American Politics during the Obama Presidency

[Exon123]

Exon this is an issue that hasn't really been discussed here. You refer to it as a "catastrophe" and speak of both legal and legal immigration. Legal immigration is controlled and illegal immigration is out of control.

I know you see some of this first hand, so what's your solution for the problem?

BTW the Google link doesn't work.

Its something I've never really considered until a friend just recently sent me the video. It makes sense, imagination population growth is taxing the resources of the USA.

The video states there 800,000 legal immigrants coming into the US every year. But Lord only knows how many illegal's are coming in each year, maybe another 1 to 2 million. In time of course this add's up and we end up competing for goods and services, including "Job's" our biggest problem in today's economy.

Moreover Federal, State and Local Governments must pay for the extra infrastructure need to support the added population, more Government, schools, police, fire depts, ect, ect. This of course cost money which none of these Governments have. Thus they have to raise tax's and cut the goods and services offered to support the population.

I was astounded to hear that California with the 8th largest economy in the world, not only broke and can't pay its bill's, with 12 percent unemployment. But to keep up with the population growth must build a new School everyday to keep up with the new enrollments.

Very possibility the problems in America are not Democrat or Republican, Liberal or Conservative, but too many immigrants diluting our way of life competing for the goods and services our country has to offer.

Its really something worth thinking about.

Exon

[Rev BS]

Right now, I am in the midst of watching on CNBC, a report on the financing of toxic loans & mortgages that led to the financial meltdown. Let me just say "greedy / unscrupulous financial institutions and greedy / naive homeowners", add Wall Street to the mix, and voila! Iceland was just one place where the cocktail ignited big time. Alot of people had to grow up and found they had been wrong about the Disney notion that "crime does not pay".

So how about Franks, Clinton, Bush, Greenspan, Obama. They are just mere players in the game. And so who are the enemies? Alas, don't look too far, just look in the mirror!

[Esten]

We could go on a long time about budget and spending issues. The bottom line is that most of the increased spending in the last two years has been to address the financial crisis and ensuing deep recession that Obama inherited. Obama is simply taking responsible steps advised by economists. It wouldn't be much different if Repubs were in power either. The line that Obama is an out-of-control spender is unfortunate politics. The right would like people to think Dems spend like this all the time, overlooking the context of the spending & events of the past two years.

Both TARP and Stimulus were responsible and effective actions, regardless of how you argue who approved it and spent the money. But we should be accurate about what was what. Fox News fan Doppelganger tried to spread mis-information by claiming Stimulus spending exceeded $1 Trillion. The real number as of today is $289 Billion, of an approved $499 Billion. The effect of that spending combined with tax benefits in the Stimulus has been significant:

Economists agree: Stimulus created nearly 3 million jobs
http://www.usatoday.com/money/econom...lus30_CV_N.htm

Repubs claim the Stimulus was a failure, but this is just more unfortunate politics. The only grain of truth here is that it did not keep unemployment below 8% as projected back in January 2009. That projection was a mistake. But you needed a crystal ball then to see the huge layoffs to come in 2009. If anything, a more accurate projection would have warranted a larger stimulus. And without the Stimulus things would have been much worse; that's not just a talking point but a conclusion of respected economists. Contrast this with right wing talking points that Obama spent $1 Trillion on the Stimulus and it accomplished little.

Maybe you guys can try your spin on some other board, it ain't workin here.

I've also noted before, that despite the official party line many Republicans were praising Stimulus-funded projects in their districts. Schwarzenegger summed it up nicely:

“I find it interesting that you have a lot of the Republicans running around and pushing back on stimulus money and saying this doesn’t create any new jobs, and then they go out and do photo-ops and they’re posing with the big check and they say, ‘Isn’t this great! Look the kind of money I provide here for the state! And this is great money to create jobs, and this has created 10,000 new jobs, and this has created 20,000 new jobs,’” Schwarzenegger said on ABC’s "This Week." “It doesn’t match up.”

Schwarzenegger: GOP stimulus attacks, then praise of projects hypocritical
http://thehill.com/homenews/administ...s-hypocritical

[Miamipro]

Doppelganger,

Actually just going over some past posts. I don't agree with any of the wars. The loss of American soldiers for these campaigns were un-necessary to say the least. And really isn't going to have any long term benefits. I was wondering if you even watched the video link of Cheney in 94 detailing why we didn't "Finish the job in Desert Storm" under the first Bush. The real kicker is what he says right at the end and I will quote.

