Thank You Mr. President

The way you may win a few positions in 2010 and 2012 is by coming up with viable solutions and viable candidates. Something you didn't do in 2008. The rest of this above post is a bunch of crap. Get over yourself.

Excuse me? You have the nerve to talk about a bunch of crap with all you spread? You can go ahead and vote for the 20, 30 and 40 year incumbents if you want. I and others will wipe yours and others like you votes out, something we didn't do last time to our ever dying regret. I'll take the new candidates over the likes of political hacks like Allen Boyd any day of the week.

Wastin Away,
No, these problems were not an issue 8 yrs ago. They are Now because President Bush & the Republican Congress took a booming economy and turned it into a shambles.

Really, that tech stock bubble and all the paper money it generated (and all the federal revenue it generated) represented a true "booming economy"? Would you like to bring that bubble back again? How 'bout the real-estate bubble? or the credit bubble? Take your pick, but none of these periods represented real, solid economic growth. If we're going to be fair about this, at least.

You're convinced our economic problems are all the fault of the current president & the current congress. I believe it's almost totally due to the failed policies prior to his taking office. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

I tend to like to blame things on the people actually responsible. Like those crazy folks who bought the tech stocks that were worthless, bought and sold the real estate that was over priced, took out loans they knew they couldn't afford, offered up the bad loans to people they knew couldn't repay them, bought and sold MBS & default swaps they knew were worthless, and rated those MBS higher than they knew they should.

But, Grammy, Obama didn't start w/ $0 deficit. GWB turned a $236B surplus into a $1.3Trillion deficit;

I'm not sure where your figures are coming from. George Bush never had a 1.3 trillion deficit, the worst he had over eight years was in 2008 at around 395 billion. (This doesn't include the SS gap of course.)

Public debt under Bush grew from about 3.4 trillion to 6.3 trillion over his eight year tenure (about 3 trillion total). Not a good record to be sure. But compared to Obama, Bush did pretty well. Since taking office Obama has driven debt held by the public from 6.3 trillion to almost 9 trillion dollars (about 2.7 trillion). The jury is still out, but considering Obama managed to do in two years what took Bush eight, it's not looking too pretty. Both presidents presided over economic downturns they inherited, and both presided over national disasters.

Oops, the Iraq war only cost one trillion dollars. I don't know where the rest of the three trillion dollar deficit Bush managed to run up came from. Tax cuts for the rich? Bail-out for Wall Street? You decide. Here's a graph to help you out. Notice the sharp incline as the Republican-led economic collapse took effect in the later part of 2008.

The democrats were in charge of Congress in 2008. They've been in charge of Congress since 2006. Right about the point in time where that graph spikes. ;-)

Like i said before, this November will set the record straight. The people will vote their feelings in the mirror.

Massive job losses, record deficits & spending, wasted stimulus, false recoverys, increased racial polarization, broken promises on transparency, federal abortion funding, getting out of Iraq, closing Gitmo, repealing the Patriot Act (voted to extend it), failure to enforce our borders, leaked memos of White House fast track amnesty and incompetent crisis handling doesn't bode well for any sitting President.

Democrats are paniced to keep their jobs and purposely keeping their distance from the President. Guess who won't be coming to lunch with Obama? | Political Insider

sounds like gw's tenure

Old news...2008.

Linda Bilmes on Our 'Three Trillion Dollar War' : NPR

The three trillion dollar war | Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes - Times Online

Just so long as we're all in agreement that these figures are estimates, not the real cost, and that these estimates were calculated by someone who is an anti-war advocate and Bush hater. If we can agree on that, than I'll accept the 3 trillion estimate. However, I would prefer in the future you place an asterisk to the side of that figure, and reference this post in the footnotes. mmkay? ;-)

Just so long as we're all in agreement that these figures are estimates, not the real cost, and that these estimates were calculated by someone who is an anti-war advocate and Bush hater. If we can agree on that, than I'll accept the 3 trillion estimate. However, I would prefer in the future you place an asterisk to the side of that figure, and reference this post in the footnotes. mmkay? ;-)

1
www.npr.com

Marketplace just had an estimate that over 35% of Iraq War vets applied for disability.

The "estimated" cost of the disability expenses is expected to be .5 Trillion so we are 1/6 of the way there already.

BTW, Dr. Stiglitz won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001...please don't throw me in that briar patch.

1
www.npr.com

Marketplace just had an estimate that over 35% of Iraq War vets applied for disability.

The "estimated" cost of the disability expenses is expected to be .5 Trillion so we are 1/6 of the way there already.

BTW, Dr. Stiglitz won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001...please don't throw me in that briar patch.

Barry and Al won one of those two. So what?

Barry and Al won one of those two. So what?

Poor grammar

Poor grammar

Maybe that entitles me to a nobel prize as well? It sure doesn't take much these days.

Maybe that entitles me to a nobel prize as well? It sure doesn't take much these days.

It's spelled Nobel.


