitted to “compete.” Obama knows, and Barney Frank knows, and I know that the end result will be a single-payer system, in which all consumer choice and all competition will be gone.
Check out the British model.

“I think the idea that we have so much choice when it comes to the status quo is pretty funny. We have very little control over what gets paid for, what rate gets paid or what gets deemed medically necessary.”
You probably would welcome the chance to choose from among the 305 different federal employee benefit plans that are available. But you can’t, because the congress won’t let you. If the ban on interstate sales were lifted tomorrow, those would all be available to you.
And what sort of control do you think you would have over what gets paid for, what is medically necessary, etc. under the public option?

What happened to America? When you look at Congress we see nothing but self serving people whose main job is to keep their job, perks and make as much money as they can. They are not there for the people, those days are gone. Obama is an excellent example, here is a man who has never done anything but makes speeches and quarter back anyone who has done anything and he is our president. We elected him. Nothing more than a shoe shine and a hair cut.
Obama is not alone and he did not create this problem. Just look at Pelosi, Reid, Franks, you know the list. If we don’t do something soon we will soon be no better than Mexico (unfixable).
Congress past laws or eliminated laws that sent our jobs over seas by the millions and allowed large corporations to control markets i.e.; energy, insurance, medical practices and on and on. They reversed the laws from what was to what we have now.
We put drug users in prison, these are sick people and should be treated differently but that would require thought and consideration. Prisons are now big business.
Today we are left with finger pointers not doers. Take health care – they are not fixing health for to fix health care you pass laws against the very people who give them millions every year.
Here are a couple of ideas I would suggest:
1. Release all drug users from prison – keep the pushers in jail. Send the users to closed down military bases to clean up/learn a skill in other words help them get on there feet. This would also create jobs for people who run these centers.
2. Require states and our country to stay within their budgets and not allow them to brain storm raising taxes on sewers – driving tickets etc. If they can afford it they can’t buy it – just like us.
3. Bring all our troops home right now – cut off all these Middle East countries from visiting the United States until they get their collective act together. Until they denounce terrorists and rid the world of these animals after all they are their people.
4. As far as these leaving theses countries let them fight to join the human race. If they want to live in the stone ages let them. Spend the money on our homeless situation and vets.

You probably would welcome the chance to choose from among the 305 different federal employee benefit plans that are available….
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 24, 2009 11:59:11 AM
Actually, Fascist, what I’m telling you is that the ideologues who really, really want to be able to see free market solutions for everything and anything are reaching, REACHING, when they pretend the health insurance market, even across state lines, offers up all kinds of choice and consumer control. It cracks me up. It’s so false. I’d love for them to spend hours comparing the details, filling out requests for proposals from clients and laud the “choice” and “control.” You all can pretend till pigs fly, but it’s a bunch of baloney.
Also, you’re understanding of the public option and McCarran-Ferguson Act of 1945 are faulty. I point that out to those who read the comments and are confused. Google both folks, go to nonpartisan health care blogs, what you’re getting here isn’t accurate.

I’m sure that’s gonna fly – especially in light of the fact that the policies being put in place by O and his cronies do nothing but (financially) penalize small business. Let’s see – “I’m going to take more of your money but I’ll make it a little easier for you to borrow it back”.

I hate to disillusion you, but the insurance anti-trust exemption has no bearing whatsoever on health insurance companies (Harry Reid wants you to think otherwise, but he knows how easy it is to fool the serfs). It was enacted to allow property and casualty insurers and malpractice insurers to share risk-of-loss data without fear of running afoul of the Sherman Act, with the result that premiums were lowered. If it were repealed tomorrow it would have no effect at all on health insurers, who are subject to the same prohibitions against price-fixing, concerted refusals to deal, monopolization and attempted monopolization that cover all other American businesses.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 24, 2009 11:44:56 AM
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Really?
That’s not what Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust at the United States Department of Justice, says.
Christine Varney indicated “there could be real enforcement of the antitrust laws in states where one insurer dominates the market”. Oh, by the way, 15 states have one insurer that has ½ or more of the entire market, and in seven states, a single insurer has 75 percent or more.
Varney said “The McCarran-Ferguson Act antitrust exemption is very expansive with regard to anything that can be said to fall within ‘the business of insurance’, including premium pricing and market allocations. As a result, the most egregiously anticompetitive claims, such as naked agreements fixing price or reducing coverage, are virtually always found immune.”
But, what does she know…she’s just the 600 pound gorilla in the room!