"For the family's of the 146 lost in action, it wasn't a cheap war and the question for the President whether we went on to bagdad and take on more casualties and get Saddam. Was How many additional dead was Saddam worth? Our judgment was not very many. And I think we got it right." ~Cheney 1994

Why does the middle east hate us? Maybe because we support the Israelis? Who have different religious views in that part of the world compared to most of the middle east. Religions create wars. All religions have extremists. Even the ones in the good ol' USA. Our Politician's make policy based on their Religious views. Forgetting to separate Church and State.

Let me make a point with out getting into to much detail about Israelis. They aren't any better than The Palestine's or Hamas. They create so much of their own problems. Its no wonder the other guys want to kill them so badly. Religion is Poison and God is not great.

[Punter 127]

This is a MUST SEE video for anyone interested in the immigration debate, whether you are a citizen, an illegal alien or a Congressman. All » This clip from the longer video, Immigration by the Numbers, features Roy Beck demonstrating the catastrophe of the huge numbers of both legal and illegal immigration by Third World people into the modern nations. He uses standard statistics and simple gumballs to show this disaster in the making.

Video was done by roy beck:

On you tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7WJe...layer_embedded

http://www.answers.com/topic/roy-beck

Full video on google:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc.

Exon this is an issue that hasn't really been discussed here. You refer to it as a "catastrophe" and speak of both legal and legal immigration. Legal immigration is controlled and illegal immigration is out of control.

I know you see some of this first hand, so what's your solution for the problem?

BTW the Google link doesn't work.

[Member #4112]

Esten, can you explain Westy's very interesting chart without saying it was Bush's fault? FYI the really bad red numbers are CBO.

Esten, can you explain how going from 9.5 to 9.6 unemployment was a move in the "right direction" as per Obama?

Esten, can you explain "Recovery Summer" to me, I seem to have missed the point?

[Wild Walleye]

Here's another one: The Cash for Clunkers program was a. Clunker.

Even NPR, that bastion of liberalism, concedes it: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/...h-for-clunkers

It accomplished two things:

1. It shifted car purchases forward, but did not impact total purchases, because once the program ended sales declined substantially. That's according to the study that the article linked above discusses. The net result: No greater car sales than would otherwise have occurred.

2. It boosted sales for Japanese car manufacturers. All of the top 10 clunkers traded in were American models. 6 of the top 10 cars purchased were Japanese or Korean models.

Alas, NPR couldn't bring itself to report on the third and perhaps most significant impact of cash for clunkers: screwing the poor! The program sought out older cars, bought them from people who could have afforded newer ones on their own and destroyed them (all the cars turned into the programs that is) Ever wonder why there is a used auto parts market? Ever wonder who are most of the people purchasing used auto parts (as opposed to new auto parts for an older car) Ever wonder where used auto parts come from? This program raised the cost for every poor American just trying keep their old POS car on the road so that they can get by. What did they do to deserve this financial stick in the eye?

Wow, what a great magnanimous ruler we have. He screws the "rich" (e. G. The rightful owners of GM and Chrysler) and the poor (purchasers of used auto parts) and all the taxpayers just to bailout the unions. And to think, I thought he was a Marxist ideologue.

[Sysco234]

So I wonder what is the underlying factor that create such extreme obsession, both adulation and hatred of Obama.

It's the same factor that caused such an extreme adulation and hatred of Bush. When was the last time there was a debate that contained any real facts or positions on issues beyond marketing points? Campaign ads are smear campaigns. IMO, we've reduced our politics to raw emotions playing on extreme fears. In that environment, you get extreme reactions to candidates.

Sysco

[Rev BS]

This has always been the scam. The public debates which President (Rep or Dem) was the biggest moron while we keep electing incumbents back into the Congress and Senate. Where, they continue to fuck us over with little recourse.

Now, where are my blood pressure pills?

Sysco

So I wonder what is the underlying factor that create such extreme obsession, both adulation and hatred of Obama.

Yeah, keep those pills close at hand, but keep them separate from the blue ones.

[Sysco234]

In other words, it's not the President's budget. It belongs to Congress. Yes, Congress.

