"A black sheriff?!": The Official Topic of Obama and New Era American Politics

[Human Snorenado]

It's not inconceivable that the Iraq war did stimulate the economy somewhat, just not very efficiently.

true, in certain rarified sectors, i suspect that there was a LOT of growth

buy overseas ammunition and body armor futures

We need that kind of spending on American ammunition and bottled water here in America, the only solution is to invade Texas.

[Crushed]

things to invest in at home:

-fingerless gloves
-tin cups
-bindles
-cans of stew
-shoe polish
-freight trains with open doors

[Flannel Boy]

We need that kind of spending on American ammunition and bottled water here in America, the only solution is to invade Texas.

Isn't America getting tired of invading dusty, backward hell-holes yet?

[y2kev]

It's not inconceivable that the Iraq war did stimulate the economy somewhat, just not very efficiently.

 body armor futures

we didn't even buy that, remember :\

[Flannel Boy]

It's not inconceivable that the Iraq war did stimulate the economy somewhat, just not very efficiently.

 body armor futures

we didn't even buy that, remember :\

Just stimulating the body-bag industry.

[chronovore]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18832.html

disgusting

Yeah. Sadly not surprising at all, and clearly marked with desperation. The remark that they should exercise their Constitutional powers to seat Franken is hopeful. I still feel like, despite the clear message the public sent in 2006, the democratic congress has been stunningly sessile.

This is a chance to get one big step closer to having a 2/3rd gov't majority, where the Bush administration was able to abuse their monopoly of three branches over the majority of their time in power. I would like to see what happens when the shoe is on the other foot. Or two-thirds on the other foot.

And to whomever referenced Obama desiring to be a "dictator," that was actually Bush... and he retreated into a bastardized definition of Unitary Executive after someone told him that "dictator" has a negative nuance.

[FlameOfCallandor]

It's not inconceivable that the Iraq war did stimulate the economy somewhat, just not very efficiently.

How do you know it didnt save 500,000 jobs?

[FlameOfCallandor]

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=88851

As the Obama administration pushes through Congress its $800 billion deficit-spending economic stimulus plan, the American public is largely unaware that the true deficit of the federal government already is measured in trillions of dollars, and in fact its $65.5 trillion in total obligations exceeds the gross domestic product of the world.

[Phoenix Dark]

HOLY SHIT 65 TRILLION WHERE DID THAT COME FROM WTF OBAMA

[Phoenix Dark]

OMG MY CHILDREN WILL BE SLAVES FOR THE CHINESE IN TWENTY YEARS

OBAMA WTF

[Flannel Boy]

It's not inconceivable that the Iraq war did stimulate the economy somewhat, just not very efficiently.

How do you know it didnt save 500,000 jobs?

Military spending helps create jobs for firms that produce weapons, ammunition, and other military supplies and services. Military bases have large impacts on local economies. Nevertheless military spending diverts money from more productive uses. Blowing shit up is not a productive way to spend money and a poor long-term investment. So comparing the potential economic stimulus of military spending to infrastructure or education spending, for example, is disingenuous.

[Crushed]

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=88851

As the Obama administration pushes through Congress its $800 billion deficit-spending economic stimulus plan, the American public is largely unaware that the true deficit of the federal government already is measured in trillions of dollars, and in fact its $65.5 trillion in total obligations exceeds the gross domestic product of the world.

what a wonderful website let's just see what other articles they ha-

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=88734

'Gays' crush Christian speech
TV stations cave to homosexual lobby, refuse to reveal LGBT agenda

'gays'

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=88716

"You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, But You Can't Make Him Think," a new book that offers an answer for those who aren't sure about God, but are scared of Hell, now has rocketed into the top spot among best-sellers at Shop.WND.com.

It not only gives empirical evidence for the existence of God, but also shows atheists that they desperately need His forgiveness, too.

Using a question-and-answer format, the book highlights actual questions from atheists sent to Comfort and reveals that God's existence can be proven.