“‘These are the very taxpayers who stood by America’s banks in a crisis — and now it’s time for our banks to stand by creditworthy small businesses and make the loans they need to open their doors..’” First, how is a business that isn’t yet open deemed “creditworthy” or not? Second, don’t half of new businesses fail in the first couple years? The financial sector is in essence put on notice to be profitable and avoid risky investments, and yet at the same time are told to risk their capital this manner? That aside, banks are already advertising that they have small business loans available, at least where I live. The reminds me of the king at the end of “Dragonslayer” putting his sword into the carcass of Vermithrax so the he can be heralded as the hero.

…The solutions that I and many others have proposed include the following:
(1) Uncouple the irrational connection between employment and health insurance by affording individual policies the same tax treatment as is given to employer-based policies.
(2) Allow consumers to buy any policy from insurers in any state, just as they do with auto insurance, life insurance, fire insurance, etc.
(3) Institute tort reforms along the lines of those in California and Texas.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 24, 2009 12:11:37 PM
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1) Are you saying tax breaks for the insured? Well, that ultimately ends up back in the insurance companies pockets since they can now increase the premiums…since the premiums are now subsidized.
2) I think that will be the end result of repealing the anti-trust exemption and makes good sense.
3) Well, good idea for the remaining 2% or so of overall healthcare costs. But, right now we are concentrating on their 15%-20% (if not much higher) profit and overhead problem.

Mr. Obama is pro something when political risks are low and anti when they are high. There’s nothing magical in his thinking or decision making process. He’s very predictable. It looks like he will adopt General McChrystal’s increase of troops with some angle to blame if it fails in the coming weeks.

Ya know ABC… it would be a lot cheaper for you just to post the BO Infomercial, and get rid of this so called Journalist……….

Make sure you all go over to Drudge Report and read the article about Obama fulfilling his promise to the Muslim nations by appropriating money to their education and technology development. Isn’t that nice of Mr. Obama? A total of 25-150 million dollars. The man is totally obsessed with joining America and the Muslim world together whether anyone likes it or not.
I would hope that the liberals will stand up for their mantra of separation of church and state and stop the funds going out. Or maybe next week Mr. Obama can find some more money to help support exclusively Christian businesses in the US as well. Just to be fair, right?

And if they decide the current employee penalites are not high enough, we would have to cut out workers to pay for the health care reform.
Reform as being presented in Congress now is going to cost everyone mroe and cost American workers jobs.
Health care works in public option health care providers, watch out as your remibursements get slashed to medicare rates. YOu think you are over worked and underpaid now, just wait for the Pelosi Plan to hit your walltet!

The reason that a few insurers have come to dominate the market in some states is precisely because they do not face competition from outside the state. They have had oligoply status conferred on them by congress.
Let Ms. Barney say whatever she likes. If she thinks she has an antitrust action against the insurers, let her bring it.
The value of the health insurance provided by employers is not taxed to the employee. Anyone buying an individual policy must do so with after-tax dollars. If you think that is either rational or fair, you are entitled to your opinion, I guess. If equal tax treatment were afforded, the money would not simply go into the insurers’ pockets any more than it does with employer-provided insurance–the premiums are constrained by market competition.
You can assume, if you like, that somehow a uniquely immoral and avaricious group of people have somehow chosen to go into the health insurance business. On the other hand, you might want to consider that they are ordinary Americans, every bit as honorable as you are, who are behaving rationally within a grotsquely distorted system whose distortions are directly traceable to the US congress.
Why anyone believes that the solution is additional, extraordinarily complex congressional intervention is simply beyond my understanding But the serf and the yokel always believe that people more clever than themselves are out to screw them, that they can’t possibly fend fot themselves, and that their salvation lies with the congress.
Look where it has got them.

i’m sure the idiots who voted this scumbag into office take great comfort in knowing how close the country is to total reliance on the feds and socialism.
a chinese friend and associate business owner said he left china because of this very crap that o is doing now.
they are in our entire finance market and banks, trying to get into our health system, and now the very backbone of the country – small business.

Why would a small business want to grow into a big business? Look how the government treats the big ones…

BO stop growing your huge government, cut taxes, allow tort reform and interstate competition between insurers! Quit opening your mouth and do!