Plus you would have to use your real name.

Joseph Stiglitz is a Lefty economist who with all our liberal friends are soon going to experience a very nasty rendezvous with reality.

It's spelled Nobel.


Plus you would have to use your real name.

I believe that's a capitalization error, not a spelling error. JDarg, GW?

The American people are millions strong and yet we allow ourselves to be controlled by what, one person in the White House and 535 people in congress. Simply amazing.

The blame game is old, Bush did this, Bush didn't do this, Obama did this, Obama didn't do this, it is almost juvenille at times.

How many people who are not satisfied even take the time to contact their elected officials. Do you?

Or is it simply easier to day in and day out complain about the way things are.

Regardless of who is President we still live in one of the greatest nations in the world. We really seem to forget that at times.

The American people are millions strong and yet we allow ourselves to be controlled by what, one person in the White House and 535 people in congress. Simply amazing.

The blame game is old, Bush did this, Bush didn't do this, Obama did this, Obama didn't do this, it is almost juvenille at times.

How many people who are not satisfied even take the time to contact their elected officials. Do you?

Or is it simply easier to day in and day out complain about the way things are.

Regardless of who is President we still live in one of the greatest nations in the world. We really seem to forget that at times.

when did it become "one of"?

Mr. President I want to thank you for the health care reform bill that is going to cost us more in premiums with the possibility of bankrupting numerous businesses because they can't aftord the cost to insure every employee or the fine. Thank you Mr. President for all of your new debt that we now owe that my children and grandchildren are going to have to pay. Thank you Mr. President for taking our tax dollers and spending it on a stimulus bill that has lost 3 million jobs and has our umemployment rate above 9.5%. Thank you Mr. President for the way you and the government handled the oil spill weeks into the spill. Thank you Mr. President for the legislative reform bill that no one knows anything about accept that our fees are likely to go up at our banks and thank you Mr. President for not wanting to extend the Bush Tax Cuts that acutually helped businesses and everyday people and no matter what you say everyone will see their taxes go up and their paycheck go down and thank you Mr. President for my husband having to go into work today and lay-off half of his employee staff (has never had to layoff in 78 years of business) because of the decisions you have made. Again, thank you Mr. President for all that you have done. It is so greatly appreciated by me, my children, my future grandchildren, my husband and the 50 employees that don't have a job after today.

WastinAway, what did your employees do for insurance before you were forced to provide it? Did they have insurance, if so did they pay it completely out of their salary. Have you asked those that are going to be laid off if they would be willing to take a cut in pay, but get insurance benefits, it might actually save them money.

Has your husband considered a cut in pay to help out the company? I just think at times, we have to tighten the belt and make sacrifices for the greater good and look for solutions and not blame.

when did it become "one of"?

oh; one of the greatest nations of the World. Sorry Bob, as great as America is, I have never, ever felt it was the only great nation in the world. One of, but not the only one.

And actually I think that is our problem as a nation at times, we can be very arrogant to the world. That worked in years past but we are a global economy, a world neighbor, the minute a word is spoken by our leaders the entire world knows it.

It would do us good to be a bit humble at times. And being humble is not a sign of weakness.

The American people are millions strong and yet we allow ourselves to be controlled by what, one person in the White House and 535 people in congress. Simply amazing.

The blame game is old, Bush did this, Bush didn't do this, Obama did this, Obama didn't do this, it is almost juvenille at times.

How many people who are not satisfied even take the time to contact their elected officials. Do you?

Or is it simply easier to day in and day out complain about the way things are.

Regardless of who is President we still live in one of the greatest nations in the world. We really seem to forget that at times.

instead, why not point out all the good things bush did. i would love to see all the good megabubba did.

WastinAway, what did your employees do for insurance before you were forced to provide it? Did they have insurance, if so did they pay it completely out of their salary. Have you asked those that are going to be laid off if they would be willing to take a cut in pay, but get insurance benefits, it might actually save them money.

Has your husband considered a cut in pay to help out the company? I just think at times, we have to tighten the belt and make sacrifices for the greater good and look for solutions and not blame.

the business model cannot survive good pay or benefits.....like most small businesses.

instead, why not point out all the good things bush did. i would love to see all the good megabubba did.

"Megabubba" ? I think this kinda denigrates the term bubba, doesn't it? I think the the only place you'll see any "good" he did is in the pockets of the Wall Street fat cats. (Yes, some people made out like bandits during his term as fratboy-in-chief.)

President Obama's Private Sector Resume!

Are you a small business owner UGABUGA? Have you ever had to make sure you had enough money in the bank to make sure 115 employees could cash their payroll checks, have you ever had to make sure your bank account had enough money each week to meet your companies business expenses, have you ever had to make sure you had enough money to make sure you could pay for the employees heath care costs and all of other taxes associated with being a small business owner. If you are then God bless you because you are helping support 70% of the jobs in this country. These problems were not an issue 8 years ago. They are NOW!!!!, so until you are in our shoes dont tell me about thanking the last President. The issues have resulted from decisions this President and this Congress have made in the past 18 months.

