Obama, GOP Air Differences Over Jobs, Economy In Thanksgiving Addresses

Obama seems like a good guy.

I seem to recall GW issuing a ton of “stimulus” while allowing many US jobs to be shipped overseas so that big business can squeeze more money into their coffers. This economic downturn is a direct result of conservative policies and theories. Sadly the the less intelligent among us accuse the democrats of what has transpired. Look closer people, eat your wheaties use your brain.

@Gary The trillion dollar stimulus was spent mainly to keep the auto industry and banks above water, so to speak. This is all happening mainly because banks were giving out loans that people couldn’t pay back. Obama inherited this problem he did not start it, so do not blame him for what the economy was, also the economy is stabilizing out. So there is an increase in jobs and spending.

Can the Republicans please make some suggestions with options to what our President is doing? Some concrete help please. Be part of the solution.

@Leftyintexas are you kidding me?
Obama has quadrupled the deficit of GWB! Get the facts! Seriously go look it up.
Obama is making me miss Clinton and Bush! Man, how did we let this happen?

Unemployment was 4.6% when Pelosi and Reid took over the congress. This mess is entirely of their own making, and Obama has made it much worse, as the numbers prove.
No small business wants to hire in the face of uncertainty. But because of these fools no one knows whet the paroll tax will br a year from now. No one knows what income tax rates will be when the Bush tax cuts expire in 2011. No one knows what health care mandates will be imposed, nor whether they will survive legal challenges. No one knows what burdens, if any, will be imposed by the cap-and-trade insanity.
Let’s boot these idiots out and get unemployment back under 5%.

We’ve already seen the shambles bush and his cronies left our country in after they spent ALL the surplus money they inherited from President Clinton and the Democrats. The Republicans left our country in fiancial ruin
Posted by: leftyintexas | Nov 26, 2009 12:45:25 PM
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The democrats didn’t have anything to do with the surplus – it was the Republican Congress, who were fiscally responsible, that left Bush a surplus.

Obama inherited this problem he did not start it, so do not blame him for what the economy was, also the economy is stabilizing out. So there is an increase in jobs and spending.
Posted by: Jospeh Krieger | Nov 26, 2009 12:16:58 PM
********
obama inherited a problem and is making it worse. He ordered the printing of $1 Trillion that we do not have and most of that is going to EARMARKS and has nothing to do with job creation. obama has only added to the problem and made it worse. There is more corruption than ever and we don’t know where our money is going; in fact, we know that recovery.gov has been cooked. This is not what you voted for is it?

It’s ironic that Mike Pense should decide to attack the stimulus.
One of his colleagues Eric Cantor just hosted a job fair at Germanna Community college that promotes jobs fueled the stimulus. (Source Progress report by Lee Fang, courtesy of Huffington Post, November 25.)
One of the winners at the job fair was the Culpeper County School district, which was able to avoid layoffs because of the stimulus and actually is hiring 7 new teachers. Other participants included Grand Canyon University, which got $ 14 million in Pell Grants, and Orange County Public Schools which got $ 340,000 and is hiring 7 people.
While Cantor decries government spending, half of the participants were from the public sector including the CIA, the FBI, the Army, and the FAA.
The job fair itself would not have existed if there were no stimulus.
So while Republicans attack the economic stimulus, they find nothing wrong with using stimulus money for their own political purposes. They also attack providing government-sponsored health care, but that’s what they get themselves. And they attack government institutions, yet many of them go to Bethseda Naval Hospital for treatment.
Incidentally the big reason that Mike Pense doesn’t want a government take-over of health care is simple.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, he gets a lot of campaign contributions from the insurance industry. Part of the money that you pay for your health care actually winds up in Mike Pense’s pocket.
Pense’s speech is just another example of Republican hypocrisy.