This has always been the scam. The public debates which President (Rep or Dem) was the biggest moron while we keep electing incumbents back into the Congress and Senate. Where, they continue to fuck us over with little recourse.

Now, where are my blood pressure pills?

Sysco

[Punter 127]

Yes Esten TARP was passed before Obama took office, but last time I checked his administration has been in charge of the majority of the funds and most of the oversite of the program but let's not leave out the Stimulus which may yet result in a double dip recession. I guess you believe TARP was passed, all the fund distributed and oversite completed in 2 months? About the only thing Obama has not fxxk up is his vacations.

I know - Its all Bush's fault. I don't think anyone is buying that anymore

Sure it's Bush's fault everything under the sun is Bush's fault. At least Obama and all his left-wing wannabe serfs are going to keep saying it's Bush's fault, because that's all they've got. You're right people aren't buying it, they're waking up to the fact that this administration is nothing more than a bunch of Chicago hoodlums hell-bent on raping America!

Speaking of the Stimulus perhaps one of the Obama whiz kids would like to explain again how the stimulus has help the American people, seems nearly 10% of the work force are having trouble understanding.

Oh BTW I'm sure most of you understand that the 10% number is very low, it's just a number one of the Obama chefs crooked up. Obama has more than one type of chef some who cook food, others who cook the books.

How many jobs lost during recovery summer?

The economy is a mystery.

Great words of wisdom! If you don't believe it just ask Obama, he's been mystified by the economy every since he took office.

[Westy]

Article 1, Section 7. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the house of representatives; but the senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills.

In other words, it's not the President's budget. It belongs to Congress. Yes, Congress.

The last "Republican" budget was 2007, with a deficit of $161 billion - reduced from about $400 billion in 2004. The 2008 budget, with its record (then) deficit of $455 billion, was the product of a Democrat-run Congress; George W. Bush forced some compromises in that one. In 2009, Congress bypassed Dubya entirely through "continuing resolutions" to keep the Federal government running until Obama came into office. The 2009 budget nearly QUADRUPLED that "record-setting" $455,000,000,000 deficit from 2008.

The smallest CBO-projected budget in the attached graph is for 2011. The Congressional Budget Office expects that one to be over $600 billion dollars; and after that, the deficit goes whoopin' and hollerin' into the sunset.

Incidentally, Barack Obama was in the Senate to vote for the 2008 budget and the 2009 "continuing resolutions".

Whose budget?

Yes Esten TARP was passed before Obama took office, but last time I checked his administration has been in charge of the majority of the funds and most of the oversite of the program but let's not leave out the Stimulus which may yet result in a double dip recession. I guess you believe TARP was passed, all the fund distributed and oversite completed in 2 months? About the only thing Obama has not fxxk up is his vacations.

I know - Its all Bush's fault. I don't think anyone is buying that anymore

[Rev BS]

Whichever way you look, there is plenty of fault to pass around. But what is more crucial is the health of the American value system, a subject that everyone is keen to ignore. And I am not going to be the one to lay it naked on the table here.

So regardless of Bush & Obama, the road has been carved, and it is a road that lead to? But not to worry, life will be great for you and me.

[Member #4112]

Yes Esten TARP was passed before Obama took office, but last time I checked his administration has been in charge of the majority of the funds and most of the oversite of the program but let's not leave out the Stimulus which may yet result in a double dip recession. I guess you believe TARP was passed, all the fund distributed and oversite completed in 2 months? About the only thing Obama has not fxxk up is his vacations.

I know - Its all Bush's fault. I don't think anyone is buying that anymore

[Exon123]

EDITOR'S NOTE: This report was deleted because it consisted solely of an unannotated link to another website. Please do not post links to other websites without some explanation as to what may be found at the linked webpage. In other words, if you want to post a link to another website, please include some commentary describing what the link is to.

This is a MUST SEE video for anyone interested in the immigration debate, whether you are a citizen, an illegal alien or a Congressman. All » This clip from the longer video, Immigration by the Numbers, features Roy Beck demonstrating the catastrophe of the huge numbers of both legal and illegal immigration by Third World people into the modern nations. He uses standard statistics and simple gumballs to show this disaster in the making.

Video was done by roy beck:

On you tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7WJe...layer_embedded


http://www.answers.com/topic/roy-beck

Full video on google:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc.