President Barack Obama held his first press conference, dealing primarily with the stimulus package due to be voted on in the Senate today. He spoke of some of the real problems that folks outside of Washington are facing, and will be traveling the country again today to talk about the government’s response. Obama dealt with questions on Republican charges of “fiscal irresponsibility.” From the Washington Post:
Obama swiftly dismissed claims of fiscal irresponsibility, saying: “It’s a little hard for me to take criticism from folks, about this recovery package, after they presided over a doubling of the national debt. I’m not sure they have a lot of credibility when it comes to fiscal responsibility.”
Yes the Republican Party, with a straight face, is now speaking of fiscal responsibility. This from a Party that controlled the Presidency and both Houses of Congress for five full years, and managed to turn a huge surplus into deficits as far as the eye can see. Maybe they have converted from the belief, expressed succinctly by former Vice President Dick Cheney, that “deficits don’t matter”. But I digress. Obama made the case that doing nothing is not an option. And I truly believe the American people are with him on that score. The stimulus package survived its first test yesterday, surviving with three Republican votes: Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Arlen Specter of PA. Final passage should come today in the Senate. Then the heavy lifting of hashing out the differences with the House in conference.
Bill Manzi.com 
Your Honor,
You are wrong again.
1. George Bush had 6 out of eight years running strong economy.
2. The last 2 years, after the Democratic legislation victories, rode us in to the melt down resulting from years of pushing unsafe mortgages.
3.Like some of our liberal friends in this blog, the president is going to have to run to the future.
Talking about that, I was listening to Finneran show on WRKO and Jim from Methuen called in. I wondered if this was our blog buddy. He drooled over Obama (Ton Fineberg thought he was boring), then Jim said all conservatives live off their inheritances; Bingo it was Jim.I could actually hear him ruffling through his little red book.
Jules
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Your Honor,
Don’t forget, with all his economic power in the White House, it was Nanacy Pelosi, A San Fransisco Democrat, that wrote the stimulus Bill, at least the House version.
She was a child in a candy store.
The President said, with a straight face, the bill had no earmarks or pork. He lied.
Jules
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And that, my friends, is the genesis of the phrase “those that forget history are doomed to repeat it”.
And if you define low job growth, tax cuts favoring the rich, budget deficits that doubled the national debt, the lack of an energy policy that helped push gasoline prices up over 4.00 a gallon, and a war we didn’t have to fight, then, yeah, sure, the last 8 years were the best. Ever.
To borrow a phrase from Mr. Reagan, are you better off than you were 9 years ago?
-FM
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Jim:
If that was you, congratulations! I mean, being able to listen to Tom Finneran and WRKO. I tried it once, but my stomach was too weak!
-FM
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Fred, my friend.
You are right, I thought Finneran would be a moonbat, but he is actually somewhat conservative.
The 6 years of Bush Presidency employment ran below 4%.
Explain how tax cut for the rich works. It’s a red book phrase not an actual fact.
Can you tell me how your mistaken charge of attaching the $4 gas to Bush. While he was still in office it fell darn close to $1.
Enlighten me on the Democratic energy plan.
Actually, we were doing quite well for 6 years. It was after the Democrats won the 2006 election that the economy took a turn. You know, the Barney Frank melt down.
Wait until you see the horrible items in the Stimulus bill,and it’s going to get worse.
I assume you are looking forward to Universal health care phase I as a case in point.
Stay tuned for the House/senate compromise.
Got to go take out a withdrawl from my inheritance.
Jules.
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Let’s see, Obama walks in, starts whining about the deficit he inherited and his solution? Spend even more. Wow, sounds like a solution!!
And what exactly is in this thing? Well, here’s something that no one is talking about:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_mccaughey&sid=aLzfDxfbwhzs
What the hell is going on here?? Will you Obama-philes put away your kneepads alerady.
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HA!
It wasn’t this Jim!! Every now and then, when I’m feeling like I need to work out, I may tune into to listen to 96.9 FM just to get my adrenaline flowing and my heart pumping, but that usually lasts about 60 seconds — but hey, like other talents I have, it was a GREAT 60 seconds! 😉
However, I have no desire to call in and counter right-wing neocon arguments as it’s typically wasted energy, and contrary views to right-wing stations are cutoff with the flick of a switch.