I live in Los Angeles.
Thanks to an article last week in LA WEEKLY by Tim Cavanaugh, who adopts the same outlook at Mike Pense, I can discuss some of the economic stimulus projects in the Los Angeles Area
I am sure that Mike Pense would consider Cal-Tech’s Soil Moisture Active/Passive Project an example of an Obungle Oboondoggle. However, if you actually clink on to the Cal Tech SMAP website, you’d discover that this project involves a satellite with scientific instruments. Someone has to make this scientific equipment, as well as the satellite and the rocket to launch the satellite. So that expenditure provides jobs. If you examine some of the reasons for SMAP, which includes flood and drought forecasts, long-term and more reliable atmospheric forecasts, as well as studies of agricultural and ecosystem productivity and wild fires. All of this information is vital not only for our economic recovery, but also for our economic survival.
According to LA WEEKLY, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority “is getting” $ 850 million for “projects ranging from Gold Line East extension to HOV lanes.” When the Metropolitan Transportation authority gets this money, it will involve jobs – since some one actually has to build the extension. In addition, this will involve ordering supplies and equipment – generating more revenue and more jobs. The same applies to the $ 1.5 million West Hollywood will receive for “highway infrastructure.” and the $ 161,000 West Hollywood will receive for “energy efficiency.” Both of these projects require the purchasing of various supplies and equipment, expenditures that will generate jobs.
I am sure that Mike Pense would attack LA County’s $ 15.4 million grant to make energy-efficiency loans to homeowners. However, weatherizing homes creates jobs both for installers and the people who manufacture weatherizing products, like insulation. Nor does he understand that weatherizing homes is an important factor in cutting down on energy use, creating energy independence, and saving our planet.
I might also add that Mike Pense has apparently never ridden the Red Line in Los Angeles. If he did he would notice an ad by Los Angeles College International with the “The new administration is talking about Health Care Reform.” The ad then urges viewers to “prepare now for careers for tomorrow by earning a degree today in health care administration.” It then offers a list of specialty jobs that LA College International will prepare you for. Incidentally, if you can get financial aid via the economic stimulus.
Mike Pense’s attack is typical of the GOP. Full of slogans, but lacking any intelligent analysis or substance. It’s a no-brainer designed to inflame the folks with no-brains.

Let’s pass another Friends of Obama stimulus. Not enough union government types got large enough raises out of the last one, and it turns out that is what “job creation” is under this administration.
And that is a best case scenario from what we have seen so far…

I’ve never figured out the difference in the effect on the deficit between directly spending money on projects that put people to work vs. cutting taxes in the hopes that after the rich people get done buying stuff with their tax refund, they will invest it in something that creates jobs. Both methods are deficit spending.

The GOP was in charge for the last eight years so we’re really not interested in “more of the same”. Why do you even repeat their opinions?

Latino- How many of our soldiers are getting maimed and killed while obama had since January to create a strategy in Afghanistan? We’ve had dates, parties, vacations, golf, bball games, quick trip to copenhagen for the olympics. Now if Sarah Palin were President, her first priority would be to prevent more American troops from dying in the “war of necessity” as your president described it. Your president doesn’t know how to prioritize according to the needs of this country; he prioritizes according to the needs of special interests and the liberal wing of the democrat party. I know you didn’t vote for that.

The only concrete proposal from Republicans that I heard was tort reform, which should reduce cost of health care and is part of the health bill.
As for the budget and trade deficit, the issue is crystal clear. If you add up all the money wasted on war in Iraq, it comes to less of a sum that US now owes. Which means that if Bush and Cheney did not go to war in Iraq, we would have still been a wealthy nation, being able to invest in reforms of our education, healthcare and energy policies. Meanwhile, China and other countries that don’t spend money on wars, speed past us to a better future, leaving us in a dust. Bush might have had good intentions starting No Child Left Behind Act, but it turned out to be a complete mess, being underfunded and badly implemented. Meanwhile, Chinese universities produce 5 time more engineers than US and our industry can no longer import the engineers, as we are no longer as attractive of a country as we used to be.