Have all of you republican’s gone mad? You’re supposed to support small business. You’re always yelling on behalf of small business. Now when they turn attn. to small business you continue to gripe? It’s official. You simply wish our country would implode so your party can rule again.

Is this not what got us into trouble to start with? too much credit,given too easily,for too big of dreams?How about a Tax cut? for corporate,small and individuals? Never heard of a Tax cut getting a business or individual into trouble.

Small business loan are vital in this economy to keep some small businesses alive. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy in many ways.

I am sorry but this is such a, who is the head of their PR department at the white house.
I agree small bushiness need help but look at how this looks.
We had a story of how the big rich execs have their pay fixed and their bonuses messed with giving big payouts to their execs and what gave the white house the authority again? Oh that’s right because they got taxpayer money in a loan.
So NOW the president says we need to give loans to small business? This looks soooo stupid.
Sure sigh me up!!! I’m sure I would just LOVE to let the GOVT loan ME money right about now. I know many people might have no other choice but WOW.
Does the white house do their little projects in isolation or what? Is there ANY communication or coordination?
This would be funny if were not so tragic.

…If equal tax treatment were afforded, the money would not simply go into the insurers’ pockets any more than it does with employer-provided insurance–the premiums are constrained by market competition.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 24, 2009 1:46:54 PM
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There’s that ‘the health insurance market is very competitive’ argument again.
Exactly why is it that no one believes that anymore?
Could it be because of the plethora of statistics that show that 94% of the commercial health insurance markets are “highly concentrated” by standards set by the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Dept?
Could it be because of the exorbitant, multi-million dollar Health Insurance Company CEO salaries?
Could it be because of the 100s of millions of dollars spent (each year) by the insurance companies for lobbying and campaign contributions to both political parties?
Could it be that the insurance industry has their lobbyists put out bogus cost estimates (that even their accountants indicate are bogus) the night before crucial votes?
Or is there some other reason you can tell us why nobody believes that the Health Insurance market has an abundance of competition?

I agree with SHOE: Pull the $150M from the stupid Education/Tech development in the Muslim nations and give it to – now don’t be too shocked now – OUR OWN PEOPLE!!! What the hell? It’s not like Muslim nations are completely devoid of OIL money that we’re stuck giving them hand of fist. (We cannot drill for our own because that’s not PC either.)

“This country was built by dreamers,” President Obama said. “They’re the workers who took a chance on their desire to be their own boss, the part-time inventors who became the full-time entrepreneurs, the men and women who have helped build the American middle class, keeping alive that most American of ideals.”
Ah yes, how fondly we reference the good old days when business didn’t have the government in their back pocket trying to direct their every move…

Wow…just…wow. The chief complaint about Pres. Obama’s agenda is that he is leading the US, inexorably, toward Socialism which will, in turn, kill small businesses. He outlines a plan which is designed to prompt banks to extend credit to them. Somehow, the armchair economists and social scientists still find a way to make this a bad thing. If the President were to allocate more funding toward cancer research, you’d complain that curing cancer would put “hard working” doctors out of work. I see the same people on here daily putting up the same tired arguments. It’s easy to spot the philosophical differences. The party without a solution will always seek to shift the focus. How can other industrialized nations can find a way to get this done, yet we cannot? The answer is simple. If Pres. Obama finds a way to pass substantive Healthcare Reform, when this has been brought before, in some fashion, every president since Truman, it will further marginalize the Republican Party. It fits in quite nicely with his “Yes we can” mantra. They are fighting for their political survival. The only ideas that they have presented thus far involve TORT reform ( which by most legitimate estimates, will reduce the burden by less than 2%)and commerce across state lines, an idea that has some merit, but will not be the desired “siver bullet”. If there is more, perhaps someone will enlighten me. The reason that you complain about Pres. Obama’s press coverage is that he has a lot on his plate, yet he seems to be taking it in stride. He’s not making snap decisions and he’s looking at the big picture. Now, more than ever, we are a global community. And Pres. Obama enjoys worldwide support for his agenda. And the opposition can’t stand it. So, their only viable option is to discredit everything Obama does and hope that something resonates with the public at large. They don’t realize that we’re smarter than they give us credit for. I know that we live in an age of instant gratification, but no one with a coherent thought would expect that President Obama would cure all of our ills in the first year of his presidency. It’s more likey that, given our current circumstances, we are facing long term challenges. President Obama has demonstrated that he is, at least, a pragmatist. He consults with his experts and makes informed decisions. He is not afraid to talk to his opponents and try to find common ground. He understands that there is no way to please everyone. Yet there is still this fringe element that continues to buy into the B.S. They will only quote a poll that favors them (Rasmussen). They will tout FOX news as a bastion of journalistic integrity. They won’t ever look at a site like Factcheck or Politifact because they are somehow “tied in” to the MSM. A word to the folks that rail against the MSM. If your argument is that the MSM is this evil entity, then you’ve already categorized FOX news as a “fringe” news station. If you are in the “Main Stream”, most of the country thinks the way that you do. FOX news enjoys good ratings because that is the place where the “fringe element” can comiserate.

