President Barack Obama - Term 1 and 2 Thread

[The_Noble_Cause]

Show me 'trillions".

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02846.html

I don't even know any Conservative economists who try to lowball that figure.

Also..post 9-11, it may have been a necessary war, especially with the results.

An emboldened Iran and a butcher's bill topping 4000, were anything but necessary.

[Rick]

PRINCETON, NJ -- For the first time since Gallup began tracking Barack Obama's presidential job approval rating on Jan. 21, fewer than 60% of Americans approve of the job he is doing as president. In Feb. 21-23 polling, 59% of Americans give Obama a positive review, while 25% say they disapprove, and 16% have no opinion.

59% ??? Shit, Bush had 74% leading up to the war, before the libs tore him down.

There were a lot of others tearing him down also. It wasn't just a pack of liberals.

Bush had a high approval rating because someone taught him that squinty eyed sneer he had working.

Seriously though, he had everything going in the right direction after we were attacked, and in my opinion acted strictly appropriately. Then he went into Iraq. That's what screwed his goose. It didn't take long before everyone knew he was lying. There are people that said he was planning to go into Iraq before we were attacked, citing "Oilfield instability". His motives had nothing to do with wmd, that was just his scare tactic. I'll give him one thing though, he sure knew how to bullshit America. A+ on that.

[conversationpc]

FYI for TNC...

Beck just said he has a problem with corporations viewing America as just a market...AGAIN. Just thought you might like to know.

[The_Noble_Cause]

FYI for TNC...

Beck just said he has a problem with corporations viewing America as just a market...AGAIN. Just thought you might like to know.

Dave,
I never said that Beck never mentions coporate crime, but please do not paint him as some Nader-esque white collar gadfly.
"Lookin' out for the little guy" faux populist outrge is a pillar of every right wing carney's shtick.
I will admit, Beck has been playing this up as the '08 election loomed closer, culminating in his Fox News Premiere which openly appealed to apartisan levelheaders.
However, this is the same Glenn Beck who routinely make long winded on-air paens to Wal-Mart (spare me the post-show analytical breakdown, I listen to him!) and sells "I Love Haliburton" T-shits on his website.
By any objective definition, that's a corporate ho.

https://members.premiereinteractive.com ... 1UU0hJUlRT

[The_Noble_Cause]

What in gods name is this corporate crime you speak about?

For starters, how about Enron? - The rolling blackout scheme of Ken Lay (or "Kenny Boy" as Bush affectionately called him) was enabled by legislation spearheaded by Phil Graham, who was also intimately involved with the subprime mess.
Speaking of which, when are you going to stop blaming destitute minorities and start talking about credit default swaps?

[The_Noble_Cause]

Credit default swaps are above my pay grade...teach me.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/ ... 18?sp=true

http://www.theglobalist.com/StoryId.aspx?StoryId=7529

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... d=96395271

http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/yourlife/115733 (a very fair article by Ben Stein on what went down)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 00784.html (free market holy roller, Alan Greenspan, defends subprime market)

[7 Wishes]

Even more conspicuous by its absence, is your pussyfooting around the topic of credit default swaps - (universally acknowledged to be far more devastating than any subprime loans) - which had nothing to do with gov't intervention, Barney Frank, the abortion lobby, Bill Ayers, or whatever liberal boogeyman you have cued up for the next free market meltdown.

This one is going on the fridge. I have soiled myself again.

[Jana]

Gov. Bobby Jindal is on TV right now giving the Republican response to Obama. I know he is one of the hopefuls for the GOP and is a very highly respected governor, but he is flat-out awful tonight and he's ony five minutes in. He sounds phony in his delivery, almost like a bad actor playing a politician giving a speech. And I like the guy, but not good.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Let's do this one more time for TNC and 7.

A year and a half before George W. Bush even became President, the New York Times knew what might happen. Guess what...it did happen.

Ok, I'll bite...

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending

By STEVEN A. HOLMES
Published: September 30, 1999


In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.

The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

FF, this article is from 1999.
Yes, Freddie and Fannie eased lending standards and encouraged affordable home ownership.
But by 2006, the private sector exceeded Fannie and Freddie in holding record highs of subprime loans.
Mainly because, as I already mentioned, Fannie and Freddie came attached with burdensome federal rules and regulations.
Most no-money-down, no income, no asset, no credit check loans did not meet the mortgage giants' lending standards.
Freddie and Fannie may have bought subprime-backed securities after encouraging them, but they didn’t make subprime loans or securitize them.
In fact, as Wall Street’s cup runnethed over, Fannie and Freddie were losing subprime market share.

Once again:

"Federal Reserve Board data showed that:

• More than 84 percent of the subprime mortgages in 2006 were issued by private lending institutions.
• Private firms made nearly 83 percent of the subprime loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers that year.
• Only one of the top 25 subprime lenders in 2006 was directly subject to the housing law (CRA) that's being lambasted by conservative critics."