@ TG – Where do you see tort reform in the current health reform bill?
On the contrary, in Sec. 2531, 4, B (pg. 1431-1432) you’ll find that state-level malpractice caps (tort reform) are specifically *discouraged* by use of a financial “incentive”… Despite the fact that states with caps were shown to retain and produce more doctors per capita, not to mention lower malpractice insurance = lower patient insurance cost. A great example of trial lawyers being prioritized over affordable insurance. I guess the democrats had to somehow thank them for all their campaign contributions?

Its pretty simple:
Republicans want to help their friends, the CEOs, the owners of big business. Because to Republicans, its all about money.
Democrats WHAT TO HELP EVERYONE, RICH OR POOR.
As as for debts, the unnecessary war in Iraq, WHICH WAS CLEARLY FOR MONETARY REASONS, costs the US how many billions? Oh but Cheney made billions…hmmm…I wonder what the right’s priorities are…

Help us the bleeding hearts are teaming up with the corporate jerks to ruin the entire country.
Down with Democrats
Down with Republicans
If you are a republican or a democrat, you are an idiot and its your fault you jerks.

Got that right Jenny, and the only reason that Congress was able to do it was because they literally had to shut the government down (twice) to stop any further spending!!
Support for the military? Republicans have always supported the military. Carter gutted it, Clinton did the same and managed to kill a lot of Christian Serbians too……whatta guy. Obama ignores the advice of his own hand picked General. Tell me where the support of the liberals is…………I don’t see it. Every military death in Afghanistan in the three months since “your” General asked for troops, Mr. President, is blood on your hands. This refusal to make a decision in all that time is inexcusable (and the coldest thing I have ever seen a President of EITHER party do). While those who are being educated at West Point will probably be required to attend Obama’s teleprompter address on Tuesday night, I doubt there will be the enthusiasm the military always showed Presidents Reagan and Bush.
I would also bet that Obama won’t be making any trip to Dover to meet the returning caskets of any of those people killed in Afghanistan in the past three months, but then I guess he doesn’t need to, he got his “photo-op” saluting a flag draped casket. That debacle was about as sensitive as the Air Force One flyover of Manhattan with the fighter jet chase plane!!
Oh, and while I’m at it Mr. President, have you bothered to notice that Iran is doing exactly the same things that Saddam Hussein did in blocking the nuclear regulatory agency inspections of Iraq. Of course Iran has nothing to fear from the wimps in Washington.

Next Time you Vote Make it count.Don’t vote for anyone in office all ready .Its time for new blood. They don’t remember what they said to get you to vote for them.
So vote them out.

Copenhagen is going to turn into a comedy convention with the real world laughing at these liars. Now is the time to mount massive resistance to the petty tyrants and hit them where it hurts – in the wallet. Further down the line there may be, in many countries, a question of criminal prosecution of anybody who has falsified data to secure funds and impose potentially disastrous fiscal restraints on the world in deference to a massive hoax. It’s a new world out there, Al, and, as you may have noticed, the climate is very cold indeed.

The entire notion of a “scientific consenus,” with which those who disagree must be personally slandered and their analysis suppressed, is utterly malignant and anti-intellectual. It is of great benefit to mankind that this bogus consensus is a fraud.
A century ago there was a consensus that Newton’s laws embodied all that need be known about the behavior of objects in motion. When Einstein and others began to question this dogma, they were not subject to any kind of hysterical vilification, even though the science that they challenged was based on verifiable hypotheses that could be observed and proven–not on goofy computer models which we now know were polluted and manipulated for political reasons from the very outset.
These frauds have now been exposed, and criminal penalties would seem to be appropriate.
The United States will not become a party to any anti-human treaty, and the congress will enact no legislation based upon this dishonest body of “science.” it has now been conclusively and permanently discredited. Congatulations to those who brought the conspiracy to light. Seldom has there been greater cause for Thanksgiving.