As the owner of a small business, I welcome federal efforts to improve the atmosphere for small businesses, the real engine of the economy and of job creation. Helping to unfreeze credit would be helpful and I applaud the president for such efforts.
But this will not create new jobs in appreciable numbers in the small business world. The president spoke of small businesses needing loans to be able to make payroll and to finance inventory. Businesses in that sort of situation– who don’t have adequate cash flow and money on hand to cover inventory and payroll costs– do not add employees if they can possibly help it. Those businesses are struggling. Many won’t make it long-term. Increased lending to those businesses will perhaps help them through the current rough patch and hopefully enough of them will survive to make it worthwhile to have made the loans.
Many small business owners who are looking for credit these days are instead seeking to expand, to invest in new technologies, to buy up property available at reduced costs due to the recession, etc. Increased lending to those businesses would be a very good thing. Some of them might even add workers, which is something we really need to see start to happen in order to revive the economy.
However, there are plenty of small businesses like my family’s, who do not need a business loan but who are also not currently comfortable expanding and adding employees. There is too much uncertainty out there– what will our future health care costs be after the Congress gets done putting together and passing a reform bill? what will cap-and-trade cost us? what new taxes or tax increases are going to be imposed on us? will card check get a second wind and if so, what shape will it take? I am not the only small business owner I know who is storing nuts away for the winter, rather than spending money unnecessarily or adding employees we can currently do without.
The current administration is not particularly business-friendly. Many small business owners want to have as little to do with the federal government as possible. We are anxious to see what President Obama and his administration have in store for us. Business owners, like markets, crave stability and predictability. The president should continue to find ways to provide that to the people who will ultimately provide most of the new jobs created during his administration.

TheLight315
Good luck with that theory of yours. Explain how as Obamas poll numbers go down the GOPs don’t go up at the same rate?
Its not about the GOP or FOX its about OBAMA… Tell me when Bush was in office… remember those times…was it about the Democrats or Bush for many people? It was about Bush wasn’t it.
Congress has LOW poll numbers and that is both Dems AND the GOP and there are more independents now than in decades… more than Dems or Republicans. So who is more scared of independent voters the party in or out of power. I do know Obama is losing the seniors (you know that group with a LONG memory and a group that NEVER likes being told what to think or do and they DO vote and vote more consistently than any other demographic. Also he is loosing the independent voters and they have NO allegiance to the Democrat OR GOP so his party lines will not work with them.
Sucks to be in charge.
And it sucks to be him right now.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 30% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10.

Hey Jake,
Is Fox News in fact a ‘sister organization ‘? Re your exchange with Mr. Gibbs: While I can appreciate your noble defense of people with whom you’ve worked in such close proximity in D.C. for a number of years, one would think a savvy political reporter like yourself might have a few questions about Fox and its’ bonafides as an actual news organization after looking at fox.com or even watching Brett Baier do his news hour. Never mind the rants from Beck & Hannity, forget that executives like Bill Sammon and Mike Clemente have described the Fox role as a ‘voice of the opposition’, or that Mr. Ailes openly insulted and mocked President Obama at a public forum. And please, don’t think twice about that Fox producer and camera crew helping those Tea-baggers rehearse before actually being filmed live and……well, I imagine you know what I mean. And Jake, is the Acorn story really, really, really the TOP STORY every day for weeks on end ? Well, it is on Fox News !!
Jake, I understand the camaraderie that you’ve probably developed with some Fox employees in D.C. over a number of years and most people would agree that Shep Smith seems like a solid professional and Chris Wallace can come across as reasonable once in a while. That said, I would respectfully ask that instead of making the Obama administration the story for trying to defend itself against an outfit that constantly runs negative news stories backed up by half-truths and shoddy journalism, ( when it’s not calling President Obama a Communist, a Nazi, a Socialist or comparing him to Stalin)could you perhaps not at least slightly agree and investigate the possibility that perhaps the right-wing attack machine that is Fox News is the real story here ??? You’re a pro Jake, I’m counting on you can to get to the bottom of it !
Best of luck,
EJS

“It’s time for those banks to fulfill their responsibility to help ensure a wider recovery, a more secure system and more broadly shared prosperity.”
Or what, you gonna have your pals Rahm and Dave pay em a visit? They gonna ‘explain a few things’?
‘You gonna make em a offer they can’t refuse?’
You gonna demonize small banks too? Why stop when you are on a roll?