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/53802.html
http://www.businessweek.com/investing/i ... e_and.html

Demographic information on these borrowers is sketchy. But at least one study indicates that 18 percent of the loans in the subprime market went to black borrowers, compared to 5 per cent of loans in the conventional loan market.

In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.

This may be so, but their subprime marketshare was utterly outmatched by Wall Street, which also recognized a goldplated opportunity and irresponsibly ran with it.

And since you’re now quoting the NYTimes as a reputable source, let’s not forget that: “Mr. Bush’s banking regulators once brandished a chainsaw over a 9,000-page pile of regulations as they promised to ease burdens on the industry. When states tried to use consumer protection laws to crack down on predatory lending, the comptroller of the currency blocked the efforts…”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/busin ... wanted=all

[Lula]

Gov. Bobby Jindal is on TV right now giving the Republican response to Obama. I know he is one of the hopefuls for the GOP and is a very highly respected governor, but he is flat-out awful tonight and he's ony five minutes in. He sounds phony in his delivery, almost like a bad actor playing a politician giving a speech. And I like the guy, but not good.

he sounded like mr. rogers i hear he's reconsidering his take on some fed dollars, but not to extend unemployment benefits for his constituents because "it's wasteful" bummer for the folks of new orleans, and the state of la.

[Jana]

Gov. Bobby Jindal is on TV right now giving the Republican response to Obama. I know he is one of the hopefuls for the GOP and is a very highly respected governor, but he is flat-out awful tonight and he's ony five minutes in. He sounds phony in his delivery, almost like a bad actor playing a politician giving a speech. And I like the guy, but not good.

he sounded like mr. rogers i hear he's reconsidering his take on some fed dollars, but not to extend unemployment benefits for his constituents because "it's wasteful" bummer for the folks of new orleans.

It was so bad even Fox commented on it:

"And yet, much of the critique of Jindal's address focused on his hokey, folksy, seemingly-forced tone and vernacular. The Governor, who has never held court on the national stage before -- remember, his speech at the Republican convention was called off after Hurricane Gustav made landfall -- showed a bit of wetness behind the ears. And the commentators let him have it, even on Fox News.

BRIT HUME: "The speech read a lot better than it sounded. This was not Bobby Jindal's greatest oratorical moment."

NINA EASTON: "The delivery was not exactly terrific."

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: "Jindal didn't have a chance. He follows Obama, who in making speeches, is in a league of his own. He's in a Reagan-esque league. ... [Jindal] tried the best he could."

JUAN WILLIAMS: "It came off as amateurish, and even the tempo in which he spoke was sing-songy. He was telling stories that seemed very simplistic and almost childish"

[Eric]

MUCH better speech tonight.....saw some of that "HOPE".

However, Pelosi has gotta go. She's like that old Aunt that hangs around and says things that make you want to slap her.

[aorgeneral]

I made two huge mistakes. 1-buying new car in aug 2008 cost me an $8,000 tax deduction and 2- from 2000- 2005 when my family hit a string of bad finacial luck I worked 95-100 hours hours a week to pay my mortgage. I should have just held out not worked any extra till this idiot became the President, held my hand out and had my mortgage subsidized by those who work hard (like myself and most of my friends).

[brywool]

MUCH better speech tonight.....saw some of that "HOPE".

However, Pelosi has gotta go. She's like that old Aunt that hangs around and says things that make you want to slap her.

Like Mary Tyler Moore gone wrong....

[The_Noble_Cause]

The DSofA are going all the way and fast.


http://www.dsausa.org/dsa.html

Err...no.
If that were the case, Obama would be proposing a single payer plan like most industrialized nations, and NOT another giveaway to the HMOs.

[The_Noble_Cause]

The DSofA are going all the way and fast.


http://www.dsausa.org/dsa.html

Err...no.
If that were the case, Obama would be proposing a single payer plan like most industrialized nations, and NOT another giveaway to the HMOs.

Where do you see this being a givaway to HMOs?

Easy.
Unless his proposal has changed since the primaries, those who can't afford healthcare will be given subsidies to buy it elsewhere.
Thereby creating a huge windfall for the private insurers.
A better idea would be to do away with the insurance middlemen completely (who, contrary to conventional wisdom, are far more wasteful than any gov't beancounter or medicare bureaucrat).

[AlteredDNA]

http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=9906943

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - Giving the republican response to President Obama's speech Tuesday night, Governor Bobby Jindal pointed out fundamental differences in how republicans and democrats see the economy. "But what I don't understand from Governor Jindal is what would he do?," asks Joe Biden while on the Early Show.