This week he’s looking prescient. The more than 3,000 emails and documents from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit (CRU) that have found their way to the Internet have blown the lid off the “science” of manmade global warming. CRU is a nerve center for many of those researchers who have authored the United Nations’ global warming reports and fueled the political movement to regulate carbon.
Their correspondence show a claque of scientists massaging data to make it fit their theories, squelching scientists who disagreed, punishing academic journals that didn’t toe the apocalyptic line, and hiding their work from public view. “It’s no use pretending that this isn’t a major blow,” glumly wrote George Monbiot, a U.K. writer who has been among the fiercest warming alarmists. The documents “could scarcely be more damaging.” And that’s from a believer.
Hee hee hee…

@Jenny…One year, Jenny. One year, and you want Obama to solve all the messes he inherited? In one year?
Are you aware, that the last guy had 8 years to prepare a concrete Afghanistan strategy and didn’t? And you’re crying about Obama? You say Sarah Palin would prevent more troops from dying but most Republicans advocate that the ENTIRE recommended amount of troops be sent in? Would she advocate pulling all troops out? Because until now, Republican pundits have called that option an act of cowardice.
We can’t just pull out of Afghanistan and let it become another training ground for terrorists. We do need to get out, but we need to do it right. That’s what our nation’s leaders are trying to figure out right now. So wait a bit, longer than a year, perhaps.

Gwen, I believe you when you imply that your’re an independent and not a Republican- about as much as I believe that your real name is Gwen, actually.

to j.slater
are you kidding me? did you have that problem when obama resigned his seat?
since when are governors unable to leave thier job? oh ya..both palin and obama resinged because they believed they could better serve our nation in a different capacity. but you are typical left wing parrot. how ya likin that gitmo closing? those wars in iraq and afghanistan obama claimed to have the answer too? warrantless wiretaps? patriot act? rendition? dont ask dont tell? defense of marriage act? government transparency? billions for banks? high unemployment rates? high deficit? pork spending? corruption in congress? its funny whats ok when a dem does it.

TO Tony
“how many resources have you seen obama shift from iraq to afghanistan?”
————————————————————————————
Where have you been tony?
Let’s see, back in February 2009- A total of 17,000 troops, according to the Defense Department, were sent into Afghanistan. The troop increase in Afghanistan is to be made possible in part by the impending troop drawdown in Iraq.
U.S. military officials have said they will begin to draw down combat forces about 60 days after the Iraq national election, scheduled for January 2010, hoping for assurances by then that Iraq is on stable footing. All U.S. combat troops must be out of Iraq by the end of August 2010. Other troops, including training and support personnel, must leave by the end of 2011.
That was the whole point, Tony. Of the speech you just quoted by Obama too. I see no contradictions there. We need to get out of Iraq and finish the job we left undone in Afghanistan. That hasn’t changed.

Thanks for the post and for sharing the Obama Govt. announcements on thanksgiving day.

“Now if Sarah Palin were President, her first priority would be to prevent more American troops from dying in the “war of necessity” as your president described it.”
Are you serious…if Palin was president? She’s an idiot. Seriously she considers herself internationally experienced since her former state, yes alaska the one she “QUIT ON,” borders Russia. If she could easily quit on her home state, the nation is not a beauty pagent you could quit on either. Ridiculous!
Posted by: Jack slater | Nov 27, 2009 1:47:45 AM
********
That was my original comment and you are definitely using liberal talking points to put down Sarah Palin. You and the other liberals sound quite desperate at your attempts to discredit her.
Do you remember last summer when all the liberals were crying “racism” against the tea partiers? Many liberal bloggers were using the standard talking point “racist” against any blogger that felt the tea party movement was grassroots. Have you noticed not many of those bloggers, media people, the white house itself are not using “racist” or “racism” any longer? Do you know why? Because it backfired on them and didn’t work.
Now were are seeing the same type of talking points against Sarah Palin w/bloggers, media, white house. Just because you say she is something, doesn’t make it so. You all tried this last November with Sarah Palin and she didn’t go away. In fact, she will probably break the 1 million mark with her book very soon.
The liberals need to try another tactic with Sarah Palin. But I don’t think they have any more ammo – they are simply out of ideas.

Dollar at a 14 year low. Gold at record high. Unemployment at more that 10.2% even after the rigged numbers. What’s there to debate?

