Exclusive: Geithner Says Brown Wrong About Stimulus
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner challenged newly elected Senator Scott Brown’s claim that the last stimulus bill “didn’t create one new job.” Brown made the remark during his first press conference after being sworn in Thursday, but in my “This Week” interview, Geithner said he doesn’t “think there’s any basis for that judgment.”
The administration has faced some criticism for using the phrase “jobs saved or created” in describing the impact of the stimulus package.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Friday, said the stimulus package created more than 7,000 jobs in that state.
Watch Video HERE:
Read the Full exchange HERE:
TAPPER: The new senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown, one of the first things he said after being sworn in was that the stimulus package has not created one job.
BROWN:“The last stimulus bill didn't create one new job. And in some states, the money that was actually released hasn't even been used yet.”
GEITHNER: Oh, I don't think there’s any basis for that judgment. I mean, again, just think where we were. January of 2009, three-quarters of a million Americans losing their jobs. We have an economy now that's growing again. With growth you're going to see jobs created.
Again, we already saw some job — a month where we had positive job growth. But, you know, it's going to take a while. It took a long time for these problems to develop. They're going to take some time to heal. But we're in a much stronger position today.
But our priority has to be, and I think you see broad recognition of this now, is to make sure we're working very hard to make sure that we're seeing this growth translate into more jobs to reach more Americans.
- jpt
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Geithner’s rich friends got richer off the stimulus.
Posted by: dave | February 7, 2010, 9:11 am 9:11 am
I enjoyed how many people are already regretting electing Brown. Guess they should have thought it out a little more before sending him. “I drive a truck and I deserve to go to Washington” apparently not.
Posted by: Come On | February 7, 2010, 9:28 am 9:28 am
Geithner, like the rest of that inept administration is simply trying to cover his backside. This tax cheat has no credibility whatsoever.
Posted by: rplat | February 7, 2010, 9:31 am 9:31 am
This madman reminds me of David Copperfield, the magician. He can just say things and there they are. He can spend money to pay his buddies on wall street and just like that the moneies there. Of course it created jobs, the wall street boys can now hire more maids and gardners with the stiimulus money that was fleeced from the American taxpayer.
Posted by: Carl Peterson | February 7, 2010, 9:34 am 9:34 am
Project much, Come On?
Yeah, some people know all too much about regretting electing Obama (the numbers are huge), so it helps if you pin it on the other guy, eh? :-)
Posted by: dave | February 7, 2010, 9:35 am 9:35 am
I have to wonder if Geitner really believes what he’s saying or if he knows he’s lying? I really wish I could actually believe someone from that administration. This has to be the most dangerous administration the United States has ever had in office. We don’t even realize the magnitude of their mistakes yet.
Posted by: Rueuhy | February 7, 2010, 9:39 am 9:39 am
“I enjoyed how many people are already regretting electing Brown.”
Not half as many as those who regret voting for Obama!
And you will learn to LISTEN in November.
Posted by: Dell | February 7, 2010, 9:44 am 9:44 am
Well, of course Brown is wrong. To say that there are “no stimulus jobs” is absurd. Brown is obviously a rookie, starting right off the bat, making partisan comments.
Posted by: plantain_11 | February 7, 2010, 9:44 am 9:44 am
I guess Brown forgot that the package was put in under President Bush (who only helps rich people anyway). President Obama had to come in a fight for the people. Less than 1% of Americans are wealthy, no matter what party, race gender or religion you are. Non of you posting against President Obama are rich, so all you are doing is hurting yourselves. Less than 3% of Americans make over 250,000,000k per year. So go ahead and keep supporting the GOP and wonder why you keep have a hard time getting by. We don’t know how the Obama administration will turn out yet, only time will tell. We do know how the last administration turn out and all the numbers and facts say it was the worst administration ever, with direct casue and effect policies and unnessary wars that killed our economy. It takes time to see the results of political action from either party, but a bunch of dumb $#%^ like you won’t know that.
Posted by: jrpryor1 | February 7, 2010, 9:55 am 9:55 am
Seriously? All of you do realize that he was the president of the fed bank of NY. He’s just as culpable as Alan Greenspan. Regardless of how fancy and complex his tools are to clean up the milk…he still spilt it.
Posted by: HA! | February 7, 2010, 9:58 am 9:58 am
I see guys like Greenspan, Geitner and others on the networks giving their analysis but these guys are the ones that didn’t finish reading Adam Smith’s economic theory. Sad that a guy born centuries before can lay out a simple theory and these modern geniuses are not even smart enough to read the full theory that they dictate their economic policies on. Interview me, I know more than Greenspan, apparently. John Boehner is the funniest, he was spouting off about more deregulation after all the Reagan theory of massive deregulation that has put us in a much worse position than ever before despite giving some boom years by borrowing from the future.
Posted by: Greg | February 7, 2010, 10:04 am 10:04 am
If I took a cash advance on my credit card and hired you to remodel my house, how long would you have a job? Until the money ran out, of course. Worse, I’d still need to repay that money with interest, but if I had it in the first place, I wouldn’t need the advance, would I? Imagine the same thing happening on a massive, multi-trillion dollar scale, but using YOUR credit card, and there’s the stimulus. It is ludicrous to assume if the government behaves irresponsibly, they can avoid the repurcussions any more than you or I.
Posted by: h5mind | February 7, 2010, 10:11 am 10:11 am
Has the stimulus actually added jobs? Can anyone prove it either way? Both sides will spin it in their favor. As far as Bush helping only the rich, we are in the state we are in personally, because we bought into the “I have to have it now” mentality. Bob bought a 50″ LCD, I need to get one bigger, and I don’t care how much it cost. I lost my job in September, and am on unemployment, and we are still able to money into savings. Why you ask, because we pay cash and don’t buy things that we don’t need. Maybe if more people did that, we wouldn’t be in as bad of shape as we are. Remember that, last year, Biden and Obama said that the recession was over, so this isn’t the past administrations fault anymore.
Posted by: Charlie | February 7, 2010, 10:11 am 10:11 am
How much money do you think the States are making by holding on to the stimulus money as the interest builds in their Bank Accounts? I don’t know about you all, but when the words money and Government are placed together the first thing that crosses my mind is “Corruption”
Posted by: Impeach Obama | February 7, 2010, 10:15 am 10:15 am
Even if the stimulus did create jobs, it is taking us in the wrong direction. God warned against debt, interest, insurance and seeking riches and honors, things our culture embraces..
The holy books say, “Be not conformed to this world.” Only a garden paradise lifestyle can end the problems created by the employment lifestyle: pollution to air, land, water and food, disease, energy crisis, climate change fears, wars, immigration, inequality, poverty and social welfare programs. True freedom and independence with no sorrow added only come using God’s wisdom, not man’s.
Posted by: Marie Devine | February 7, 2010, 10:21 am 10:21 am
DOLLARS SPENT VERSUS Gains. The stimulus was NOT CHUMP change. It was 3/4 of a TRILLION DOLLARS FOLKS. Our deficit is making us into a banana republic. Tim the tax cheat is just another LIAR. No doubt about it this administration has done more to destroy the wealth and security of this country than increase its value. How is your HOME value doing. Most middle class peoples largest asset is their HOME and the value of that has fallen. 401K ? Under and unemployment is around 18% or more. PEOPLE are hurting. Bankruptcy? Whats the new numbers there. THE TAX CHEAT TIM SHOULD STRIPPED OF ALL HIS MONEY and told to hit the road. BUT Corruption is ALL WE WANT in America. We want to all be CROOKS. Thats how it is here in ILLINOIS. Why else would you spend two million dollars to get a 100,000 a year job? Eh? Look at our new DEMOCRATIC lieutenant Governor that was just elected by the morons in this state.
Posted by: ChicagoBob | February 7, 2010, 10:33 am 10:33 am
It just does not pay to be an honest decent person in America. You have to be John Edwards or just like the Timmy the Tax cheat a sleazy lying CROOK. America has sunk to a NEW low with this administration. CROOKS, KICKBACKS and the total destruction of middle America.
Posted by: ChicagoBob | February 7, 2010, 10:35 am 10:35 am
h5mind wrote: “If I took a cash advance on my credit card and hired you to remodel my house, how long would you have a job? Until the money ran out, of course. Worse, I’d still need to repay that money with interest…”
But, h5, if you collect 25% of my paycheck as taxes, then I got a haircut and you collected 25% of the barber’s income, then the barber bought a new pair of scissors and you collected 25% of the store’s profits, then the clerk took her family out to dinner and you collected 25% of the restaurant workers profits, etc. how far would you actually be behind?
Additionally, there’s plenty of potential investment money sitting on the sidelines in American right now. But, as in every severe recession, it takes government money to prime the pump.
Did the government spend that money the best way? I don’t know. I’m no expert, I only have a graduate degree in Chemistry and spent part of my career as an industrial R & D chemist, working out profitable chemical processes for “niche” organics, and I’m very well studied in Securities and Corporate Analysis and have done better than average in the Stock Market over time. So I know something.
Still, I wouldn’t pretend to be able to say with any certainty whatsoever if Obama’s or Bush’s actions were the wisest actions available to them.
But I see that, outside of construction, the private sector jobs jumped 33,000 last month despite it being right after the Christmas season, after which many layoffs occur, and in the middle of Winter.
So whatever they did, it looks like it’s in the right direction.
Posted by: The_Mick | February 7, 2010, 10:36 am 10:36 am
Perhaps officials should look closer at their numbers…here in Las Vegas, which seems to be the town of choice for administration to keep the rest of the country from…we have the highest rate of foreclosure, the highest rate of suicides, and close to the highest rate of unemployment in the country…it is worse after this last full year than it was even at the beginning of 2009…the numbers here are being covered up and the big stimulous??? we are trying to figure out how to fire 2500 more teachers and close half the college due to lack of funds, but the sidewalk corners got new grates and wheelchair ramps this last week with a large sign “OUR STIMULOUS FUNDS WORKING FOR US” tell our children who will be unable to take higher math classes just how much help they got!
Posted by: Laura | February 7, 2010, 10:38 am 10:38 am
If I have a company and I lay off 10 people — those 10 are unemployed. But I hire 1 in a totally different position. Can I brag that I created a new job? Technically, I suppose. But, in reality, it’s a lie, it’s smoke and mirrors, and only the most ignorant would believe it.
Posted by: JoeM | February 7, 2010, 10:38 am 10:38 am
Here is Massachusetts, 70% of the so-called stimulus jobs just turned out to be government workers that the Patrick administration diverted stimulus money into subsidizing State & Local governments to make up for lower tax revenue.
Posted by: Tyrone | February 7, 2010, 10:40 am 10:40 am
Sadly one more time ABC is allowing it self to be used as the propaganda arm of the Obama Administration. When do you stop?
The fact that Geithner is trying to use Patrick (long time Obama lackey) to dispute Browns statement shows just how low the Obama administration has sunk it is almost like they paid for an “expert” opinion on Health Care oooops wait they did!
Can’t help but wonder if that is why ABC is their Mouth Piece
Posted by: Rick | February 7, 2010, 10:41 am 10:41 am
As Peter Schiff and Ron Paul say, the stimulus has created some jobs at the expense of more productive jobs because of misallocated resources and at the expense of future jobs because of interest payments on the national debt. We live in Keynesian fantasyland that will make the future much harder for our country.
Posted by: Huh | February 7, 2010, 10:42 am 10:42 am
Goldman Sachs the democrats new best friends. LETS take as much as we can from the American public. YEAH lets steal it all at once. Who can we get DUMB enough as president to let us do this? OH Yeah an ideologue. We will tell the we will redistribute it to the masses when really we are STUFFING our POCKETS. What SUCKERS you Obama supporters all are. Look at home prices and 401k’s and look in your pockets. Look at the underemployment numbers. THEN look who got BILLIONS from Obama himself? My CC interest has GONE up bunch and they have reduced my limits on everything. MY MY how good I feel since this administration took over.
Banks are raking me over the coals. And Obama? yeah we need to spend more more more because Goldman needs BIGGER bounuses. You want to impress me Mr PRESIDENT? LOAN TO ME at 0% interest. I NEED A BRAKE.
Posted by: ChicagoBob | February 7, 2010, 10:43 am 10:43 am
ChicagoBob-I agree with your anger. My only hope is that if Al Qaeda does hit us as our, justifying their insane funding, intelligence agencies are telling us is the case, that Bin Laden chooses the likes of Goldman Sachs and Monsanto execs for their retribution.
Posted by: Huh | February 7, 2010, 10:49 am 10:49 am
This guy is a total guru….cheats on taxes, and winds up the treasurer!……
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 10:50 am 10:50 am
Lousy interview
Allows weasel Geithner to get away with not answering question. Let Geithner repeat his opt-repeated unresponsive comments with no follow-up.
Posted by: artbab | February 7, 2010, 10:50 am 10:50 am
I wonder if Tapper uses waders to interview guys like Timmy. ‘Cause it sure got deep in there. And Chicago Bob, it was only the primary. Hopefully Illinois will see a brighter day in November when Quinn and Cohen lose.
Posted by: Rueuhy | February 7, 2010, 10:51 am 10:51 am
High-ranking bureaucrats should avoid becoming entangled in the political fray… Better he should have kept his mouth shut.
Posted by: Quo Warranto | February 7, 2010, 10:51 am 10:51 am
I guess Brown forgot that the package was put in under President Bush (who only helps rich people anyway). President Obama had to come in a fight for the people. posted by jrpryor1 | Feb 7, 2010 9:55:05 AM
———–
I think you have your bills confused; you are talking about the bank bailouts, which was passed during the Bush administration—–approved of and voted for by then-Senator Obama.
This article and Brown’s statements are about the stimulous bill, which was conceived by President Obama and passed during President Obama’s administration.
Posted by: malcat | February 7, 2010, 10:51 am 10:51 am
Has anyone done the math?
Going with a debateable figure of 2.4 trillion dollars the Bush and Obama administrations have sank into the various bailouts, rescues, stimulus, ect,divided by the population of the US, what do you get? I come up with $80,000 per every man, woman, and child in America.
Is it just me, or is what we are seeing an engineered collapse of the economy, looting of the treasury, and creation of debt slavery? What genius came up with the concept of fractional reserve anyway?
It has always fascinated me that in America’s version of the free market, the most basic concepts are violated by propping up companies that SHOULD fail because of their poor judgment or even criminal conduct of their executives. Yet the working class is left to fend for themselves while our governmental leaders continue to steal from the poor to give to the rich.
Posted by: Tom | February 7, 2010, 10:58 am 10:58 am
Brown’s wrong about a LOT of things. All mouth and no brain. You’ll see.
Posted by: sevresblue | February 7, 2010, 10:58 am 10:58 am
“a month where we had positive job growth.”
Right. 20,000 jobs lost and the Obama adminstration calls it growth. Any more of this growth and we’re doomed as a country.
What else can one expect from a tax cheat who was a failure at the NY Fed?
Posted by: drjohn | February 7, 2010, 10:59 am 10:59 am
“I guess Brown forgot that the package was put in under President Bush (who only helps rich people anyway).”
Posted by: jrpryor1 | Feb 7, 2010 9:55:05 AM
___
The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was introduced in the House on Jan 26, 2009 (6 days AFTER President Obama was inaugurated); passed by the House on Jan 28, 2009; passed by the Senate on Feb 10, 2009; and signed into law by President Obama on Feb 17, 2009. Bush had nothing to do with this stimulus package.
If you are referring to TARP, then yes that was passed by the Democratic controlled House and Senate and signed into law by President Bush.
You might want to check the facts on the Bush tax cuts. All federal income tax bracket rates were lowered. With the bottom three federal income tax brackets being lowered from 15%, 28% and 31% to 10%, 15% and 25%. So ANYONE making any money saw their federal income taxes lowered. And tax credits for the poor were increased.
Posted by: James Danley | February 7, 2010, 11:02 am 11:02 am
Dear ChicagoBob: This massive, massive deficit was begun by BUSH. He came into office and there was a SURPLUS waiting for him, thanks to Clinton. He immediately sent out checks to make himself popular, then started a war (but let’s not count that… right?) which tanked us financially. For NO good reason. Said it then, say it now.
And Obama walked into office with the financial world crashing into the worst recession since the Great Depression – he HAD to spend to keep us from another depression. Wake up. Get your facts straight. I’m so sick of these’ ‘holier than thou’ Republican (and so-called ‘Independents’) types who are willing to see people without health care and without means to keep their families fed.
Posted by: sevresblue | February 7, 2010, 11:02 am 11:02 am
Democrats took control of Congress in 2007. That includes Obama. Which Bush budget did they cut and make smaller?
Anyone?
Posted by: drjohn | February 7, 2010, 11:05 am 11:05 am
Another Obama appointee…What else can be said?…
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 11:05 am 11:05 am
I will say it again, Ron Paul’s ideology is the answer. It was the ideology of the founders that made this country so great.