And That rhetorical question to Governor Jindal on the CBS morning show, was followed with this. "in Louisiana there's 400 people a day losing their jobs, what's he doing?" asks Biden.

But that claim is wrong, if you look at the numbers from the Louisiana Workforce Commission. "In December, Louisiana was the only state in the nation besides the District of Columbia, according to the national press release that added employment over the month," says Patty Granier with the Louisiana Workforce Commission. According to her, not only is Louisiana not losing jobs. "The state gained 3,700 jobs for the seasonally adjusted employment," Granier said of the most recent figures.

You don't even have to take my word for it, these are number you can check out yourself if you just go to laworks.net, there you can find the latest unemployment statistics, statistics that appear to directly contradict what the vice president said this morning.

The latest stats show this - from the week ending January 17th there were 4,527 claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana, for the next week, that number receded to 4,179.

Folks who crunch the numbers credit a diverse economy for Louisiana's resilience to unemployment.

It's unclear where the VP gets his numbers, but they certainly don't match numbers from the labor department. The unemployment rate in Louisiana has gone up, from 5.3 to 5.9. Some blame that on a bigger workforce in the state. However, that rate is still less than the national average, which sits at 7.2%. We called the Whitehouse press office today and left a message for the vice president's office, but have not received a call back.

I have a pretty good idea where he got the numbers...out of his ( Y )

[Barb]

http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=9906943

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - Giving the republican response to President Obama's speech Tuesday night, Governor Bobby Jindal pointed out fundamental differences in how republicans and democrats see the economy. "But what I don't understand from Governor Jindal is what would he do?," asks Joe Biden while on the Early Show.

And That rhetorical question to Governor Jindal on the CBS morning show, was followed with this. "in Louisiana there's 400 people a day losing their jobs, what's he doing?" asks Biden.

But that claim is wrong, if you look at the numbers from the Louisiana Workforce Commission. "In December, Louisiana was the only state in the nation besides the District of Columbia, according to the national press release that added employment over the month," says Patty Granier with the Louisiana Workforce Commission. According to her, not only is Louisiana not losing jobs. "The state gained 3,700 jobs for the seasonally adjusted employment," Granier said of the most recent figures.

You don't even have to take my word for it, these are number you can check out yourself if you just go to laworks.net, there you can find the latest unemployment statistics, statistics that appear to directly contradict what the vice president said this morning.

The latest stats show this - from the week ending January 17th there were 4,527 claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana, for the next week, that number receded to 4,179.

Folks who crunch the numbers credit a diverse economy for Louisiana's resilience to unemployment.

It's unclear where the VP gets his numbers, but they certainly don't match numbers from the labor department. The unemployment rate in Louisiana has gone up, from 5.3 to 5.9. Some blame that on a bigger workforce in the state. However, that rate is still less than the national average, which sits at 7.2%. We called the Whitehouse press office today and left a message for the vice president's office, but have not received a call back.

I have a pretty good idea where he got the numbers...out of his ( Y )

Biden is such a dork.

[7 Wishes]

It's so difficult for me to go from having a forthright, honest, open, transparent, and moralistic Administration like Bush 43's, to this den of thieves comprising the Obama Administration.

[RossValoryRocks]

It's so difficult for me to go from having a forthright, honest, open, transparent, and moralistic Administration like Bush 43's, to this den of thieves comprising the Obama Administration.

NONE of them have ANY of the traits you describe...Democrat or Republican...if you are a politician you are scum. All they care about is their own agrandizement.

[The_Noble_Cause]

A couple of points...

You would think Obama accounting for war costs in the budget would be cause for fiscal Conservatives to rejoice.
Unsurprisingly, the right wing hateosphere has been titmouse silent.

Also, another 11th hour Bush reversal has come to light...
Now, if a family member or loved one is mistreated in a nursing home (which happens all too frequently), you can kiss your legal right to seek justice goodbye.
Gee, thanks George.

http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index ... r?blog=210

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02752.html

[Voyager]

The Obama Team:

[conversationpc]

Hey TNC...Just my semi-weekly Beck update.

He slammed companies who only look at people like consumers again. Just thought I'd let you know...AGAIN.

[conversationpc]

Here's a link to the Youtube video where Glenn interviews the national chair of the Communist party.

Also...FYI to TNC...Glenn talks about the companies who only view people as a market somewhere after the 7:00 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZvTDpfnvrc

[The_Noble_Cause]

Hey TNC...Just my semi-weekly Beck update.

He slammed companies who only look at people like consumers again. Just thought I'd let you know...AGAIN.

Hey Dave,
I really don't give a tinker's fuck.
Also, this Tuesday, Beck once again reiterated on the radio that everything he thought he once knew dramatically changed this year.
Which is consistent with what I've said all along.