The alternative, the book points out, is like playing "Russian roulette with all the chambers loaded" – a guaranteed disaster.

amazing, amazing

[Phoenix Dark]

"Speechless" features stories about Christians who have been arrested and charged with felonies for preaching the gospel. According to the film, many are living in situations where they have been intimidated into silence.

[Flannel Boy]

Atheists owned.

[Cheebs]

WorldNetDaily Exclusive:
Talk radio bonkers for amazing Bible facts!

wtf, so FoC visits  evangelical bible belt gop sites now for news now? 



HOLY SHIT Jesus says evolution isn't real!:

"But the Vatican has chosen to officially believe Darwin rather than Jesus," added Comfort. "That belief reveals a shallow understanding of the claims of atheistic evolution. God gave us six senses, and the sixth one is common sense. That one doesn't get used when it comes to Darwin's theory. And that's the problem – its devoted believers don't think too deeply. That's why I wrote the book. It shows that Darwin's theory is a fantasy – a ridiculous and unscientific fairy tale for grownups."

[Flannel Boy]

Ray Comfort is the best. 

[Mandark]

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=88851

As the Obama administration pushes through Congress its $800 billion deficit-spending economic stimulus plan, the American public is largely unaware that the true deficit of the federal government already is measured in trillions of dollars, and in fact its $65.5 trillion in total obligations exceeds the gross domestic product of the world.

How do I know, without clicking, that these numbers are based on 75-year projections of "unfunded liabilities"?  This is the exact same crap that Grover Norquist, sd, and the usual suspects were pushing back in 2005 as an argument to put Social Security money into the stock market (such a shame we didn't jump on that ship).

Wingnut whack-a-mole was more fun when I hadn't already peeked at the answers at the back of the textbook.  They really need to come out with a new edition.

[Van Cruncheon]

it's also jerome fucking corsi, the intellectually dishonest asswit who brought us SWIFT BOATIN'

[Mandark]

it's also jerome fucking corsi, the intellectually dishonest asswit who brought us SWIFT BOATIN'

Argumentum ad hominem!  Attacking the source rather than engaging his facts blah blah clutch the pearls etc.

[Van Cruncheon]

bubububu he has no facts ohhhhh snap *runs around shrieking like a typical librul, flapping his wrists in mad hysteria*

[ToxicAdam]

Here's an interesting thought:

Copyright:   The Kansas City Star, Mo.
Source:   Kansas City Star (MO)


Jan. 12--There''s no shortage of blame for the mortgage crisis that drove the economy into the ditch.

But here''s a fresh culprit: the 2005 bankruptcy reform act, which was strongly pushed by the credit card industry.

So say three researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, who argue that the legislation shifted risk from credit card lenders to mortgage lenders, helping trigger the surge in home foreclosures.

Before Congress passed the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, households could erase their unsecured debts by filing for Chapter 7 liquidation. That freed up income that distressed homeowners could use to make mortgage payments.

The new law, however, forced better-off households seeking bankruptcy protection to file under Chapter 13. That chapter requires homeowners to continue paying their unsecured lenders.

In other words, say the Fed researchers, cash-strapped homeowners who might have saved their homes by filing Chapter 7 are now much more likely to face foreclosure.

"Is it just coincidence that the surge in subprime foreclosures that has rocked financial markets came right after the bankruptcy reform in 2005?" they asked. "Is that surge just about falling home prices, bad mortgage decisions and weak economic conditions?

"No and no."

The paper''s lead author, Donald P. Morgan, a research officer at the New York Fed, said last week in a phone interview that he was "99 percent confident" that the bankruptcy reform law was a major reason for the foreclosure crisis and the falling housing prices that have affected virtually every homeowner in the country.

The National Association of Realtors recently reported that the average sale price of an existing home fell 12.3 percent, to $224,200, over the 12 months ending in November.

"Before the reform, overindebted households might file bankruptcy and get rid of their credit card debt, and that would free up income to pay the mortgage," Morgan said. "The new law blocks that escape route and forces better-off households to continue paying credit card debt, which makes it harder than before to continue paying the mortgage."

