High unemployment number puts pressure on Obama

Christian Science Monitor -

Nov-07-2009

High unemployment number puts pressure on Obama

(topic overview)
CONTENTS:

Battered by a grim new unemployment figure of 10.2 percent Friday, the White House and Treasury Department began talking about new - but unspecified - measures to improve the economy and generate jobs. (More...)
Well maybe if the GOP would start working for the American people instead of saying "NO" all the time, just maybe, just maybe things would be different. (More...)
Under Reagan you had a much higher marginal tax rate (I believe 50% for people making over 200k, correct me if I'm wrong) than under Clinton or now Obama. (More...)
When we have the party in power that caters to the entitlement people, the government employees, and the dregs, we will become very like Nigeria. (More...)
Obama is taxing us into oblivion. (More...)
What we can see, is that unemployment is now the highest in 30 years despite taking on $800B in additional debt. (More...)
The president and his allies face an overarching challenge. (More...)
Republicans who (assisted by some notable Democratic allies) laid the foundations of the current crisis -- with misguided tax breaks for the rich, warped spending priorities and fundamentally-flawed trade policies -- will be able to position themselves as pro-jobs populists. (More...)
The bad news is millions don't. (More...)
Unfortunately, the Democrat leadership has turned a deaf ear to the concerns voiced by countless citizens, and the American people are paying the price. (More...)

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Battered by a grim new unemployment figure of 10.2 percent Friday, the White House and Treasury Department began talking about new - but unspecified - measures to improve the economy and generate jobs. They were at pains not to use the word "stimulus" itself, because in the minds of many voters, stimulus has come to be synonymous with deficit spending, which is one of the biggest political weaknesses of President Barack Obama. That's why Obama went out of his way to point out that the measures he signed into law Friday will not burden taxpayers. "Now, it's important to note that the bill I signed will not add to our deficit," the President said. "It is fully paid for, and so it is fiscally responsible." It's also why Obama didn't use the term "stimulus" when he ticked through a laundry list of new ideas that his administration is considering. "My economic team is looking at ideas such as additional investments in our aging roads and bridges, incentives to encourage families and businesses to make buildings more energy-efficient, additional tax cuts for businesses to create jobs, additional steps to increase the flow of credit to small businesses, and an aggressive agenda to promote exports and help American manufacturers sell their products around the world." [1] Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele said Obama and his administration should stop with the "phony'saved or created' talking points" about the stimulus plan. "President Obama promised jobs during his campaign for president, and the elections in Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday were a clear referendum on his failure to deliver on this promise," Steele said. The White House and its allies argued that the economic glass is both half full and half empty. Obama pointed to 3.5 percent GDP growth in the third quarter and said his administration had stopped "the free fall that caused our economy to shrink at an alarming rate." He also said, however, that "job growth always lags behind economic growth, which is why we have to continue to pursue measures that will create new jobs."[2]

Obama aides nevertheless were dismayed by the worse-than-expected figure. They know that, following the Election-Day thumping, the West Wing is in for a barrage of harsh scrutiny and second-guessing. Advisers expect news organizations use this occasion to revisit conditions back in April 1983, and to reexamine Obama's moves on the economy since he took office. Christina Romer, chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, said in a statement: "Having the unemployment rate reach double-digits is a stark reminder of how much work remains to be done before American families see the job gains and reduced unemployment that they need and deserve." In the first official comment from the White House, Romer said the highest unemployment number in 26 years is troubling but that it masks signs of growth, including a slowing pace of job loss and spike in temp workers hired this past month. "Today's employment report contained both signs of hope for recovery and painful evidence of continued labor market weakness," Romer said in a statement, posted on WhiteHouse.gov.[3] The economy grew last quarter for the first time in a year. '''having the unemployment rate reach double digits is a stark reminder of how much work remains to be done before American families see the job gains and reduced unemployment that they need and deserve,''' Ms. Romer said. At his midday briefing, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked if the administration might now go for a second stimulus package, following the $787 billion plan that Obama signed in February.[4]