I would also like to say that Tom’s last post is excellent and true.
Posted by: Huh | February 7, 2010, 11:08 am 11:08 am
And we are supposed to believe a tax cheater? After the dust settled maybe it is time to investigate the IRS Secretary.
Posted by: myohmy | February 7, 2010, 11:11 am 11:11 am
Beside basketball…..what else?…Chicago politics?
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 11:12 am 11:12 am
Scott Brown, the male Sarah Palin. Thanks Massachusetts!
Posted by: Simon | February 7, 2010, 11:12 am 11:12 am
I honestly don’t get it.
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 11:13 am 11:13 am
Geithner: “January of 2009, three-quarters of a million Americans losing their jobs”
Actually, it was 598,000. Thats only an exaggeration of 177,000 jobs.
Posted by: Joel Vincent | February 7, 2010, 11:14 am 11:14 am
Is he paying his taxes now?…
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 11:14 am 11:14 am
C’mon Jake, you let him off way too easy!! Like most CEO’s the day before filing bankruptcy, Geithner told us that we would have a triple-A rating AND that he didnt have the political power to limit social programs. What planet does this work on? Not ours.
Geithner is a administration puppet and a loser and has to go. Lets get real leadership that has the guts to make the real decisions.
Posted by: markc | February 7, 2010, 11:14 am 11:14 am
Talk about a lap dog!…..
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 11:19 am 11:19 am
Those wanting to bash Obama are lost and just mouthing off. Although I feel like he is acting week as far as dealing with the GOP. And the so called Tea Party republicans. It takes a couple of years for anything any president does or starts to take any effect or begine to work as planned and Obama is no different. We are still dealing with the fall out of the Bush Cheney admin. If you could call it that. The GOP has no intrest in helping anyone other then them selfs
Posted by: harley93 | February 7, 2010, 11:27 am 11:27 am
Until these idiots in government realize that outsourcing destroyed the U.S. economy, nothing will change…greedy CEO’s will continue sending good jobs over seas for cheap labor.
Posted by: anthony | February 7, 2010, 11:29 am 11:29 am
And we are supposed to believe a tax cheater?
========================
But you believe tax cheater Sarah Palin don’t you?
Posted by: Dave in VA | February 7, 2010, 11:33 am 11:33 am
The stimulus plan may have created a few jobs but nothing of significance. I have yet to meet anyone that got a job directly or indirectly related to the stimulus plan. Where are all these jobs? The stimulus plan is not working…
Posted by: mjoe | February 7, 2010, 11:34 am 11:34 am
A bigger question is why Browns opinion even gets the press it does.
Posted by: secondlook | February 7, 2010, 11:37 am 11:37 am
I work for a Fortune 500 Company that now targets hiring all part-time people that they want to work 20-25 hours a week without benefits. These are the kind of jobs available in the marketplace.Our economy will not recover with this kind of mentality.
Posted by: Patience Dogood | February 7, 2010, 11:37 am 11:37 am
The economy was doomed during the Bush administration. Both Pubs and Dems allowed it to happen. But the “party of no” is NOT helping anything now. In fact, they do not want things to get better. God forbid our country gets better – then they might not get their guys elected. It’s easier to point fingers and place blame than come up with solutions to difficult problems. As long as we keep the we’re always right you’re always wong BS, our nation will suffer.
Posted by: Education is Not a Bad Thing | February 7, 2010, 11:40 am 11:40 am
harley93; OK, but just watch what doesn’t happen…
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 11:40 am 11:40 am
Geithner is a liar. We’ve already seen the statistics. They claim they created or “Saved” 2 million jobs. But the recent studies show clearly that America has lost 4 million jobs. So Geithner, The President or anyone else to say that jobs were created is a lie. IT IS AN OUT AND OUT LIE!!! It’s really quite insulting if you think about it. Americans have woken up and we’re watching and listening. We know the truth and for these guys to blatanly lie to our faces, make payoffs behind closed doors and openly give senators BILLIONS OF DOLLARS for their votes is unbelievably arrogant. We, as Americans have already shown our disgust with these guys during these last elections. You’d think they get it. But they don’t
Posted by: Dave | February 7, 2010, 11:40 am 11:40 am
Dave in VA; Nice try…..
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 11:44 am 11:44 am
How is it the Pubs know that everything in Obama’s bills are wrong and yet they admit to never reading them? In the SOTU response, they admitted they never read the health care bill. Yet, they know it was “terrible for the people”. How can one know that something is bad or good without reading it? Or is it more likely they are going to say ANYTHING the President tries is wrong for politival reasons? Now they’re going against ideas even THEY wanted a year ago. Funny how they coward when the President asked them that at their own conference last week. (Of course, Fox cut away as soon as they realized what was happening. Obviously it didn’t fit with their agenda. But I bet they played the entire Palin speech didn’t they?)
Posted by: Hypocrisy 101 | February 7, 2010, 11:50 am 11:50 am
I trust nobody in the BO administration because to all of them are BO henchmen and they will say anything possitive for him because he is paying them well.
For the most part BO lied to get into the White House and continues to lie to stay in My White House the only thing he knows to lead is his wife and children and they believe anything he says because they love him.
Posted by: Carol | February 7, 2010, 11:52 am 11:52 am
What an absolutely sleezy guy! Even the democrats have to admit it…
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 11:53 am 11:53 am
Perhaps officials should look closer at their numbers…here in Las Vegas, which seems to be the town of choice for administration to keep the rest of the country from…we have the highest rate of foreclosure, the highest rate of suicides, and close to the highest rate of unemployment in the country…
=======================
Sorry, but the suicides are directly related to losing gamblers – not the economy (and have been for years), foreclosures were primarily due to breal estate speculations and people buying houses they really couldn’t afford, and the unemployment rate is much higher in Detroit (a city that actually produces something). Las Vegas is a city in a desert that shouldn’t exist. It’s main revenues are made from gambling. It’s a massive unnessesary draw from the Colorado river. The best thing for your city would be an exodous. If it’s ok to ruin people with gambling, it’s ok to lose by relying on it.
Posted by: Poor Las Vegas? | February 7, 2010, 12:00 pm 12:00 pm
Of course the stimulus bill saved jobs and create some. To think otherwise is to reveals one stupidity or partisanship.
Posted by: docboricua | February 7, 2010, 12:01 pm 12:01 pm
I am a small business owner in NC. I have been trying to get a small business loan in the amount of $50,000, to be used for inventory since August of 2009. We tracked 3 million dollars in ARC money to a bank in Greenville, SC and called them. When the banker was asked why he had not loaned out free money he hung up on us! Our compnay grossed over $450,000 last year in sales. Does Geithner even know what is going on? SBA loaning 70% more, to who??I have been working with the SBA for 6 months and tge results are NOTHING!
Posted by: Cara | February 7, 2010, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm
Would you believe anything an admitted tax evader says?
Posted by: 312capri | February 7, 2010, 12:04 pm 12:04 pm
Democrats took control of Congress in 2007. That includes Obama. Which Bush budget did they cut and make smaller?
Anyone?
=================
So who was the last REPUBLICAN President to reduce the deficit or decrease the size of gov’t? (HINT: W didn’t, Bush1 didn’t, Reagan didn’t, Ford didn’t, Nixon didn’t)……Anyone?
Posted by: Fact Check | February 7, 2010, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
My father always told me, “Figures don’t lie but liars know how to figure!”
Posted by: 312capri | February 7, 2010, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
This is coming from an Obama-bot that has never worked a day in his life.
Posted by: WhatChange? | February 7, 2010, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
So an increasing unemployment rate means more jobs have been created?
Posted by: Payout | February 7, 2010, 12:09 pm 12:09 pm
Entitlement really, what about the defense budget; the hundred and twenty five billion a year we spent on two wars that has added over a trillion dollars in debt. The billions we will be spending for the next 30 to 40 years on caring for our veterans who were physical or mentally wounded fighting these two wars. Cut entitlements good answer, let’s make the people that can least afford a reduction in services pay the price for leaders who are afraid to tell their constituent the truth. Taxes will have to go up if we are going to reduce our deficits. But we as a people need to decide whether we invest in our people or we invest in the war machine (guns vs. butter).
Posted by: papo | February 7, 2010, 12:09 pm 12:09 pm
Can’t help but wonder if that is why ABC is their Mouth Piece
========================
And Fox is “fair and balanced” right? It’s not a 24/7 right wing propaganda machine is it? Hahahaha. You would have to be truly ignorant and easily manipulated to belive that.
Posted by: Fact Check | February 7, 2010, 12:09 pm 12:09 pm
Of course the stimulus created and saved jobs. and on top of it – it is case where our government has made a heroic attempt at being transparent. You can go on to recovery.gov and find a reasonable attempt to accurately post where each and EVERY dollar went. Just when have we EVER seen that kind of attempt from our government before. And when there are mistakes – as there will be in something this massive- they quietly correct them and keep on doing their best. I admire Geithner he has done a great job. As had the entire Obama admin. given the mess they were handed.
Posted by: Sue B | February 7, 2010, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm
“How is it the Pubs know that everything in Obama’s bills are wrong and yet they admit to never reading them?”
If Barry can’t admit that a tax is really a tax, yes. But I’ll forward your concerns to John Conyers.
Posted by: Page 19 | February 7, 2010, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm
If you’re first name is Goldman and the last is Sachs, Geithner has really helped you out.
Posted by: Thanks | February 7, 2010, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
As had the entire Obama admin. given the mess they were handed.
—
So why’d Barry keep digging when he jumped in the hole?
Posted by: Shovel | February 7, 2010, 12:15 pm 12:15 pm
Example 1: A local city applied for and received a $10k “Grant” from the stimulus package to “improve and enhance” the City’s outdoor ice rink. Net result – 0 new jobs. 0 – new equipment purchased. 1 – Outdoor Ice Rink that is now sweep and resurfaced daily instead of weekly. Extra $10k going toward cost of gas for equipment usage.
Posted by: MNDave | February 7, 2010, 12:18 pm 12:18 pm
I have heard nothing from the darky that makes much sense. He is so busy posing and preening, he cannot even put words together that make sense. As for his “state of the union” address, he said absolutely nothing that he hadn’t said before. Frankly, his almost fanatical use of teleprompters tells me this man is an imposter, an actor and a fraud! Where is the real Barack Obama? Kept in hiding? Or fed to the Lions of Tsavo?
Posted by: Lee Wacker | February 7, 2010, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
Never trust anyone with an overly wrinked forehead.
Posted by: LongT | February 7, 2010, 12:26 pm 12:26 pm
Scott Brown was wrong. The stimulus did create one job: his. If it wasn’t for Porkulus, and Son of Porkulus, Brown would probably be doing something else.
I also heard Shrum defend Obama saying, “just because you throw out the names of a few million dollar projects that have gone astray, doesn’t mean the stimulus failed.”
Talk about a failure of comprehension. There are thousands of shady/fraudulent pograms; just because no one has the time or patience to list them, doesn’t make the bill suddenly “effective”. What BS.
Posted by: jrobinson | February 7, 2010, 12:34 pm 12:34 pm
Don’t you LOVE the way this guy moves his head to the side, and talks out of THAT side of his mouth?
It REALLY generates a lot of trust, huh?
NOT!!!
And then he says Brown is wrong, and I sit here wondering, why in the hell don’t I believe a WORD he says?
Oh yeah, he’s an Obama “talking head.”
Never mind…
Posted by: Laughing_All_the____Way | February 7, 2010, 12:34 pm 12:34 pm
What don’t you understand about a DUD!!! Just like his pathetic boss!!! Come on 2012!
Posted by: lovingpolitics | February 7, 2010, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
Geithner needs to pay his taxes.
Posted by: Good Lt | February 7, 2010, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm
I find it odd when people respond to a post with comments that have no bearing on the post to which they are responding.
Here is an example:
Someone said: ‘Democrats took control of Congress in 2007. That includes Obama. Which Bush budget did they cut and make smaller?
Anyone?’
=================
The responder said: ‘So who was the last REPUBLICAN President to reduce the deficit or decrease the size of gov’t? (HINT: W didn’t, Bush1 didn’t, Reagan didn’t, Ford didn’t, Nixon didn’t)……Anyone?’
MY QUESTION: Why didn’t the responder answer the other person’s question concerning President Bush’s budgets and the Democratic-controlled Congress starting in 2007?
Posted by: malcat | February 7, 2010, 12:40 pm 12:40 pm
it’s all poppycock whatever will sell newspapers and get people to watch the news on TV (trivial vomit)
Posted by: John | February 7, 2010, 12:41 pm 12:41 pm
It must hurt the hand of the scum that runs Goldman Sacks as he has to keep his hand under Geithners’ coat so he can manipulate everything out of the guys mouth. I would love to see Geithner’s phone records from his office, I bet he calls Goldman Sacks four or five times a day.
Posted by: Greg | February 7, 2010, 12:45 pm 12:45 pm
I marvel at the stupid comments posted here. Where is the thoughtful thinking, or considered facts that contribute to the conversation? You may have an opinion, and it is your right to express it, however all it seems to do is magnify the elitist oopinion that the general American public is dumb, stupid, etc.
Posted by: jean | February 7, 2010, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm
BO is a one shot wonder, next will come a lady , then a Latino and when all the tests are completed and all the minorities are given their chance then it will be old white males in failing health once again
Posted by: John | February 7, 2010, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm
Please help congress raise salary for nurses. RN’s are so underpaid!
Posted by: Jacob | February 7, 2010, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm
Ok, enough already. You can now take “the last stimulus bill ‘didn’t create one new job.’” off the table. The stimulus bill has given me the opportunity to hire “1″ new person and I’m interviewing for a 2nd. This 1st one is so good that he will help me to grow my company to keep him and pay him what he is truly qualified for. He needed a job, I needed help and the stimulus program has given me the good fortune to survive as a small business. You may say it’s just one job but I spread the word and there are more of us that this will help to keep the doors open. I’m your poster gal stilettos on the ground who’s fighting to be one of you all getting the breaks!
Posted by: DigitalDiva | February 7, 2010, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
Giethner and Bernacki were at the helm when this mess started and now the want to be called hero’s for supposedly pulling us out of it, when were not out of it?
Personally I think the worst of it is comming.
Posted by: dean | February 7, 2010, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
You may say it’s just one job but I spread the word and there are more of us that this will help to keep the doors open. I’m your poster gal stilettos on the ground who’s fighting to be one of you all getting the breaks!
CONGRATS, DigitalDiva, sincerely. Any ray of sunshine is welcome. I just wish there were a lot more success stories like yours.
The problem is a lot of stimulous money has been wasted or is still sitting in a bank account when it could be helping others like you and your small business.
Hang in there. Things have got to get better or all of us will be in a lot more trouble than we are now.
Posted by: malcat | February 7, 2010, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
We need to stand up and protect the constitution. We need to defeat socialism. Get rid of Reid and Pelosi. They are those adivising the socialist in the White House.
Posted by: Moa | February 7, 2010, 1:06 pm 1:06 pm
malcat – You said “Things have got to get better…”
What in the WORLD makes you think ANYTHING will get better, at least over the next 268 days?
We’re all caught in the whirlpool that forms whenever you flush the toilet… and the only place to go is DOWN THE DRAIN!! And Obama is leading the way!!
Posted by: Laughing_All_the____Way | February 7, 2010, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm
“We need to stand up and protect the constitution. We need to defeat socialism. Get rid of Reid and Pelosi”
-Like the Republicans didn’t just get done walking all over the Constitution when they were in power. You people don’t even know what socialism is. It’s just your little bogeyman word now.
Posted by: Skip | February 7, 2010, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm
Why is it when someone complains about the MORONS in the majority, they automatically assume the complainers are members of the OTHER party.
Guess what, geniuses… a lot of us INDEPENDENTS are FED UP WITH BOTH PARTIES.
You’re BOTH going down in just 268 more days!!
Posted by: Laughing_All_the____Way | February 7, 2010, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
“The last stimulus bill didn’t create one new job.”
What an idiot. Who is dumb enough to believe this nonsense? There is a fine line of argument that the jobs created cost too much per job, but claiming that the package (which included over $200 billion in tax breaks to private individuals) didn’t create a single job simply shows how stupid he believes his base is.
Posted by: jhw539 | February 7, 2010, 1:21 pm 1:21 pm
The majority of stimulus funds did save jobs, public service jobs and pot hole filling jobs. It was a short term program and had no longterm planning involved. The Administraion is at the mercy of the just bailed out banksters.
Proof you ask? New lending plan for small businesses is for $30 billion, we have already given Banking industry $4 trillion in loans and mortgage pool purchases. Face it America, in the revolutionary war we fought the soldiers of King George, now we fight the mortgage brokers of the banksters.