[artist4perry]

Uhh...hstily ordering Guantanamo Bay closed BEFORE you figure out what to do with the prisoners was unwise, IMO.

He's already figured that out...

Middle of ocean

Splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash

I like this theory!

[artist4perry]

The Obama Team:

Where do you find this stuff?

[whirlwind]

The Obama Team:

Where do you find this stuff?

Someone did a fantastic job of hitting the nail on the head with this. You just know that it sums up how giddy the people in question feel with the power they hold at present.

[The_Noble_Cause]

Here's a link to the Youtube video where Glenn interviews the national chair of the Communist party.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZvTDpfnvrc

How bogus...
Armed only with the latest shitrag from trust fund baby Jonah Goldberg, Beck attempts to confuse Nazis with left wingers.
As the intellectually honest StrangeGrey has mentioned: “Technically, the nazi party was fascist...not socialist....politically, it's considered *far* right."

The truth is, violent local Right wing movements such as The Order, Montana Freemen - and I'd throw Sarah "Kill him!" Palin rallies in with that lot as well – have far more in common with the Nazis than any limp wristed efforts by MoveOn or CodePink.
In fact, since the election, it’s not uncommon to hear Savage, Beck, or Hannity stoke the fires of civil war.

Additionally, both “Homeland” and “Enhanced Interrogation” were terminology of the Nazis (sound familiar?).
And, perhaps worse than even some German citizens, who claimed not to have known the extent on the crimes committed in their name, the Republican Right in this country (with the exception of a few sane libertarians) actively cheerleaded the trampling of civil liberties.
T-shirts that read “I’d rather be Waterboarding” are still hot items both on the websites of WorldNetDaily and Rush Limbaugh, in addition to the CPAC convention that just ocurred.

Perhaps the sickest irony of all is, while Beck and his ilk are handwringing over Obama’s so-called nazi/fascist ambitions, the Department of Justice has emptied the classified vaults of Bush’s “war on terror” legal memos, which decisively show just how close to a totalitarian police state we truly became.

Also...FYI to TNC...Glenn talks about the companies who only view people as a market somewhere after the 7:00 mark.

Why am I getting the feeling you keep bringing this up not so much to disabuse me of any particular belief, but rather, to convince yourself those monthly Beck fan club dues are money well-spent?

As much as you like to pretend Glenn broadcasts on a frequency audible only to like-minded wingnuts such as yourself, it’s simply not the case.
Seeing the writing on the wall, Beck has decked himself in some flashy Lou Dobbs populist duds.
Unfortunately, it's an ill fit.

[conversationpc]

Also, this Tuesday, Beck once again reiterated on the radio that everything he thought he once knew dramatically changed this year.
Which is consistent with what I've said all along.

I don't remember that comment, so I'll have to go back and listen and, most likely, correct your out-of-context comment.

How bogus...
Armed only with the latest shitrag from trust fund baby Jonah Goldberg, Beck attempts to confuse Nazis with left wingers.
As the intellectually honest StrangeGrey has mentioned: “Technically, the nazi party was fascist...not socialist....politically, it's considered *far* right."

The truth is, violent local Right wing movements such as The Order, Montana Freemen - and I'd throw Sarah "Kill him!" Palin rallies in with that lot as well – have far more in common with the Nazis than any limp wristed efforts by MoveOn or CodePink.
In fact, since the election, it’s not uncommon to hear Savage, Beck, or Hannity stoke the fires of civil war.

I don't particularly care who considers Nazis left or right wing. Doesn't matter to me whether Glenn's right or you are. Besides that, the Nazi party had/has similar policies to both liberals AND conservatives. Do some more research because your Wikipedia page apparently needs to be refreshed.

Perhaps the sickest irony of all is, while Beck and his ilk are handwringing over Obama’s so-called nazi/fascist ambitions, the Department of Justice has emptied the classified vaults of Bush’s “war on terror” legal memos, which decisively show just how close to a totalitarian police state we truly became.

I've never said that the Bush administration didn't have some disastrous policies. You're preaching to the choir here. But if it helps you feel better, you can just continue to ignore anything I've ever said against the Bush administration.

Why am I getting the feeling you keep bringing this up not so much to disabuse me of any particular belief, but rather, to convince yourself those monthly Beck fan club dues are money well-spent?

Nope...Just bringing it up to jab you in the ribs every once in a while.

As much as you like to pretend Glenn broadcasts on a frequency audible only to like-minded wingnuts such as yourself, it’s simply not the case.
Seeing the writing on the wall, Beck has decked himself in some flashy Lou Dobbs populist duds.
Unfortunately, it's an ill fit.

Make up your mind, for crying out loud! Is he a corporate shill or a populist. Have you run out of your Valproic Acid prescription again?

Carry on...I'll be back when Glenn says something anti-corporate again.