Don’t tell me what I need, Mr. President. Just do your job and make a smaller government so that I have less people to pay their salaries before I can keep some of what I make. Let’s start right there, Sir. BTW, Got any more “Friends” that need more of my money today. I’d like to know how big my tax bill is going to be today. Just how long before I can keep my money today, Mr. President? Noon? 2 O’clock?

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t get how any government employee can know better how to spend my money than I do. I mean, I have to pay their salary before I can even pay myself, Mr. President. Explain to me how you know better to spend my money than I do and explain why big expensive government is always better than smaller cheaper government. Thanx, I’ll wait till 2010 and show you and your buddies what I think. Got a job in mind for 2012? Then again, you don’t have to. Your salary goes on for the rest of your life. Just who do I have to thank for that? Oh, those people over there with the foil hats on? I get it now.

Julieterra,
In spite of the downturn in the housing market in 2007; in spite of the skyrocketing energy prices in 2007; GDP was up 3.2% for 2007. And GDP grew during the first six months of 2008–up an annual rate of 0.9% in the 1st Quarter of 2008; and up an annual rate of 3.3% in the 2nd Quarter of 2008.

@Eric S.
Jake won’t answer you without permission from Rush, Hannity or Beck. You are lucky that your comment didn’t get deleted by this Fox “news” immitation. Why do you think readership is so low? TV-watching is what it is all about for the 19% that enjoy Fox, so ABC blogs will never attrack a wide audience. Jake saw an opportunity.
Now you know why Jake had to stand up and be seen. By standing up for his “sister” organization, he furthers his conservative fame. MSM is down the tubes for chasing Fox’s fame.
——–
Hey Jake,
Is Fox News in fact a ‘sister organization ‘? Re your exchange with Mr. Gibbs: While I can appreciate your noble defense of people with whom you’ve worked in such close proximity in D.C. for a number of years, one would think a savvy political reporter like yourself might have a few questions about Fox and its’ bonafides as an actual news organization after looking at fox.com or even watching Brett Baier do his news hour. Never mind the rants from Beck & Hannity, forget that executives like Bill Sammon and Mike Clemente have described the Fox role as a ‘voice of the opposition’, or that Mr. Ailes openly insulted and mocked President Obama at a public forum. And please, don’t think twice about that Fox producer and camera crew helping those Tea-baggers rehearse before actually being filmed live and……well, I imagine you know what I mean. And Jake, is the Acorn story really, really, really the TOP STORY every day for weeks on end ? Well, it is on Fox News !!
Jake, I understand the camaraderie that you’ve probably developed with some Fox employees in D.C. over a number of years and most people would agree that Shep Smith seems like a solid professional and Chris Wallace can come across as reasonable once in a while. That said, I would respectfully ask that instead of making the Obama administration the story for trying to defend itself against an outfit that constantly runs negative news stories backed up by half-truths and shoddy journalism, ( when it’s not calling President Obama a Communist, a Nazi, a Socialist or comparing him to Stalin)could you perhaps not at least slightly agree and investigate the possibility that perhaps the right-wing attack machine that is Fox News is the real story here ??? You’re a pro Jake, I’m counting on you can to get to the bottom of it !
Best of luck,
EJS

Numeros actually seems pleased that Obama’s approval is at 52.1% if you average in several polls of “adults” along with those of voters. I doubt that the White House shares that view.
In any event, I note that the venerable Gallup organization finds that Obama has suffered the largest quarter-to-quarter drop in fifty years.