The conclusions of Morgan and his colleagues echo earlier findings that the new law''s tougher requirements appear to have increased the number of people defaulting on their mortgages or walking away from their homes rather than seeking bankruptcy protection.

"One of the great lessons and ironies" of the new law, Treasury Department economist David P. Bernstein wrote in a recent paper, was that, by increasing the dollar value of assets susceptible to default, it has weakened many of the financial institutions that sought the new law in the first place.

Aimed at making debtors take more "personal responsibility" for their debts, the new law did succeed in driving down bankruptcy filings at first. But if the idea of bankruptcy reform was to prevent "can-pay" and high-income debtors from abusing the bankruptcy system, many experts say the law has been a bust

[ToxicAdam]

Good ole slick Willy.

John Roberts: Mr. President, in terms of the overall economic downturn, Time magazine had an article out this week in which it named 25 of the people most responsible for the economic downturn, and you were there. They, they had a picture of you in what looked like a police lineup. They had a little button where you could vote who's the most responsible? They pointed to your signing of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Commodity Futures Modernization Act. I wonder what you think about that.

Former President Bill Clinton: I think that the only thing that our administration did or didn't do that we should have done is to try to set in motion some more formal regulation of the derivatives market. They're wrong in saying that the elimination of the Glass-Steagall division between banks and investment banks contributed to this. Investment banks were already...banks were already doing investment business and investment companies were already in the banking business. The bill I signed actually at least puts some standards there. And if you look at the evidence of the banks that have gotten in trouble, the ones that were most directly involved in there ... in a diversified portfolio tended to do better.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/16/bill.clinton.qanda/

Roberts: A couple of real quick questions, what president do you think you're most like?


Clinton: Well, personally, I'm not sure. One guy wrote a book saying I was most like Thomas Jefferson, but the times in which I governed were most like Theodore Roosevelt. And the results I received were similar. He had enormous success, the country was better off when he quit than when he started, but several of the things he recommended were not actually done until his cousin, Franklin Roosevelt, became president more than 20 years later.

I think a lot of things that I recommended in terms of health care reform will come to fruition now that we have more modern Democratic Congress and a new Democratic Congress and the Obama administration there. I'll be surprised if we don't get health care reform and some of the things I recommended. I'm excited about it.

He sees himself as a cross between two guys on Mount Rushmore.

[Eric P]

He sees himself as a cross between two guys on Mount Rushmore.

everyone sees themselves as the hero.

i like to think of myself as a cross between puck and falstaff

[Cheebs]

Obviously he isn't as good as those heroes but hey, while he isn't one of the nation's greatest he easily without question the best of the last 30 years or so. Although it's not like he like he has much competition, Nixon, Ford, the Bush's, Reagan and Carter were all pretty meh.

[TakingBackSunday]

Cheebs, only the hardliest of hardcore dems will say Reagan was a failure.  Most people will admit that he was a pretty good President, even though he really wasn't.

[Mandark]

Here's an interesting thought:

Duncan Black was making this point over a year ago.  Welcome to the socialist elite!

[Cheebs]

Cheebs, only the hardliest of hardcore dems will say Reagan was a failure.  Most people will admit that he was a pretty good President, even though he really wasn't.

I didn't say failure. I said he was pretty meh. I say this in terms of policy because I was talking about him as President. As a politician?  He was brilliant.

But yeah, I stand by calling his policies in his 8 years "meh". Despite this I still read the Reagan diaries lol.

[Mandark]

As a politician?  He was brilliant.

Dude lost to Gerry Ford.

[Phoenix Dark]

Did you say Ford?

http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/2009/02/the-dark-sith-for-commerce-secretary/

[youtube=560,345]fDPVBonzX9E[/youtube]

[Cheebs]

As a politician?  He was brilliant.

Dude lost to Gerry Ford.

Ford was a sitting president. It's all but impossible to unseat them in a primary, the fact he came so close was pretty damn impressive. I am talking more so about 1980 and his massive wins. No one has came close to a 49 state sweep since him, that takes a brilliant politician (or at least a brilliant political team) especially as someone who has a agenda that was hard right, at least when he ran compared to the likes of Ike, Ford and Nixon.