I was going to leave this blank but that would not be any fun. These people who can not see the President is killing small business, you have probably never owned anything, and I wonder if they can even balance their checkbook. A question to those who can not see that Obama & his policies are destroying this country:

Have you EVER worked for a poor person?

Most people in this country are employed by small business, although government is now giving the private sector a run for it's money. "Wastin Away", it amazes me how many people criticize tax cuts for the "so-called" rich. First of all, if you own a business, you hire over 100 employess, which means over 100 people are paying TAXES, you take a MAJOR risk, why should you be taxed more? If you have more of your money, that means you can expand, give raises, "save" jobs (as the govt. likes to say), and more people are employed. The more money you pay to the government, the more these people will see that Obama is destroying this country-only when it hurts THEM. If you make 30k a year, you can not get 50k back in taxes-sorry people.... I think these Obama supporters deep down, know that is in way over his head... This is WHY we usually elect governors as Presidents because they have ran SOMETHING, ANYTHING. Obama has never run a bakery, or even an ebay store. Everytime he looking in the mirror, he must think about the movie "Trading Places." WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!

Common sense!!!

shouldn't have left us...we don't play well ...must be the hot muggy weather

Both parties are mostly filled with progressives. The "x" factor is the "Tea Party", who are "grass roots" and NOT controlled by anyone.. YET!

I was going to leave this blank but that would not be any fun. These people who can not see the President is killing small business, you have probably never owned anything, and I wonder if they can even balance their checkbook. A question to those who can not see that Obama & his policies are destroying this country:

Have you EVER worked for a poor person?

Most people in this country are employed by small business, although government is now giving the private sector a run for it's money. "Wastin Away", it amazes me how many people criticize tax cuts for the "so-called" rich. First of all, if you own a business, you hire over 100 employess, which means over 100 people are paying TAXES, you take a MAJOR risk, why should you be taxed more? If you have more of your money, that means you can expand, give raises, "save" jobs (as the govt. likes to say), and more people are employed. The more money you pay to the government, the more these people will see that Obama is destroying this country-only when it hurts THEM. If you make 30k a year, you can not get 50k back in taxes-sorry people.... I think these Obama supporters deep down, know that is in way over his head... This is WHY we usually elect governors as Presidents because they have ran SOMETHING, ANYTHING. Obama has never run a bakery, or even an ebay store. Everytime he looking in the mirror, he must think about the movie "Trading Places." WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!

Pls share with us how many presidents started, owned or ran small businesses. I think the closest you'll find is that they were born into rich families and and held mostly symbolic executive positions rather than doing much related to actual operations or accounting. And FYI- only 16 presidents were governors first (7 in the last 100 years).

Also, you speak of the demise of small business as a result of letting Bush tax cuts expire. If your logic was sound then we would have seen the demise of small businesses PRIOR to when the Bush tax cuts went into effect (because tax rates would have already been where they are getting ready to go).

You've done a good job sharing feelings and reactions. But there's no meat to your argument.

Sorry, Geo. There is a great deal of meat to his arguments, on both this thread and another one but liberals do not want to see it, hear it or understand it.
You ask a bunch of inane questions regarding former presidents but conveniently ignore the one most important one and I'll leave it for others to decided, is the present president in over his head and does he have any business acumen?

"Megabubba" ? I think this kinda denigrates the term bubba, doesn't it? I think the the only place you'll see any "good" he did is in the pockets of the Wall Street fat cats. (Yes, some people made out like bandits during his term as fratboy-in-chief.)

Bob was asking about Bush, not Obama. ;-)

Andy, Ugh.

Poster said Obama is "in over his head" because Sarah Palin used this expression and he is recycling her talking points.

Poster said Obama isn't up to par because he hasn't been a governor or run a business.

So the fact that I point out that other presidents haven't either is hardly inane.

Poster said small businesses are doomed because of Bush tax cuts expiring. I alluded to the fact that businesses weren't doomed prior to the tax cuts going into effect.

So pls tell me what argument I am ignoring. Trust me- I want to see it, hear it and understand it.

Are you a small business owner UGABUGA? Have you ever had to make sure you had enough money in the bank to make sure 115 employees could cash their payroll checks, have you ever had to make sure your bank account had enough money each week to meet your companies business expenses, have you ever had to make sure you had enough money to make sure you could pay for the employees heath care costs and all of other taxes associated with being a small business owner. If you are then God bless you because you are helping support 70% of the jobs in this country. These problems were not an issue 8 years ago. They are NOW!!!!, so until you are in our shoes dont tell me about thanking the last President. The issues have resulted from decisions this President and this Congress have made in the past 18 months.

I am a small business owner who has had to make drastic changes, lay off personnel, cut my overhead to the bare essentials and work 7 days a week to stay open. Do I blame the Obama administration? No, I get to work with or without a sad expression on my face and try to get through this.