For the first time in more than a quarter century, unemployment in the United States has reached double digits. That's bad economic news for America, which has now been shedding jobs for 22 consecutive months. That's bad social news for the Americans who are out of work, for their families and for their communities, especially when we consider data that tells us 35 percent of jobless men and women have been looking for work for more than six months. That's bad political news for President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress, who continue to make the mistake of treating unemployment as an afterthought rather than the most serious issue facing the nation. Now that the United States has an official double-digit unemployment rate, the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate need to adjust approaches in order to make job creation their primary focus.[5]

Increasing taxes on small business, as Democrats will do to pay for government run health care, is the wrong approach. We should work to empower small businesses to hire more workers, not penalize them further, costing even Americans their jobs. "Americans, particularly those with friends, neighbors, and family out of work, are pleading with leaders in Washington to focus on jobs and the economy. From coast to coast, people are concerned with the direction that Washington is heading, and are tired of the spending, tired of the waste, and are pleading for their leaders to focus on jobs and the economy. "With millions of Americans desperately seeking work, I ask the President put the economy first, and sit down with Republicans to develop bipartisan solutions that will change the direction of this economy and get people working again." "Families across this nation are devastated by the reality of a 26-year high unemployment rate. It's hard to find a friend or a neighbor who hasn't been touched by today's news that the national unemployment rate is 10.2 percent. The challenges facing our families and small businesses are obvious to those who are listening.[6] Democrats pledged that the so-called'stimulus' would create jobs immediately and keep the unemployment rate from going above eight percent. Since the'stimulus' was signed into law, more than three million private sector jobs have been lost. Americans are asking "Where are the jobs?" but all they've gotten from Democrats in Washington is more spending and more debt. "Now Speaker Pelosi is pressing ahead with a $1.3 trillion government takeover of health care, endorsed by President Obama, that will destroy 5.5 million jobs according to a methodology developed by his own senior economists.[6]

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio said the Democratic health care bill will do just the opposite by hurting small businesses and raising taxes. Boehner pointed out that 3 million people have lost their jobs since stimulus spending began in February. "Americans are asking, 'Where are the jobs?, but all they're getting from Democrats here in Washington is more spending and more debt," Boehner said. Pelosi used a different set of statistics to make her case on Friday. She said the stimulus has created or saved nearly 1 million jobs and that job loss has slowed since President Obama took office.[7] Boehner pointed to failed promises and exorbitant spending, citing the Democrats''' health care reform bill and stimulus plan as steps that will plunge the U.S. further into debt. '''Since the stimulus plan was signed into law, more than three million private sector jobs have been lost,''' said Boehner '''Now, Speaker Pelosi is pressing ahead with a $1.3 trillion government takeover of health care, endorsed by President Obama, that will destroy 5.5 million jobs according to methodology developed by his own senior economist.'''[8]

Republicans pounced on the latest unemployment report from the Department of Labor as evidence that Democrats' $787 billion stimulus plan was a waste of money and that the House health care bill set for a vote as early as Tuesday could kill an additional 5.5 million jobs.[7] Earlier Friday, the president signed a bill extending unemployment benefits for up to 20 additional weeks. This quick pivot toward the economy, on the eve of a historic House vote on comprehensive healthcare reform, reflected the challenge that Mr. Obama faces as he seeks to continue his ambitious policy agenda while tackling the worst recession since the early 1980s. With both major political parties looking ahead to the 2010 midterm elections, '''what you are going to see now is a consolidation of the national agenda," says Thomas Schaller, a political scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. By that he means that the Democrats may decide Obama is trying to do too much, while Republicans will look to Virginia and see that Bob McDonnell won the governor'''s race as a conservative by soft-pedaling social issues and focusing on jobs and taxes. The Obama administration all along has insisted that its big agenda ''' from health reform to energy legislation to education initiatives ''' is tied to the need for cost savings and job creation during a period of profound economic change. For Americans who have lost their jobs, or who worry their job is next, a laser-beam focus on jobs is what they want to hear.[4] A singular or even dominant focus on health care -- or any project other than job creation and retention -- is now politically dangerous. It is not just in New Jersey or Virginia where economic fears related to job losses rank as the top issue. Those are merely the states where a formal political measure was taken this fall. If anything, the rising unemployment rate is an even bigger issue in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where Obama won in 2008 and where Democrats grabbed House and Senate seats from the Republicans at a fast clip in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles. Concerns about the economy powered those Democratic advances in 2006 and 2008.[5]