[Cheebs]

I just now realized within the span of 5 posts I have been accused of being both too hard and too soft on Reagan. 

[Phoenix Dark]

As a politician?  He was brilliant.

Dude lost to Gerry Ford.

Ford was a sitting president. It's all but impossible to unseat them in a primary, the fact he came so close was pretty damn impressive. I am talking more so about 1980 and his massive wins. No one has came close to a 49 state sweep since him, that takes a brilliant politician (or at least a brilliant political team) especially as someone who has a agenda that was hard right, at least when he ran compared to the likes of Ike, Ford and Nixon.

Brilliant politician, or shitty opposing candidate plus massive support/love for the sitting president? I'm not denying he was a great politician/salesman but rolling Walter Mondale isn't a qualifier.

[Cheebs]

Obviously, he had two extremely weak opponents. But anyone who can still get his party to masturbate over him to this day had to do something right, politically. Reagan revolution meme and all that still sticking around. His policies were nothing special, straight line tax cutting conservative run of the mill stuff, yet he was seen as some sort of hero. That takes political know-ho, at least from the people around him.

[ToxicAdam]

Another reason not worry about Obama is that he is still using this crisis for political gain in 2012. The guy never quits campaigning.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2009/02/16/daily7.html

[Rman]

Obama's apparent continuation of Bush's abuse of the state secrets privilege is 1000X more troubling than any he-said she-said jobs creation semantic bullshit.

I haven't heard of this.  Could anyone provide a link about this?  I'm having trouble locating something via google news.

[Phoenix Dark]

You can't be serious ToxicAdam

[ToxicAdam]

Quick, what do Indiana (where he pitched the bill right before voting) and Colorado (where he will sign the bill) have in common?

[Phoenix Dark]

Former red states Obama won. I get that. Criticizing him, saying he's "campaigning" over this is pretty bitter.

yawn

[patrickula]

Obama's apparent continuation of Bush's abuse of the state secrets privilege is 1000X more troubling than any he-said she-said jobs creation semantic bullshit.

I haven't heard of this.  Could anyone provide a link about this?  I'm having trouble locating something via google news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/10torture.html?_r=1&hp

[ToxicAdam]

Former red states Obama won. I get that. Criticizing him, saying he's "campaigning" over this is pretty bitter.

yawn

It's quite the opposite of criticism, it's commending him for not resting on his laurels. He wants to keep stepping on the neck of the GOP.

[Mandark]

I'd also accept "states with Senate seats up for election in 2010."

The simple answer here is that Obama is trying to put political pressure on Republicans and blue dogs to get with his program.  TA's theory, as I understand it, is that they could have passed the stimulus right away but didn't to create the illusion of opposition.

[Cheebs]

He also visited Florida. Another swing state.

And ToxicAdam is right, his states he picked to visit are for electoral reasons. Who cares, I am glad he has the political foresight to keep the swing states in mind.

[Brehvolution]

I think he should take a break, personally. He hasn't even been in office a full month yet and look what he did.  I just don't want to see him burn out too fast. He still has the blur of the last 20 months or more on his back too.

[Cheebs]

I think he should take a break, personally. He hasn't even been in office a full month yet and look what he did.  I just don't want to see him burn out too fast. He still has the blur of the last 20 months or more on his back too.

Politico said he is going to do MORE of this, not less lol. After wooing Republicans turned out not to work so well they said the white house plans to do a lot more "campaign" rallies and townhalls throughout his term to focus on keeping public opinion on his side  on any policy he may enact to pressure republicans through the public rather than directly. And they feel it will help him keep his outsider appeal.

So I guess he won't be taking a break from the trail, he'll be working the crowds for the next 4 years. Poor guy. But he can still draw rockstar crowds, it makes sense to use that.

[chronovore]

Obama's apparent continuation of Bush's abuse of the state secrets privilege is 1000X more troubling than any he-said she-said jobs creation semantic bullshit.

I haven't heard of this.  Could anyone provide a link about this?  I'm having trouble locating something via google news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/10torture.html?_r=1&hp

Is this abuse? Are you familiar with the case?

The reason it was called "abuse" under the Bush administration was its use whenever possible, no matter how appropriate or not. Here's an ongoing trial with unknown details, and no-one worth considering is arguing that there's no need for state secrets. Isn't it possible that there may be a case where state secrets can be invoked in a case?

[patrickula]

Obama's apparent continuation of Bush's abuse of the state secrets privilege is 1000X more troubling than any he-said she-said jobs creation semantic bullshit.

I haven't heard of this.  Could anyone provide a link about this?  I'm having trouble locating something via google news.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/us/10torture.html?_r=1&hp

Is this abuse? Are you familiar with the case?

The reason it was called "abuse" under the Bush administration was its use whenever possible, no matter how appropriate or not. Here's an ongoing trial with unknown details, and no-one worth considering is arguing that there's no need for state secrets. Isn't it possible that there may be a case where state secrets can be invoked in a case?

The state secrets privilege should just be used on a specific basis for pieces of evidence, not to get an entire case thrown out of court in advance just because the president says so.  Obama ran against this sort of thing.

I could say more but I'd probably just be parroting this guy: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/02/10/obama/index.html

[eznark]

I think he should take a break, personally. He hasn't even been in office a full month yet and look what he did.  I just don't want to see him burn out too fast. He still has the blur of the last 20 months or more on his back too.

Politico said he is going to do MORE of this, not less lol. After wooing Republicans turned out not to work so well they said the white house plans to do a lot more "campaign" rallies and townhalls throughout his term to focus on keeping public opinion on his side  on any policy he may enact to pressure republicans through the public rather than directly. And they feel it will help him keep his outsider appeal.

So I guess he won't be taking a break from the trail, he'll be working the crowds for the next 4 years. Poor guy. But he can still draw rockstar crowds, it makes sense to use that.

It makes sense.  Obama is a salesman, not an idea man.  His talents are wasted in closed door meetings crafting policy.  He needs to be out in public, shoveling the democrat shit to the public.  It's the most efficient use of his positives, but it really shows the sort of power guys like Rahm are going to have over the next 4 years. 

[Ganhyun]

So is this our Poli thread now?

[Phoenix Dark]

I think he should take a break, personally. He hasn't even been in office a full month yet and look what he did.  I just don't want to see him burn out too fast. He still has the blur of the last 20 months or more on his back too.

Politico said he is going to do MORE of this, not less lol. After wooing Republicans turned out not to work so well they said the white house plans to do a lot more "campaign" rallies and townhalls throughout his term to focus on keeping public opinion on his side  on any policy he may enact to pressure republicans through the public rather than directly. And they feel it will help him keep his outsider appeal.

So I guess he won't be taking a break from the trail, he'll be working the crowds for the next 4 years. Poor guy. But he can still draw rockstar crowds, it makes sense to use that.

It makes sense.  Obama is a salesman, not an idea man.  His talents are wasted in closed door meetings crafting policy.  He needs to be out in public, shoveling the democrat shit to the public.  It's the most efficient use of his positives, but it really shows the sort of power guys like Rahm are going to have over the next 4 years. 

Less Gingrich, more Reagan right?

[TakingBackSunday]

I think he should take a break, personally. He hasn't even been in office a full month yet and look what he did.  I just don't want to see him burn out too fast. He still has the blur of the last 20 months or more on his back too.

Politico said he is going to do MORE of this, not less lol. After wooing Republicans turned out not to work so well they said the white house plans to do a lot more "campaign" rallies and townhalls throughout his term to focus on keeping public opinion on his side  on any policy he may enact to pressure republicans through the public rather than directly. And they feel it will help him keep his outsider appeal.

So I guess he won't be taking a break from the trail, he'll be working the crowds for the next 4 years. Poor guy. But he can still draw rockstar crowds, it makes sense to use that.