Its comical– The Republicans whining about Obama growing Govt. — When they themselves oversaw the doubling of the size of Govt.– and tripling of the national debt under Bush!!! Suddenly they get Religion– when their out of Power- They rubber stamped GOP presidential policies — Tax cuts for the rich. and War for Corporate profit but Obstruct any Dem. Policies!!! The Party of No are in a glass house and shouldn’t throw stones. They led the USA into this economic catastrophe – and now blame Obama for all the fallout…

To anyone who believes Rep[ublicans after the economy THEY created under Bush/Cheney, I have some oceanfront property in Arizona I’ll sell real cheap.

tierra -”Bailing out on the people of Alaska so she could do a book tour didn’t help her reputation at all.” –
She “bailed out” as you call it, because teh DNC with their head hunting lawyers had launched over 30 investigations (After the elections) to discredit her as a gov and candidate. She resigned rather than drag her state though an expensive smear campaign institutied by the Democrats.
Hummm.. a political figure who puts the best interest of the state she serves in front of her own interests and does what may or may not have been a damaging act to her own career for the benefit of her constituients. Yeah… what a horrible career politician she is…. We need more horrible politicians like that.

Cara –”In the first 10 years, in other words, the bill improves the deficit a bit, but the government is spending $160 billion more on health care than it otherwise would have. In the second decade, however, that ends: The savings from Medicare and Medicaid, paired with the excise tax (which CBO says “is effectively a reduction in the existing tax expenditure for health insurance premiums”) and a handful of other changes, leaves the government spending no more on health care than it otherwise planned to. That’s impressive stuff given that some 94 percent of the country has health insurance”—-
The first 10 years of improvement is due in no small part tot the fact that taxes appropriated to pay for this bill will begin immediately but the benefits of the bill will not kick in for 4 years. The balance prescribed in the second decade can only be achieved if the government actually captures all of teh 400 billion in projected medicare “waste”. This waste is the government copay against medicare part A and B suppliments and in order to actually “capture” this, the government will have to stop the deductible co-pay program for millions of American Seniors. For people like my mother who pays @$100 per month from her fixed income for Medicare part B, the only option will be to pay the 20% deductible out of pocket or pick up a co-pay from a private company (Like AARP) who will charge 3 times as much. How exactly will she pay $300+ out of a $1000 fixed monthly income to keep her co-pay? This is the Savings you are talking about that will make this bill “budget neutral”. On top of that, an additional 400 to 600 billion in physician compensation that is required unde this bill is covered in separate legislation (and not included in the CBO scoring). When you ad all these factors to the CBO scored bill, the price of this healthcare bill to the economy over the first 10 to 15 years is over 3 trillion dollars. Hardly what I would call budget neutral.
Not so impressive to cover 94% of America when you consider that 85% of America is already covered (source: 2008 cencus bureau). We are in affect spending 3 trillion on a bill that will cut senior care and provide coverage for an additional 9% of the population.

Posted by: arkievet | Nov 27, 2009 2:57:58 PM
I’m off to see Fantastic Mr. Fox with a bunch of rowdy kids, but briefly, do you consider the differences between inflationary and deflationary recessions, and what economists say in regards to both when looking up stats? It doesn’t look like it. Every example you cited was inflationary. I still strongly suggest Bartlett for those who look at things with a bias for conservative, supply-side economics– which I will be the first to admit have a place (but, imo, does’t serve as some sort of magic pill for all economic ills– I get that it’s a religion for some; but its not mine.)
And second, even less impressive than insuring only 94% of the population is coming up with the Republican plan that doesn’t extend coverage at all, or significantly reform health insurance.
I see many more problems than that in a few of the posts, including the one on health care reform– of course!!– but that’s all I have time for now (though I’d recommend that anyone who isn’t already predetermined to be against any kind of health care reform put on the table by Democrats to read J. Gruber, E. Klein and J. Cohn versus analysis in blog comments!)