Our nation is crumbling and the Obama Administration is just going along for the ride.
Posted by: Scott Alden Stabler | February 7, 2010, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm
Net result – 0 new jobs. 0 – new equipment purchased. 1 – Outdoor Ice Rink that is now sweep and resurfaced daily instead of weekly. Extra $10k going toward cost of gas for equipment usage.
MNDave | Feb 7, 2010 12:18:48 PM
The rink is now swept daily rather than weekly – is this being done for free? Or is that someone now being paid to provide the service, aka part of a job (which brings a paycheck that gets spent, helping maintain other jobs)?
It used to be Democrats were the Party of Stupid, embracing vacant headed ideas like rent control. But now Republicans have proudly wrested the Stupid title away, unable to go more than a few sentences without contradicting themselves and lacking the critical thinking ability to even notice.
Posted by: jhw539 | February 7, 2010, 1:25 pm 1:25 pm
Malcat – CONGRATS, DigitalDiva, sincerely. Any ray of sunshine is welcome. I just wish there were a lot more success stories like yours.
Thanks. There are lots more stories but mainstream media doesn’t want the American public to know about them. Everyone, go buy something from a small business.
Posted by: DigitalDiva | February 7, 2010, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
DigitalDiva – Thanks, but I think I’ll spend MY money on only the necessities of life.
This economy will have to rebound WITHOUT me. I’m now a SAVER, not a spender!!
But hey, good luck with that spending stuff… the current Administration needs you! ROTFLMFAO!!
Posted by: Laughing_All_the____Way | February 7, 2010, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm
Are there more or fewer jobs available in Mass. now than before. Give us the score on total jobs available not the shift in jobs from private to public sector jobs. Private sector jobs pay the taxes; public sector jobs use up the money. Ok yes public employees pay taxes on their income, but it does not match what they cost to keep them employed.
Posted by: Ben | February 7, 2010, 1:58 pm 1:58 pm
Well Mr. Geithner, I think Senator Brown garners more trust and respect that you. Mr. Geithner, if you have trouble with TurboTax you just may have problems with basic economics as well.
Who is the most polarizing presidentof them all? Barack Obama according to a Gallup poll! And Mr. Geithner part of that polarization is due to his appointment of misfits into bureaucratic positions.
Stimulus 1, as will Stimulus 2, has not and will not create real jobs. An expanding government with the number of government employees now topping two million and growing does not ad to capital either.
Posted by: Ed Taylor | February 7, 2010, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm
Saving is good, but what to save? Saving by not going into debt is good, but saving cash in the bank may backfire on us that do save that way. If the dollar continues to devalue, our savings in cash are stolen by inflation. So what kind of durable goods that might prove useful in a hyper-inflated economy are we to save and how long will it last when others that don’t have what you have want to take it from you?
Posted by: Ben | February 7, 2010, 2:13 pm 2:13 pm
Mr. Geithner, if you have trouble with TurboTax you just may have problems with basic economics as well.
Ed Taylor | Feb 7, 2010 1:59:50 PM
Debate by meaningless bumpersticker. It’s gotten to the point that you can hardly even understand the Party of Stupid.
Posted by: jhw539 | February 7, 2010, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
Brown was not talking about saving jobs for the financial industry Greedy Guts, he was talking about REAl JOBS for REAL people. This administration can twist words better than any I have seen in my life of 75 years. Remember Geithner’s boss saying, critize only my policies not me? He should go back and read his speeches maybe he can find them on C-Span right next to the health care debate. When they are shy only 1 vote not it’s lets really work together, This whole crew are so hyprocitical it is appaling.
Posted by: GripperDon | February 7, 2010, 2:24 pm 2:24 pm
Sen. Brown, the stimulous money created one new job that I know of — yours.
Posted by: Bobert123 | February 7, 2010, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
Government can only create government jobs. It can foster the development of private enterprise by makeing laws that are favorable to buisiness growth and development. The liberal policies that are coming from the Capital and White House will only set us back further. YOu can’t tax and spend your way to prosperity.
Posted by: steve | February 7, 2010, 2:32 pm 2:32 pm
Government can only create government jobs.
___________________________________
Not at all true. If a government funds an infrastructure program, then the various private companies that provide products or services to that project benefit. Including creating the jobs to undertake the work – whether it be producing concrete, servicing the vehicles, organizing the work, engineers to design the contruction, etc.
Posted by: tierra | February 7, 2010, 2:42 pm 2:42 pm
I almost wish McCain and Palin won so these tea party/angry old curmudgeons could lavish themselves in their “freedom” of joblessness, unending, unfunded, unnecessary wars and bankrupt healthcare system. The funny part is most of the people screaming the loudest are people that would benefit more with what Obama is looking to do. The “rich greedy” bankers and fortune 500 CEO’s should be the ones protesting the current administration. Nobody got them richer and most of America poorer than “trickle down” Ronnie Reagan and ‘W’. But they’re “your good ol’ boys”. So if they screw you and trample on the constitutionit’s for freedom & liberty. You people are laughable.
Posted by: frosty | February 7, 2010, 3:11 pm 3:11 pm
Let’s just say that Obama’s idea of stimulating the economy and Reagan’s differ, the former being a spendthrift the latter being more of an concerned leader.
And for Timmy G to parrot “we’re not bleeding near as bad a we used to” is par for his course. The point, Timmy, is that Barry and his eco team are screw-ups, just like Barry and his nat’l security team, just like Barry and his healthcare tream, not to mention Barry and his crack GM?GMAC bailout team.
Can we get rid of these clowns fast enough?
Who voted for Obama anyway???
Posted by: Pablo | February 7, 2010, 3:11 pm 3:11 pm
Another question:
Does Barry’s use of drones in Pahhhkeestan amount to a war crime? If so, should we impeach him or should we wait till he’s out of office a pursue him criminally?
Posted by: Pablo | February 7, 2010, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
gee thanks mr Geithner. A few $50k jobs was well worth $1.6million per job.
Thanks a lot!!
Posted by: jonny | February 7, 2010, 3:57 pm 3:57 pm
I agree with Scott Brown’s opinion.
Nowadays, I’ve focused on watching of CNN, special program, where the stimulus money, $78,700,000,000.- have been used and how many people get the job with the money? Mostly the 600,000 jobs by Gov. are temporary, which will be gone when the project of Gov. will be ended.
Posted by: fairnbalance | February 7, 2010, 3:58 pm 3:58 pm
“Government can only create government jobs.”
See a need, fill a need.
Posted by: Flash Override | February 7, 2010, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
Geithner is a mouthpiece only, repeating the party line, he doesn’t seem to have any real ideas and is extremely uncomfortable being in a leadership position on ABC.
Democrats say “Its all Bush’s fault, we are doing great, re-elect us”
Republicans say “Obama is a socialist, elect us before he messes everything up”
Both parties are insider only parties… time to break the stranglehold of insiders and give these guys competition.
Posted by: markc | February 7, 2010, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
“Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Friday, said the stimulus package created more than 7,000 jobs in that state.”
Uh, huh. The population of Massachusetts in 2008 was 6,497,967. Call it 6.5 Million today. Even accepting the *Democrat* governor’s claim, a 0.11% increase in jobs is hardly anything to brag about. In fact it’s likely that these jobs would have been “created or saved” WITHOUT the stimulus – many “created” jobs turn out to be merely jobs that already existed that they funded with stimulus dollars instead of state revenues. Whether those “saved” state revenues went toward job creation is questionable – in many cases they just gave themselves raises or bought more office equipment or supplies.
Posted by: Orion | February 7, 2010, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
Frooking hilliarous…Turbo Timmy saying Brown is wrong about the stimulus when the US has done but lose jobs and rack up accounts of the Obama’s administration flat out lying about jobs since Obama’s stimulus scam.
Posted by: horseforfeathers | February 7, 2010, 4:30 pm 4:30 pm
Actually Frosty, if you had an education would know that War is what is created with getting the US out of the great depression.
Posted by: horseforfeathers | February 7, 2010, 4:31 pm 4:31 pm
the fanatical finger pointing is another sign that the wheels are coming off. Obama, Geithner, et al have been in office for a year and the fox news viewers and tea party constituency (as well as pubs leadership)are waving the finger of blame that dems are responsible for all this countries woes. The house of cards that is our economy has been crumbling since wall street figured out they could sell futures & speculatory notes like junk bonds, dot com bubble start ups, over-valued real estate and get real money in return. Geithner, Bernancke, Greenspan are the guys dems and pubs put in office to keep our overly mortgaged economic machine from completely dying. Get rid of those guys, let the big american banks/ insurance companies fail and what’s left? The Chinese taking all the dollars they own and buying american companies, buildings, infrastructure. The chinese won’t sell off all their dollars because the devaluation would mean they would lose money. So they would buy everything in this country that would be foreclosed on. then china would literally own us. freedom at last!!