Jules makes a much easier target here… 🙂
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Jules:
Weelll (in my best Ronald Reagan voice): When I give a tax cut to the Rich, I put it in the hands of the people best able to judge proper investment. Thus, the benefits of those investments will “trickle down” to the rest of the common folk like me (not sure about you, because you vote Republican, you must be rich). I can find the data if you want, but I’m feeling lazy right now. Suffice it to say, pretty well documented, even outside the Party Red Book. I’m surprised, isn’t this one of your cherished tenets?
How do I attach the gas to Bush? By relaxing rules pertaining to the CFTC, and allowing oil futures to be traded by over the counter markets, outside of US regulation (both Wendy and Phil Gramm had big pieces of this, too. Wendy, if you recall, was head of CFTC and passed the original Enron loopholes). Oil prices dropped dramatically in August, miraculously after Congress passed a bill curbing the use of foreign exchanges to manipulate US oil prices (or so I remember, but I’m sure you already know it).
Democratic energy plan: Focus on more efficient vehicles, transmission infrastructure, building energy savings, green energy investments, and basic energy research, with an end point undetermined goal of getting off foreign oil. Venture markets have taken a pause during the downturn, but there are still decent levels out there.
If you blame the Dems for the last two years of Bush the Younger: your challenge is to point to just one piece of legislation passed by Democrats that you feel was the cause (remembering that the Dems did not have a veto proof majority during those two years, and thus, Bush could veto anything Republicans didn’t like).
Can’t wait to see the stimulus, hope it works at least half as well as it’s supposed to. I’ve done the reading, I understand the goals.
I am looking forward to a reform of health care: we pay way too much for way too little, and it’s one of the items that drive the cost of doing business in the US up, as well as taking over a huge piece of the federal Medicare budget. Both business and consumers should be looking forward to it. We are the only industrialized country that doesn’t have it, ’bout time we joined the 20th century.
I am staying tuned: my guess is to retain the 3 senate votes, the bill is going to look more like the senate version than the house version, but I’ll hold judgement to see just how good your friend Nancy Pelosi is at negotiating.
Hey, while you’re at your trust fund lawyers, withdraw a little more for us poor liberals, won’t you?
-FM
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Geez, Patrizia: actually, we were looking to see if you would loan us your Bush kneepads, but we assumed they were worn out!
But somewhat seriously, health reform will not be painless. I remember reading a statistic (don’t know if it’s still true) that 90% of health care dollars are spent in a patient’s last six months of life. My guess is that there are going to be some hard choices around end of life decisions that are going to cause us to think.
-FM
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Jules:
I missed one of your points: unemployment rates when Bush took over were 4.2%, and were never lower through his term.
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics historical data on unemployment:
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LNS14000000
-FM
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Fred, Your right. I meant 5%. Still not bad for 6 uninterrupted years, including 9/11.
If any of you fellas are looking forward to European life stile (10% unemployment). There will be a health czar in this system. The dissemination of health care will be based on financial vs benefit considerations. It will be Europe like Europe never was. Obama’s gone moonbat.
I watched Obama in Florida. “Mr. president I need a small car, new bathroom……”
“Mr. President I’m on unemployment for $1,600 per month down from $3600 when I was working. Why can’t the you make up the difference”.
No free citizens here.
Kinda sounds like you guys.
Jules
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Hey Fred,
Just because you are in heavy usage with your kneepads, please don’t accuse me of the same.
Unless of course, you like the holding your ankles position. That might suit you better.
Ramming speed!!
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Patrizia:
I’m not sure I could hold my ankles if I tried …
But now that you mention it, you do have something in common with Rush, who seems to dream about holding his ankles. What are you guys trying to tell us?