She “bailed out” as you call it, because teh DNC with their head hunting lawyers had launched over 30 investigations (After the elections) to discredit her as a gov and candidate. She resigned rather than drag her state though an expensive smear campaign institutied by the Democrats.
Hummm.. a political figure who puts the best interest of the state she serves in front of her own interests and does what may or may not have been a damaging act to her own career for the benefit of her constituients. Yeah… what a horrible career politician she is…. We need more horrible politicians like that.
Posted by: arkievet | Nov 27, 2009 2:16:18 PM
*******
I second this. This is exactly the correct story, no spin. The liberals, like tierra, want to spin it another way. The people waiting in line for Palin’s book know the truth, which came directly from Palin, not the lying liberal spin machine.

Cara –”And second, even less impressive than insuring only 94% of the population is coming up with the Republican plan that doesn’t extend coverage at all, or significantly reform health insurance”—-
I am aware that you are probably no longer here from your last post (good luck with the kids) but let me add one thing.
At the time that the Senate first began discussing the healthcare reform bill, there were 8 Republican plans on health care reform in existance. Most centered on freeing up the sale of policies across state lines and enacting serious tort reform to reduce the cost of healthcare in this country ( I might add that the current senate bill does not even address either issue). The majorityof these bills cost a fraction of the democratic version and none included a public option. They held varying positions on providing coverage for the uninsured which spanned from private Co-ops that could be used to reduce costs of premiums, initiating tax breaks for out of pocket premiums, to the set-up of a government based option (not open to the public) that would provide reduced or free benefits to those who could not afford to buy their own.
Not only were these ideas not considered by the democrats when crafting the current bill, but Republicans who had authored these bills were not even privy to the committees that did craft the bill.
The democrat stance on this has been “my way or the highway” from the beginning on this and they have basically adopted the attitude that since they are the majority, they get to call all the shots. From what I can tell by the polls and the anger of thE American people, this attitude will cost them dearly in about 11 more months.

Arkievet does a great service by pointing out some of the Republican proposals–I believe there have been kore than twenty at this point. None, of course, has been allowed out of committee.

arkievet Said Below: “Carter used the same principles of more taxes and more government spending and the unemployment rate went from 7% to 12% during his administration.”
Also: “Reagan used across the board tax cuts (not just for the wealthy as the Dems like to preach) and the 12% unemployment was below 7% within 24 months.”
=====================================
More propaganda arkievet?… LOL.
(1) The fact is, under President Carter, the national monthly unemployment rate never went above 7.8%
(2) When Carter handed the White House over to Reagan (January 1981), the monthly NUR was at 7.5%. Then, in November/December 1982, the monthly National Unemployment Rate (NUR) was at 10.8%… a whole 22 months after Reagan took office… LOL. It climbed, it didn’t decline.
(3) It was until Reagan started FULL government spending into the Department of Defense (to win the Cold War) that the NUR started coming down. That’s why, under Reagan, unemployment never went below the 7.5% that it was when Carter handed him the White House UNTIL May of 1984… it took Reagan a whole 40 months just to bring Unemployment UNDER the 7.5% that it was when he took the White House over from Carter.
…. and that only happened after Reagan borrowed HUGELY (raising the National Debt) in order to begin massive federal spending in the Defense Department…. LOL.
The key to recovery was massive government spending (towards the Department of Defense).