Posted by: frosty | February 7, 2010, 4:51 pm 4:51 pm
First, if you are one who joined the ranks of unemployed from last year and this year you can blame the GOP for the policies that cause the Great Depression of the 21st century due to the economic policies from 2001 to 2009.
When the Republicans failed to act in the October, November and December of 2008, trillion of dollars of equity were lost which directly caused the current 10% unemployment rate.
But have no fear, recovery and expansion are in the cards, sure but slowly. Jobs are lagging indicator and will take some time to rebuild and gain momentum.
Only a fool or a politician would state that the stimulus bill did not have a positive effect on stabilizing the economy and without economic stabilization or baseline any future growth would be questionable.
As for Senator Brown, his previous employment was a state legislator without any prior major national economic legislation to show for or economic expertise.
Posted by: threeriverscrossing | February 7, 2010, 4:52 pm 4:52 pm
Show us yer jobs Timmy.
Posted by: Luigi | February 7, 2010, 4:53 pm 4:53 pm
I credit Franks and Dodd and their scams with Freddie and Frannie and Obama’s acron shake down banks for the collapse.
Posted by: horseforfeathers | February 7, 2010, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
Who can have confidence on Geithner’s best guess?
Posted by: justamaz | February 7, 2010, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
This administration doesn’t want to face up to anything that’s happened and are willing to step on ANYONES toes no matter what the consequences. Shame on them.
Im literally tired of talking about the whole ordeal. I don’t know what were waiting for but my gut feeling tells me by the time Obama is finished with the country…China will own us along with Russia.
We need to make our move and get rid of all of them. They are wasting my time and my childrens. Sick of it!!
Posted by: fedup | February 7, 2010, 5:28 pm 5:28 pm
threeriverscrossing wrote: “you can blame the GOP for the policies that cause the Great Depression of the 21st century due to the economic policies from 2001 to 2009″
Then we can credit the Reagan and Bush I economic policies for the Clinton-era boom, correct?
Posted by: BillyBilly | February 7, 2010, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
Does anyone remember the website recovery? Supposively when you got to that page you could see all the jobs the first stimulus created but don’t forget, alot of those so-called “zip codes” were fake as to where the government said they sent the money too.
Brown is someone noble and good along with Palin and cares about this country. Forget she is a female folks and listen to her words. I would vote for either.
It’s horrible the way this is going. I have been sitting here wondering what Obama would benefit from all this….I just don’t want to see us hanging on and on and on til we can’t turn things around.
Because of Brown, we stand a real chance of getting back our country.
Posted by: fedup | February 7, 2010, 5:37 pm 5:37 pm
Brown’s claim that the stimulus didn’t create one job is ludicrous. There can be legitimate debate about how to count the number of jobs saved or created, and about the wisdom of the details and the size of the stimulus, but his claim is pure partisan fantasy. It doesn’t encourage me that he seems to be starting off as a Senator by making these kinds of claims.
Posted by: factscount | February 7, 2010, 6:16 pm 6:16 pm
Hello!!! Timothy Geithner Stop your fat lying which you are already in a verge of losing your job. Scott Brown was talking about private job that have not been created or saved, not federal, state, and county which cost us billions of dollars down the drain and those jobs are temp. to fool american people for dem. and president to get re-elected. By the time 2012 comes then you have no choice but cut massive gov. jobs to stop that crazy out of control debts
Posted by: David | February 7, 2010, 6:20 pm 6:20 pm
Just like the loan modification, just rhetoric. The banks have no respect or concern for anyone but themselves. We have been on the loan mod for 6 months and still no answer from BofA. All that has happened is a trashed credit score now and the bank will reap the benefit of the 100k down patment and other “fees”.
Posted by: rwspanglerq | February 7, 2010, 6:21 pm 6:21 pm
Little Timmy is doing the same thing his boss does, lie. He is picking up all of Obama’s bad habits.
Posted by: oldrtoy | February 7, 2010, 6:47 pm 6:47 pm
Remember back in January of 09. If the stimulus wasn’t passed Obama said the unemployment rate would go past 8% and the end of the world would happen. Well we went well past 8%. Only 9% of the stimulus was for infrastructure which would have been used to build roads and bridges. But the vast majority was used by states to preserve their own budgets. Muni unions made out but not construciton unions. Shovel ready projects included long range high spped rail that won’t be built in years. So the stimulus was a sham to get money for Democrat pet projects and unions. Brown was exagerating but so was Timmy. The Prez and the Dems lied to the the people. They really don’t have a clue on how to get the economy going. Only private industry creates jobs that last.
Posted by: jschmidt | February 7, 2010, 7:04 pm 7:04 pm
I agree with you Billy
Posted by: Arthur W. Burns | February 7, 2010, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm
History and solid economic theory is proof that a trickle-down method is too slow and highly ineffective in stimulating a weak economy. Without additional stimulus (even with additional U.S. debt), we will see many, many people suffer for a very, very long time. Because of eight years of Bush & Cheney (including one unnecessary war, tax cuts for the wealthy, etc.), the United States has been severely weakened. This is a very sad time in our history; it will take years to “fix” the damage caused by the radical conservatives.
Posted by: jmb | February 7, 2010, 8:20 pm 8:20 pm
jmb- when has govt laid off? If you increase govt spending for hiring, you’ll never be able to cut back on spending because the unions will never allow it. Once the govt either employees or gives entitlement to more the 50% of the voters, they would tend to keep the Democrats in power forever. Big govt will not get us out of this mess and only private industry will get us out. And Congress men from oth parties got us into this mess. Don’t forget Frank/Dodd cheerleading for Fannie and Freddie while taking large amounts of contributions. Don’t forget Clinton signed the repeal of Glas Steagel. Don’t forget, most Democrats supported going into Iraq.
Posted by: jschmidt | February 7, 2010, 8:46 pm 8:46 pm
Hey, timmy, will you bet our tax return on that?
No NET jobs have been created by the stimulus.
When unemployment was 6% in 2001, Nancy Pelosi demanded of Bush WHERE ARE THE JOBS!
Well, Timmy, other than no-show government jobs to increase union paying federal workers, there are no NET JOBS!
Posted by: Karen | February 7, 2010, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm
Were you kids asleep when the stimulus passed? Our economy was tanking. There was no plan to be able to create “net” new jobs (total jobs created – jobs lost) – it was an attempt from keeping the bottom of this recession from going as deep as it was heading. For goodness sakes, your argument would have more credibility if you started from a less hysterical, less cyinical position.
Posted by: Mom | February 7, 2010, 9:08 pm 9:08 pm
Brown sounds like Palin. ANother republican so caught in their looks they forgot to exercise their brain. I live in mass, and I know of jobs that resulted from stimulus spending. Brown seemed good with all the talk of the healthcare bill. Everyone hated that bill. But now, buyers remorse. Never really realized he was so stupid.
Posted by: joe | February 7, 2010, 11:35 pm 11:35 pm
if you had an education would know that War is what is created with getting the US out of the great depression—oh gee, and nobody goes into debt from a war??? FDR walked into office with 25% unemployment and brought it down 16% by the time the bombs dropped on pearl harbor. It was 9% that day. And the only difference between the New Deal 1 & 2 and the war, was spending. We spent MUCH More during the war and we went into MUCH more debt and we had NO income for any of it. Britian did not pay us once cent for what we sent them, yet the government all but took over factories andbought every single thing they made and employed nearly a generation of men, trained them, fed them, clothed them, housed them. IF the depression was spending, the war was spending on steriods, and yes, that spending is what got us OUT of the depressio nand into the boom-time 50s, when we paid off the wartime debt, quite easily, with our growing GDP.
Posted by: seriously | February 7, 2010, 11:38 pm 11:38 pm
hey folks ,the GDP grew last quarter – the first time in two years. Fact. It’s working. REad forbes Magazine, read Business week magazine ,read Wall Street Journail and read The Economst magazine. All agree. The stimulus did help.
Posted by: seriously | February 7, 2010, 11:41 pm 11:41 pm
Of course the stimulus helped. Three of the 5.7 points are a direct result of stimulus spending. I’m just not sure how long China can afford to grow Obama’s GDP.