-FM
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Jules:
Depends on the Europeans you’re talking about, but yes, I think we may have something to learn from them. Productivity gains tend to end up more in their workers pockets, like they used to here. They tend to have decent health care available to all, and they pay less than we do. They drive small cars because they fully fund their transportation system, instead of leaving it to rot. They tend to jealously fight for workers rights, like we used to. They also tend to have better educational systems, as we used to, because their taxes pay for schools.
I enjoy going to Europe. Not sure yet I want to live there yet, but their public debate also seems to be a notch up from our own.
Yep, there are things we can learn from Europe.
-FM
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Jules:
When I heard the last questioner tell Obama she and her family were living in her car, and could he please help, I was first sad. Then angry. No one in America should be forced into living in their car, while John Thain can afford to take shareholder profits and buy a $35,000 commode.
I guess that makes me a liberal. So be it.
Being free means more than being free to starve to death in the world’s wealthiest country.
-FM
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Jules:
On health care, you should expect financial considerations to have bearing on care, after all, you’re not a socialist. The wealthy will always have access to anything they want or need, those of us with less means may choose to supplement what Medicare will provide, those with no means can depend only on what Medicare and the trust fund can afford. It’s the American way that you’ve always been in favor of, right? I would have thought you’d be happy!
-FM
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Fred,
You have entered moonbat heaven.
As far as Europe is considered you had better get away from moonbat Google. Your are taxed for your free stuff; great welfare and free(?) hospitalization. Welfare is so good the French and Greeks rioted when it was suggested that welfare could be cut.
I read your entries above, and you make my point about being free in spirit. Your point is that freedom is the same as that Florida crowd that begged Obama for free stuff.
Jules
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Jules:
Ah, I wondered why the sky was different …
Yes, I am taxed for everything I get. Willingly, because I believe in the collective good. I have no kids in school, but I gladly pay the school taxes, so that the next generation can have the opportunities I had.
The French and Greeks in particular are not paid as well as you and I are: that’s why they riot. When I was in Paris, they told me it was not uncommon for Parisians not to have any money in their pockets. But they eat well, drink well, and are happy. Here, we kill ourselves at work, watch our 401(k) statements, spend ourselves into debt, all to add a third car to the garage.
Who can say which is better?
So, as I posed in the other thread: you say that people have grown too used to state welfare, I say it’s because the economic system are not serving their needs. It’s one, or the other. If you want to export jobs and depress wages, be ready for more socialism (or bread lines, or riots, depending on public mood).
Freedom is to be allowed a reasonable shot at the Pursuit of Happiness (or so says the Declaration …). Not about getting free stuff, as most of the Florida crowd thought.
The elderly lady at the end got to me, though.
-FM
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And this just in from the AP. I am giddy, GIDDY with excitement. Where will I go, what will I do with ALL this stimulus payback??? HAIL THE MESSIAH!!!
“Q: What are some of the tax breaks in the bill?
A: It includes Obama’s signature “Making Work Pay” tax credit for 95 percent of workers, though negotiators agreed to trim the credit to $400 a year instead of $500 — or $800 for married couples, cut from Obama’s original proposal of $1,000. It would begin showing up in most workers’ paychecks in June as an extra $13 a week in take-home pay, falling to about $8 a week next January.”
THIRTEEN DOLLARS A WEEK!!! HAIL, HAIL THE MESSIAH!! PRAISE GEEEEEEZZUZ!!! CAN I GET AN AMEN. JULES, CAN I GET AN AMENNNNNNN!!!!
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I guess whatever way it works for you Patrizia! Lump sum to pay down debt (like I did with the Bushie cut), or an incremental amount to spend weekly as behavioral economics suggests…
What I would be MOST curious to find out is which party (and for what reason) was resposnible for getting it cut back from $500 to $400. My money’s on the pubbies so they can claim a victory…
“Evidence from behavioral economics suggests that taxpayers view small increments to after-tax pay as income, to be spent, whereas they tend to view lump-sum payments as wealth, to be saved. (James Surowiecki summarizes this point in “A Smarter Stimulus.”) Thus, the reduction in withholding would likely be an especially effective way to deliver stimulus.”
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And the beat goes on. RAMMING SPEED, Jim and Fred. Bend over now. You know you love it.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/12/earmark-less-bill-gives-pelosis-mouse-cookie/
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Patrizia:
Can I suggest that you use your part of the stimulus to stop cutting your meds and take the full dose?
Take a breath, even if it is through your mouth …
http://mediamatters.org/items/200902120017
-FM
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Fred,
In reference to the mediamatters link in your 5:54 post:
Please don’t let facts get in the way of a perfectly good fictitious foxsnooze sound bite meant for the gullible masses with low IQ’s to ingest and spread as truth…
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Ah, Media Matters. With a straight face, you post a ditty from Media Matters. Funded by George Soros. Oh, now THAT’S a fair and balanced source.
Fred, please, the pork on this bill is STAGGERING. Of course, the slow-thinking and knuckle-draggers fully support it. So, Fred, pick your knuckles up off the floor, wrap them around that thick pork, and have at it. Not a problem for you, as you like to swallow.
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Patrizia,
Amennnnnn.
I don’t know about you, but all I get is a whole plethora of personal insults taken from the little red book all Liberals carry around, that programs them to say things like, “tax cuts for the rich”.
I am waiting to see how these fine fellows react when the stimulus bill produces inflation. I know what they will say. “Bush lied”.
Jules
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Yawn:
Keep digging, Patrizia:
=================================
Drudge falsely claimed Soros funds Media Matters
Internet gossip Matt Drudge has claimed that Media Matters for America is a “Soros operation.”
In fact, Media Matters has never received funding from progressive philanthropist George Soros.
========================================
And again, the preoccupation Republicans have with gay sex. I think you protest too much …
Get back on the Ritalin.
-FM
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Jules:
We’ll be lucky if we get to the point where this bill causes inflation …
-FM
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Besides, you must have missed the Drudge/Rush report that told you to say that all Liberals like midget porn. If you’re gonna insult someone, do it right!
PS. David Vitter wears adult diapers. Really.
-FM
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C’mon, a little further, and we can beat the pot thread easy!
Mark Foley solicited 17 year old male pages. Really.
-FM
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… and at the end, I’ll leave, sorry for my part in dragging the general discourse to this level.
Failed the first rule of arguing on the internet …
-FM
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Hey Fred,
At the request of President Obama, the House just renamed the Stimulus bill that they just passed scant moments ago (I think the President had you in mind). From here on in, it shall be termed:
I’ll Pork Your Lips. Now.
stimulus plan
Ooooh, and it’s a BIG WASSEL right there for ya. Open wide, you love it.
1/20/13
AND
TWENTY-TEN
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In closing, I’d like to address the President, the House, and the Senate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EO4nYqAOfM
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Ah, we’ve almost made it back to junior high school …
No. YOU’RE gay (found my caps lock key).
(But, I’m required as a liberal to say, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that”).
But thanks for posting the video, exactly on point.
PS. Larry Craig taps toes in bathroom stalls.
-FM
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Um Fred, To imply that the patricidal Patrizia ‘made it back to junior high school’ would suggest that HE actually made it into junior high school (there’s no way this is a female in any way/shape or form).
Please keep in mind that rabid, far-right neocon supporters with VERY low intelligence levels always resort to sexually suggestive same-sex innuendo to argue their points…
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Does all this “talk” mean that post partisanship is dead?
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Your Honor
Dead on arrival.
Jules
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I love it when we get down to the least (and I mean the very least) common denominator. It does sort of parallel the level of political discourse in the country overall, does it not?
Sigh.
Oh, Canada …
-FM
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But I still have no issue taking Jules up on his coffee offer. I’ve enjoyed the arguments, and at least on my side, don’t view anything we’ve traded as personal insult. Political insult, that’s another story entirely …
-FM
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Jim:
Thanks for reminding me … all you have to do as a reminder is read most commentary posted after rabid posted articles for confirmation …
See, I thought this might go a couple more rounds, when I could note that I thought that the entire country had been f***** up the a** by the Gay Old Party for far too long already …
Sometimes it takes awhile to set up the joke.
-FM
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Oh, and I forgot: there IS something wrong with that.
-FM
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