..Actually you are incorrect. the great depression was considered a deflationary recession….
Posted by: arkievet | Nov 27, 2009 4:09:20 PM
___
Yes, arkievet, I’m sorry. I was in a hurry, skimmed and didn’t see that you had some numbers you associated with the depression in there right at the top. Anyway, I looked at it now– as I came back to fact check the numbers– and did a forehead slap.
Anyway, yes the depression was a deflationary recession and our recession now is, according to the “experts,” more like that than the inflationary mess Reagan inherited. What I was getting at is that in a deflationary depression, per Keynes and Fisher, the collapse of private spending has to be compensated for by public spending because that is the only way to get money circulating and make monetary policy effective.
To most economists and not just folks like Krugman but also people like Bartlett, supply-side economists with a pragmatic side that look outside mere ideology as circumstances dictate, when the economic crisis hit in the fall of last year, it was obvious there was a close parallel between the causes of the Great Depression and our current recession.
Bartlett writes, “…analysis led me to support a large fiscal stimulus…
And in regards to TARP, he writes, “it was obvious to me that substantial government funds would be necessary to bail-out the financial system and prevent a systemic collapse that would have cost vastly more and imposed vastly greater economic hardship…I remain incredulous that serious economists not only opposed TARP, but also argued that tax cuts were the only fiscal stimulus the government should have engaged in–if it did anything at all”
But one of my favorite quotes, the one that sums up how it seems to me as well is this:
“Many of my friends believe I have abandoned supply side economics and become a Keynesian. (Among conservatives there are few insults more damning than to be labeled a “Keynesian.”) But as I try to explain in my book, my views haven’t changed at all; it’s circumstances that have changed. I believe that my friends are still stuck in the 1970s when tax rates were considerably higher and excessive demand (i.e., inflation) was our biggest economic problem. Today, tax rates are much lower and a lack of demand (i.e., deflation) is the central problem. I really don’t understand why conservatives insist on a one-size-fits-all economic policy consisting of more and bigger tax cuts no matter what the economic circumstances are; it’s simply become dogma totally disconnected from reality.”

there were 8 Republican plans on health care reform in existance.
___
Well, okay. I’ve read four of them. So what? Not to be dismissive, but c’mon. Do you know how many Democrat plans there have been? All that is the easy part. None of those plans you talk about had caucus backing or were written in gritty detail. In fact, some of the sheets those congress persons were waving at Obama’s speech were blank. Did you realize that? It’s a joke. Once they came up with a plan with full caucus backing, we all saw how weak it was, how little was in there that any hopes of being measured as bipartisan or reaching uninsureds. Good lord, man (or woman)– not even the American Spectator had any respect for it.
Now, let’s take a look at Dan Pfeiffer’s reality check today, because the three elements or health reform Republicans repeatedly tout are ALL part of the current effort, albeit maybe not to the degree Republicans and conservatives would like–
* President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of HHS to move forward with an initiative to give states and health systems the opportunity to apply for medical liability demonstration projects. Section 2531 of the House bill also includes a voluntary state incentive grants program to encourage states to develop alternatives to traditional malpractice litigation.
* Section 9001 of the Senate bill does impose a fee on high-cost health care plans. (A PDF of the Senate bill is available here.) To clarify: This is a fee on insurance companies that offer high-cost plans that drive up the cost of health care for all Americans, not a tax on individuals.
* Section 1333 of the Senate bill allows for interstate health care choice compacts. Coupled with insurance market reforms to ensure individuals are not discriminated against, this policy will expand health care choices to millions of Americans.

The current legislative proposals concerning tort reform are tge sheerest form of cynical political fraud. California enacted a model reform decades ago. Its effects are a matter of historical record; the congress could enact it tomorrow if it weren’t beholden to the plaintiffs’ bar, as Howard Dean has admitted they are.
How dumb do they think we are?

Complaining that Obama did not keep his “promise” of keeping unemployment lower is like a kid throwing a temper tantrum when the baseball game to which dad was going to take him is rained out and he cries, “But you promised!” In both cases, total control over events was not possible.
The GOP “promised” on the steps of the Capitol in a solemn ceremony to balance the budget, etc. and haven’t lived up to any of that except in the years Clinton was President and Newt Gingrich admits Clinton is responsible for fighting to keep revenues high enough to balance the budget. And the things the promised in their “Contract With America” they could have controlled! But, the GOP being the GOP, we don’t hear them mention a single word about that anymore, do we?