It makes sense.  Obama is a salesman, not an idea man.  His talents are wasted in closed door meetings crafting policy.  He needs to be out in public, shoveling the democrat shit to the public.  It's the most efficient use of his positives, but it really shows the sort of power guys like Rahm are going to have over the next 4 years. 

Ugh, get that shit out of here.  Not and ideas man, my ass.

[Cheebs]

Obama is easily an ideas man, but he is also a good salesman on the trail. No reason he can't be both.

[eznark]

I think he should take a break, personally. He hasn't even been in office a full month yet and look what he did.  I just don't want to see him burn out too fast. He still has the blur of the last 20 months or more on his back too.

Politico said he is going to do MORE of this, not less lol. After wooing Republicans turned out not to work so well they said the white house plans to do a lot more "campaign" rallies and townhalls throughout his term to focus on keeping public opinion on his side  on any policy he may enact to pressure republicans through the public rather than directly. And they feel it will help him keep his outsider appeal.

So I guess he won't be taking a break from the trail, he'll be working the crowds for the next 4 years. Poor guy. But he can still draw rockstar crowds, it makes sense to use that.

It makes sense. Obama is a salesman, not an idea man.  His talents are wasted in closed door meetings crafting policy.  He needs to be out in public, shoveling the democrat shit to the public.  It's the most efficient use of his positives, but it really shows the sort of power guys like Rahm are going to have over the next 4 years. 

Less Gingrich, more Reagan right?

Pretty much, and I love me some Reagan so it wasn't meant as an insult.  In his political career he has not been a mover and shaker, he's been a seller.  That's fine, there is nothing wrong with it.  Idea men are usually abrasive pricks who could never get elected on a national scale, they need front men to put a winning smile and pretty words on their plans.  If you look through history there are a lot more salesmen than there are idea men as president.

He's shown this to be the case just in the first few weeks here.  This "stimulus" bill is going to define a large chunk of his presidency and he farmed the entire thing out to Pelosi.  Her and Reid gave him the bill and he went to sellin'.  He was involved in a very limited capacity on the actual details of the bill.  As far as the bank bailout Geithner's shithouse performance last week shows his lack of involvement there.  Obama know how important those public presentations are and had he been fully involved in the bank planning, he never would have let Geithner out there with such little detail.

The only real "big idea" that he took ownership of throughout the campaign was "post partisanship" and hope, and those were thrown out the window at the first GOP speed bump.

[Human Snorenado]

It's always funny to me that Repubs cite Gingrich as an "idea man".

[ToxicAdam]

Greenspan favors some limited nationalization of banks.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e310cbf6-fd4e-11dd-a103-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

Where is our (free market) gods now?

[Human Snorenado]

Greenspan favors some limited nationalization of banks.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e310cbf6-fd4e-11dd-a103-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

Where is our (free market) gods now?

[Cheebs]

Greenspan favors some limited nationalization of banks.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e310cbf6-fd4e-11dd-a103-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

Where is our (free market) gods now?

Last week's Newsweek cover had it right. "We Are All Socialists Now."

[siamesedreamer]

Looks like the housing plan is very broad and seems like it should really help mitigate the continued correction.

Includes Treasury stepping in to bring principles down and help for owners who are current.

Needless to say, there's not much I personally like about it. But, it is what it is. 

[ToxicAdam]

Someone inform the hyperventilating feggits in the poligaf thread that Presidents don't write bills.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=14820799&postcount=10627

[Brehvolution]

Includes Treasury stepping in to bring principles down and help for owners who are current.

So happy to hear this. I've been taking it in the ass hard for 2 years now.

[eznark]

With a $787 billion stimulus package in hand, President Barack Obama will pivot quickly to address a budget deficit that could now approach $2 trillion this year.

He has scheduled a "fiscal-responsibility summit" on Feb. 23 and will unveil a budget blueprint three days later, crafted to put pressure on politicians to address the country's surging long-term debt crisis.

That seems...a tad late and pointless.