Posted by: smartlillena | February 8, 2010, 12:29 am 12:29 am
jschmidt posted “Don’t forget, most Democrats supported going into Iraq.” Sorry, but this isn’t true at all. 98% of Republicans voted going into Iraq; only 40% of Democrats voted for going into Iraq. The numbers are out there; all you have to do is look them up.
Posted by: Faurtz8 | February 8, 2010, 12:48 am 12:48 am
Posted by: posted “Don’t forget Clinton signed the repeal of Glas Steagel.” Sure, as long as YOU don’t forget who wrote the bill. That also goes for the bill that stopped derivatives from being regulated. Can you say Phil “I got my wife a great job a Enron with that loophole” Gramm. Talk about your crooks.
Posted by: Faurtz8 | February 8, 2010, 1:01 am 1:01 am
“Don’t forget Clinton signed the repeal of Glas Steagel.” —-because the republicans made it quite clear that was exactly what they were going to, and the legislation had some other htings Clinton wanted to pass. it was teh last piece of legislation Clinton signed after bush was elected. Republicans said ‘we will do this, with or without you once bush gets in” so clinton’s hands were tied. There were other things on that bill. Were he to veto the bill, why bother? Bush would just sign it the following week when he came in. IT was written by a republican ,it was pushed by the republican congress and when the republican president bush was elected it was a done deal. It was a republican victory and Bush had then 8 years to re-instate it but he never did, because it was his intention, it was in line with hte republican theory of no regulations, no government, and it was exactly what they wanted. “Let the bad banks fail” said Bush. So niave. NEver occured to him the ‘bad banks” would be ALL the banks.
Posted by: seriously | February 8, 2010, 2:33 am 2:33 am
“Don’t forget, most Democrats supported going into Iraq.” –no they didn’t. and of those who did, shame on them for believing Bush. It was Cheney who got up in front of the world and confidently proclaimed “We not only know they have WMD, we know where they are”. uh huh. Bold face lie. And when someone lies like this, you really blame the folks who believed him? Isn’t it sad that a congressman can’t trust the president and vice president of the United States to trust their word? I dont blame the folks who believed him. I blame the liars for misleading. They should be put in jail for needlessly murdering over 4000 of our own Americans in a stupid war that need never be waged. We’d be better off today had we never gone in. Frankly, who gives a crap about Sadam Huessien. He was irrelevant and obviously, NOT in possession of anything that could have harmed us AND he kept AQ out of his country while he was alive. We would actually be safer WITH saddam back in power right now.
Posted by: seriously | February 8, 2010, 2:38 am 2:38 am
I think the Bots are mentally off their rockers….I didn’t support a land war in Iraq, but they certainly deserved to be bombed into oblivian. Several tons of yellow cake were from Iraq despite the repeated nonsense of the bots saying there were no wmd. Do you hear me bots, several tons of yellow cake? Not that it matters, Bush is gone and despite all he did wrong—–he was a far far better president than the communist we have in office now.
Posted by: horseforfeathers | February 8, 2010, 6:23 am 6:23 am
Actually Initially the dems were against getting rid of Glass-Seagall, but changed their minds as their “new” rules were worked into the bill which screwed us…. in the end 90 Senators voted for it, 8 against, with 1 not voting and not mention of the remaining senator in 1999. Clinton did sign it—–trying to justify his actions is pathetic. I wouldn’t have signed a bad law no matter who was coming after me.
Posted by: horseforfeathers | February 8, 2010, 6:37 am 6:37 am
It worked. The fake zip codes did the best. The money should have gone direct to the american taxpayers and not for political buy offs and favors.
Posted by: jamescbuilder | February 8, 2010, 7:40 am 7:40 am
that’s a pretty weak-kneed response from geithner. how this guy could inspire confidence in anyone is beyond comprehension.
Posted by: davidfrat21 | February 8, 2010, 7:51 am 7:51 am
Ok Republicans. What’s the answer? Were are your suggestions and ideas? You complain all the time about this apparent “socialistic” gov’t that you say Obama is trying to create and when there are no jobs what do you do? You cry to the gov’t – “where’s my job. I need a job. Make me a job!” Well you do not want a socialistic gov’t. So, go get your own damn job. Be creative and create your own job. This isn’t a social gov’t. You’re on your own to reach the American dream so shut up and get your own job. Make it happen for you.
Posted by: Jackson | February 8, 2010, 8:42 am 8:42 am
Geithner knows what he is doing and I am glad he stands up to his critics. Did any of the naysayers watch Hank Paulson and Alan Greenspan yesterday on Meet The Press?? Before you criticize the Obama administration too much on economic strategy, listen to these guys who were there under Bush.
Posted by: Independent1959 | February 8, 2010, 9:46 am 9:46 am
Brown can’t be wrong. After all Brown pays his taxes. So he must know economics and the law.
Posted by: Jim Rod | February 8, 2010, 9:52 am 9:52 am
So the new Republican Senator jumping right it the big LYE campaing with the rest of his party. So much for being independant. It is as far right as Cheney and has the same attitude. Remember that this is the guy that said there where more important things to do with the money the state wanted to give for the 911 recovery crews. He doesn’t care about people just his career.
Posted by: texas outlaw | February 8, 2010, 11:01 am 11:01 am
Spelling correction. The Republican BIG LIE campaign.
Posted by: texas outlaw | February 8, 2010, 11:02 am 11:02 am
the dems have proven they would rather screww the country and kill jobs in the name of illeagal immigration, health care and cap and trade. the annenberg saul alinsky way of the ends justify the means.very much like chavez.palin is not the answer but she does expose the problem: obama has less experience than palin and has never ran anything and its become obvious to all.
Posted by: catman | February 8, 2010, 11:27 am 11:27 am
And Geithner is right? If the Democrats have proven anything it is how incredibly inept they are about anything, especially the economy. Brown just came to town and they beating him up, no surprise for the democrats know only one way that is to hate anyone who may oppose them.
No surprise here. The reason they hate Palin is she talks straight and makes since. As they say the truth hurts and they have been lying for so long they have lost all civility and reality. We need to get rid of all the Democrats and half the Republicans and replace them with Americans who care about our country than their own rear ends.
So we will hear more and more how Brown is ruining the country by himself and how the poor old dems are trying to stop him. Doesn’t this make anybody sick?
Over 70% of the people think the so called stimulus stinks and had done nothing but protect the big guys with no accountabiliy.
Posted by: A citizen | February 8, 2010, 11:34 am 11:34 am
Brown is coming across as just another goof-ball lock step Rep. We didn’t send this guy to Washington to lock step with the Pugs. IF he doesn’t vote for what’s right for Mass. he can drive his pick-up back home and not get to play basketball with Obama. He won’t be elected again to anything. I may have voted for him, but the way this is working out looks like I’ll be sorry on down the road. He better wake up…Massachusetts is what he better be ALL about.
Posted by: Massvoter | February 8, 2010, 11:38 am 11:38 am
TAKE TWO words out of geithners vocabulary and he would be speechless.AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Posted by: rking | February 8, 2010, 11:55 am 11:55 am
Brown is the perfect example of what happens when voters vote with shallowness, emotion and hysteria. It is called “backlash” politics. It is always fueled by fear, misinformation, drama hysteria and most important of all – misplaced anger. Never facts, just short term “hysteria”. No wonder your parents always tried to teach you to “keep your temper”. My prediciction is that in no time all, Mr. Brown will show how inept he is and Massachusettes will be suffering “buyer regret”.
Posted by: CND FOX | February 8, 2010, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
Repubs used to be pro small business and railed against “job creation spending”. They supported (as I do) creating an environment that allowed people to create small businesses and help them grow.
Anyone want to know where the jobs are going? Call to pay your phone bill with a credit card… there will be a voice on the other end that barely speaks English taking your credit card number.
That’s one more gift from the “New Corporate Republican Caucus”. They’ve been shipping our jobs overseas and lapping up the Lobbyist Gravy.
Posted by: DewyB | February 8, 2010, 12:20 pm 12:20 pm
Yes, the stimulus created a few dozen jobs. Big deal. The cost per job, was horrendous.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | February 8, 2010, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm
california schools south of sacramento are going broke because they have to have two schools for each student because of bilingual education. if you cant learn english at home like every other immugrant did you should pay for it not me. the democrat progressives are turing our state into a third world country.
Posted by: catman | February 8, 2010, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
massvoter…he will be there for 6 years. long after obama is replaced by hilary or a republican. either one is fine with me as hilary has consrvative credentials and realizes who creates real jobs in this country.