arkievet
Now that I have taken some time to read all of your posts, there is something I think you should know. Your so-called facts are either:
1)Simply not facts – but more likely the parrotted opinion of others.
2)Facts, but originating from an alternate reality that you, and a very few others, can see. (say hi to Glenn Beck for me please)
In either case, it is clear that you have little real knowledge about any of the subjects you are addressing, at least in this universe anyway. True, in a democracy everyone does, and should, have a voice and I am glad that you’ve joined the conversation. For a democracy to be healthy, it is the responsibility of all citizens to insure that they researched the body of work related to a particular subject. Key to this process is having intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, an open-mind, and the patience to formulate logical hypotheses, each with it’s own supporting rationale and evidence, before opening their mouth.
In that spirit, I would like to suggest that you, much like your mentor Sarah Palin, would be wise to turn off the TV, go to the library, and concentrate on practicing this skill. In time, I am hopeful that you will wipe away some of the baseless and illogical tidbits you’ve obviously absorbed from spending too much time watching Fox News (Faux News) and become a good citizen with something to add to our democracy!

Helen writes “And the bit about the left is an old stereotype. With all due respect, you seem stuck in the 70s.
_____________________________
The is nothing new going on with the Obama administration. He is a very traditional Democratic – much like that of Jimmy Carter. He has not broken new ground on some higher version of how it works – its a little jazzed up, yes; but there is nothing new under the sun with this President. In fact, I consider it “same song, second verse.”
So if I sound stuck in the 70′s its because – well – I don’t have anything new to work with here. This President remains on track with standard liberalism since before the 70′s. In fact, as I was writing the original entry I kept thinking that it is time to get back to basics with this President and that we have a classic stand off with what, to my mind represents the world views of each: the left thinks its their role to spend the money in the right way; the right thinks that government needs to get out of the way and let the market decide.
And, worse it is even more old school than just this – it goes to an even more basic understanding of how each perceive and expect government to work: the left wants big government, the right doesn’t.
Naturally, there are all kinds of arguments about how Bush spent like a bad dog bandit and drifted from Conservationism’s core principles and, therefore, I am full of it, outdated and wrong. You bet Bush drifted and so did the Republican party and I referenced that in my original post. Bush traded big spending to get things done and, there is no question that Bush got things done. Even when Bush’s popularity was in the toilet he could still go to Congress and get what he wanted. (remember the days of “grid lock” in Washington? Not on Bush’s watch, he took care of business in spite of what the Pelosi’s and Reid’s were saying publicly.) Right or wrong Bush believed that the big deficit he let grow could be overcome as long as the market was fired up – and he knew how to fire up the market.
Oh yeah – one other side note before you tell me all about the trappings of differentiation here – Bush inherited a recession when he originally took office. (We often forget that because – well – he was successful in beating it).
One final note on Bush: Bush is out of office now. We are on Obama’s watch. The time for blaming Bush and “his failed policies” is over.
In the end, this debate (the subject of Jake’s article) is age old and defines the core differences between Liberals and Conservatives. Dress it up with what I consider the trappings of differentiation and all the exceptions, updates and non-stereotypical descriptions you want – but, let’s keep our eye on the ball here. The Left is tax and spend, always has been and, based on the behavior of the Obama administration thus far, remains that way to this very day (and if present trends continue ‘always will be.’)
It all comes down to that basic perception of how each side interpret the Constitution. (so 18th century, don’t you think?)

Carter was brought up because there are comparisons with the Obama administration. The word ‘parallel’ comes immediately to mind.
Obviously, you have it in your head that my use of this comparison does not follow from my claim that y’all need to turn loose blaming Bush.
How’d you put it?
“Last time I checked, that wasn’t your decision to make for people– particularly when you’re reaching back to Carter.”
They are different things. That said, it is not my job to “make the decision for people” any more than it is my job to take you to raise. You might look the logic here and figure it out on your own.
And, once you get the logic part worked out then you can either turn loose this constant battle cry that “Bush done it” or you won’t. It is tired mantra that generally ends with “Bush lied” (about the WMDs)
(::::::::yawn::::::::::)
While you are getting this logic business worked out the fact is even Obama said when the Stimulus Plan was passed that his Presidency is going to be judged by the results of how he handles the economy. He’s right. Feel free to stay stuck on the “Bush-done-it” part. Nothing like some good old love-to-hate (that liar) to give the battle cry some real gusto. The rest of us will keep our eye on the ball and see how it goes.