Please tell me where to go to apply for the small business loans? I have tried many times and have been told I`m in the wrong place…Where`s the right place

WASHINGTON — Quick quiz: What do these enterprises have in common? Farm and construction machinery, Tupperware, the railroads, Hershey sweets, Yum food brands and Yahoo? Answer: They’re all more profitable than the health insurance industry. In the health care debate, Democrats and their allies have gone after insurance companies as rapacious profiteers making “immoral” and “obscene” returns while “the bodies pile up.” Ledgers tell a different reality.
(Associated Press)

“Numeros actually seems pleased that Obama’s approval is at 52.1% if you average in several polls of “adults” along with those of voters.”
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | Oct 25, 2009 12:42:35 PM
I listed the approval ratings of the pollsters included in the RCP average – the REAL RCP average. I did not cherry-pick my favorite polls, calculate their average, and then slap the RCP label on the result. That’s your game.
And how were you able to determine my level pleasure of displeasure from what I wrote? I posted approval ratings – period. I did not include my personal opinion. You, on the other hand, have gone so far as to announce your “state of ecstasy” over a negative Zogby presidential approval poll.

“This is the first time I can recall since the Immaculation that Obama is talking about small businesses as being important to the economy. If he had lowered the barriers to them about 7 months ago the job munbers might be telling a different story.”
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There are tax credits and other types of assistance for small business in the Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“Now when the Obama Administration implements their 90% salary cuts for top executives, that will also mean approxmately a 90% cut in tax revenue from that individual.”
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When the company is already being floated on tax payers dollars, the President is completely correct in not allowing those same companies to be paying astronomical salaries to their top executives.
If the companies want to pay those big salaries, they can first pay back the money they owe the taxpayers.
Then they can pay as much as they want, and those tax dollars you’re moaning will correspond.

Well, then I say that the President, Vice-President, Senators, Representatives, Cabinet Secretaries, Czars AND all of their respective staffs members, should take a 90% cut. ALL of their salaries and staff budgets are from taxpayers money!

“Well, then I say that the President, Vice-President, Senators, Representatives, Cabinet Secretaries, Czars AND all of their respective staffs members, should take a 90% cut. ALL of their salaries and staff budgets are from taxpayers money!”
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Obama did freeze senior White House salaries immediately upon taking office.
p.s. – government salaries are supposed to be paid by government money. Astronomical executive salaries of private industry are not.

“If the government is going to mandate executives cut their pay then the government should lead by example.”
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Nonsense. Bank executive salaries cut were in the MILLION dollar range.
There is no way corporations floated on taxpayers’ money should be paying executives astronomical salaries, bonuses and perks. When the companies are making great profits and the tax payer has been paid back – fine.

“It’s not the dollar amount, it’s the principle of the thing.”
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Nonsense, taxpayers don’t want executives paid millions in salaries when their companies are propped up by taxpayers’ dollars.

If the American Dream needs a loan then they should stop with the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. It will put such restrictions on some companies that most Americans will have no where to go and borrow unless they can get it from a bank. Oh I forgot banks are not lending. Seriously you need to get informed on the CFPA I know it sounds like a good thing but it will put companies who lend out of business.

Small businesses do need some help. They find it hard to compete for good employees, as most can’t afford to pay for a share of health insurance for their employees. As well, they have to compete with corporate chains that can under-price their goods because of their huge volume of wholesale purchases.

“The so-called “greedy” CEOs”
What would you call a CEO who runs the company into the ground while walking away personally wealthier by the experience?
“are paying millions of dollars in federal, state (where applicable) and local (where applicable) income taxes. You cut their income by 90% and you cut their tax liabilities by about 90%.”
How laughable.
CEO can hire accountants with the money they make dramatically decreasing their tax liability.
“Warren Buffett, the third-richest man in the world, has criticised the US tax system for allowing him to pay a lower rate than his secretary and his cleaner.”

Yes taking advantage of the tax law loopholes does lower one’s tax liability. So what is your point? Even with the lowered tax liability they still pay millions in taxes.
Warren Buffett may have a net tax rate that is lower than his secretary and his cleaner but he still pays millions more in taxes.

Actually the fact that the top 1% of the nation’s wage earners account for 40.42% of the total federal income tax revenue; and the top 5% of the nation’s wage earners account for 60.63% of the total federal income tax revenue; are from the Tax Foundation website citing the Internal Revenue’s data for 2007.

Absolutely right! i am totally agreed over not paying those big salaries. Obama is doing right for the taxpayers, the Americans. I liked this strategy!

I am not agree with that the President’s salary is only $400,000 to run the whole country.

How we can believe that the President’s salary is only $400,000 to run the whole country?it gains many other charges from government.