Posted by: catman | February 8, 2010, 12:56 pm 12:56 pm
Why would getiner be worried about what a new freshman senator says? Oh wait, Brown thinks like the majority of Americans and so Timmy is trying to tell all of we are wrong. Sorry, Timmy, we aint buying it.
Posted by: billy bob | February 8, 2010, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
Why can’t we just fire the whole bunch of them? Don’t they know how miserable they are making us citizens. It is now hte burden of the citizens to give up all thier money for government and government greed, now we are also paying for porno, sex tapes, acts and anything else these dirty congressional people want at our expense. do you knwo how it feels to go to work today and worry about making sure first that I have enough taxes taken out each day I work to assure the government is getting thier fair share off my sweaty balls. Do they realized from the people they are draining dry that they are creating a madness that is undescribable for us poor fools. Sure go get jobs because the more people employed the more the government can take and break from us. When am I going to be able to live in this country I was born in instaed of having to dodge the tax man or governemnt officials who want more out of my pants than what i am able to give. I am giving up my right to life in order for some congressman or some banker to have what they have already ten folds. When is the help coming to the citizens of the united states?
Posted by: zap812 | February 8, 2010, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
Geithner has been wrong about most things! THIS CORRUPT ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO CREATE JOBS, REDUCE SPENDING AND DEBT, PAY ATTENTION TO HOMELAND SECURITY, AMONG OTHER THINGS. WE DON’T WANT THEIR GOVERNMENT-RUN HCR. This administration has no problem governing “against” the will of the people of America. If they cram their HCR down our throats in 2010 – maybe we’ll cram it down theirs in November.
Posted by: WILL OBAMA EVER DO HIS JOB? | February 8, 2010, 2:30 pm 2:30 pm
Yes, and unemployment won’t go above 8%,
Sorry Mr.Geitner your track record is dismal at best.
Posted by: hkdakota | February 8, 2010, 2:34 pm 2:34 pm
Geither was apointed to heD THE TREASURY DEPT AFTER A STINT ON WALL STREET WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO GOT US IN A MESS. DOESN´T FILE THE PROPER INCOME TAX, AND BLAMES IT ON TURBO TAX SOFTWARE. IT USED TO BE IF YOU HIRED A MAID AND DIDN´T PAY THE PROPER TAX, THEY REMOVED YOU
Posted by: madmax | February 8, 2010, 4:22 pm 4:22 pm
Gee Tim, what do you expect from a guy who thinks AIG is a bank?
Oh that’s you.
Never mind!
Posted by: Miri | February 8, 2010, 6:12 pm 6:12 pm
I am so tired of all the fear-mongers out there. Do you really understand exactly what socialism is? You hang on to those rhetorical words and just get caught up in slinging them around without really understanding what you are saying. Bush left this country is a serious mess.Free spending with no accountability. Now Obama and team are trying to do the best they can to fix the mess left by the party of “no” and their rich bank cronies. I have never seen a President try to reach across the aisle like Obama has. He is serious about trying to make a better life for every American – rich and poor. Unfortunately they have a serious uphill struggle. Let the GOP all sit around with their fingers up their _ _ _ _ and see how much further this countries’ problems spiral out out of control. Come on people let’s work together on this and get the politics out of the way!!! I am just sick of it!
Posted by: TBESH | February 8, 2010, 7:22 pm 7:22 pm
Geithner knows what he’s doing? Hmmm. So he KNEW what he was doing when he failed to pay his taxes? That would make him a criminal under Federal Tax Law. The whole point about the Socialism arguement is that we don’t have socialism because we can’t afford it unless we want to live in a third world country. That said, we don’t need to be sociaists to have impurity in the free marketplace which will ultimately bring down our entire free-market system. They don’t have to be socialists to destroy America–only traitors, thieves, corrupt, and intellectually unprepared to run the country.
Posted by: Dennis in AZ | February 8, 2010, 8:24 pm 8:24 pm
Posted by: TBESH | Feb 8, 2010 7:22:47 PM
TBESH, Barack Obama was mentored as a youth for 5 years by Frank Marshall Davis–a Communist agitator. Barack Obama studied for years the principles of Saul Alinsky–a neo-Marxist. Barack Obama applied those principles as a community organizer. And now President Barack Obama is attempting to incorporate those principles in his domestic policy. The fact of the matter is President Obama has anti-Capitalist tendancies and believes deeply in the principles of Saul Alinsky.
Posted by: James Danley | February 8, 2010, 8:48 pm 8:48 pm
Yeah brown was an idiot..hasn’t created one job? seriously? did he get people to believe that. do you believe that? are people really that stupid.. I know personally four people who have been able to keep their jobs or had jobs created for them. So this dimwitted ex-model needs to keep his mouth shut and start doing something for the american people. The stimulus was supposed to stabilize the economy not create millions of jobs and get rid of unemployment all together and it has worked in that respect we don’t need another one. and the economy is growing again.
Posted by: brian | February 9, 2010, 11:49 am 11:49 am
All the union members who voted for Scott Brown, Blanche Lincoln and Ben Nelson just got their thanks.
Posted by: Simon | February 9, 2010, 8:10 pm 8:10 pm
“The stimulus was supposed to stabilize the economy not create millions of jobs…”
Posted by: brian | Feb 9, 2010 11:49:29 AM
______
Reuters Jan 10, 2009: “President-elect Barack Obama said on Saturday an analysis of his stimulus proposals showed that up to 4 million U.S. jobs could be saved or created by 2010, nearly 90 percent of them in the private sector.”
Opening paragraph from the article, “Obama vows stimulus plans will create millions of jobs,” by Jack Chang (McClatchy Newspapers) dated Jan 11, 2009: “President-elect Barack Obama projected Saturday that his yet-to-be-written economic stimulus plan would create nearly 3.7 million jobs by the end of next year, mainly in construction, leisure services and manufacturing.”
OBAMA on Feb 5, 2009: “This plan will save or create over three million jobs – almost all of them in the private sector.”
OBAMA on Feb 17, 2009 during remarks on signing the stimulus bill into law: “What makes this recovery plan so important, is not just that it will create or save three-and-a-half million jobs over the next two years…”
Posted by: James Danley | February 9, 2010, 9:49 pm 9:49 pm
Brown is right, Geithner is wrong. Obama gave millions to AIG and GM so they could hire back people they laid off. No new jobs were created. And what does Geithner know. Obama has the worst administration of any president of this country. Gibbs, Gates and Geithner. The three goons of the century. What in the world was he thinking?
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | February 10, 2010, 11:41 am 11:41 am
catman: You are so right. My belief is Obama is not going to get a second term. He has made too many mistakes especially that healthcare bill. People want to choose their own insurance not the governments insurance. That’s what inexperience does and the voters who put him in office are probably crying now. Obama is lying to the public about jobs. Why are some companies closing. And public schools don’t have the funds. This generation of democrats are a joke. But how they are not laughing. I didn’t vote Obama so I can laugh.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | February 10, 2010, 11:47 am 11:47 am
massvoter. Don’t go knocking Brown unless you have a good reason. He no doubt is using his education that’s why he is a senator. And what do you do for a living? Brown knows exactly what he is talking about and he can put Obama to shame when it comes to politics. Apparently you voted for Obama and now your crying like the rest of American citizens.
Posted by: Mariann Pepitone | February 10, 2010, 11:52 am 11:52 am
Timothy Geithner is a tax cheat, why should we believe anything he says. The fact is that Government does not create jobs, real jobs are created by small businesses in the private sector. Obama has done abdolutely nothing to help small businesses, his main concern has been payback to labor unions and special interests that helped him get elected.
Posted by: wizcat123 | February 13, 2010, 11:18 pm 11:18 pm
The senate proposed a job agenda on feb 4,2010 that concentrated on creating jobs and helping small businesses thrive. The senate states that they will start passing bills to help in this situation. President Obama statedon feb 6, 2010 he wants to include taking $30 billion from TARP fund to create a new small business lending fund from banks, which would allow owners to refinance the mortgages. He also proposed new tax credits for small businesses that hire new workers The president also proposed tax credits for those employers that raise their employees wages. He also would like to eliminate capitol gain and support the “inovative” small businesses. It is truly up to the senate and the house of representatives to pass this bill. If congress can’t agree on the proposal made by the president then it will not make it into law. These days it seems as congress can’t agree on anything. I believe that the president is doing the right thing. It’s congress that can’t make up their minds.
Posted by: bunny | March 5, 2010, 11:55 am 11:55 am