For economic, social and politic reasons, Democrats need to remake themselves as the party of jobs. If this requires a new stimulus plan with more money for job-creating infrastructure and development programs, Democrats cannot afford to be cautious. If this requires a radical alteration in trade policies and the abandonment of the absurd strategy for bailing out GM and Chrysler -- which calls for shuttering more than two dozen plants across the United States ' Democrats cannot afford to hesitate. Of course, corporate Republicans and the faux Republicans of the Democratic Leadership Council will scream about the expense and about the rejection of the economic orthodoxies of Alan Greenspan and the other jokers who got us in this mess. If Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and their compatriots listen to the counsel of the cautious as unemployment hits 12, 13 or 14 percent, they will fail the American people doubly.[5]

The unemployment rate raced into the double digits this morning, hitting 10.2 percent for the first time in more than 25 years. Earlier this week, voters in New Jersey and Virginia sent the White House a strong message that they're concerned about three top issues: jobs, jobs, and jobs. Are the House Democrats proposing a jobs bill? How about the construction-heavy highway bill? No, they're pushing a trillion-dollar healthcare reform bill that will be voted on this weekend, despite the fact that over 10,000 Americans turned out to protest it on the Capitol steps yesterday. Those protesters are upset that the House plan includes a public option, in which government-run insurance would be an option for consumers.[9] The White House, while acknowledging bad news packed inside the 10.2 unemployment numbers, is pointing to what President Barack Obama's economic team calls promising signs of a slow rebound. In the first official comment from the White House, Christina Romer, chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, said the highest unemployment number in 26 years is troubling but masks signs of growth, including a slowing pace of job loss and spike in temp workers hired this past month.[10] What figure should we use for the number of "dislocated" jobs since the stimulus program was enacted? Thankfully, the White House has, perhaps inadvertently, provided us with an estimate. When the White House says that jobs have been "saved or created" by the stimulus program, then we should say that this is the number of jobs "dislocated" by the stimulus program. Using current figures, adding the number of actual jobs lost since February (3.2 million) to the number of jobs that the Obama administration says that they have "saved or created" since February (1 million) means that the economy has "lost and dislocated" more than 4 million jobs since President Obama signed his $787 billion stimulus package. This "lost and dislocated" formulation is a much more honest assessment of where we are as a country when it comes to understanding job creation, unemployment and the economic challenges ahead under the so-called stimulus package. If it's not, then the White House should at least explain how "saved or created" is more accurate.[11] The recovery will have trouble truly lifting off if many of our workers have been committed to questionable make-work projects concocted by Speaker Pelosi and President Obama. A Keynesian might be happy to have government workers digging holes and filling them in, but workers occupied in that manner cannot, at the same time, return to the factory floor. The higher the number of such dislocated workers, the higher the policy challenge going forward. If the Obama administration is just going to make up formulations like "saved or created" that have no basis in economics, let us offer our own formulation that is a far more accurate characterization of our economic challenges since the enactment of President Obama's $787 billion stimulus package, even if economists currently don't use this measure. That is, we have seen more than 4 million jobs "lost and dislocated" since President Obama and the Democratic Congress enacted the stimulus package in February. This is a much easier formulation to understand.[11]

To quote Democratic campaign guru James Carville: '''It'''s the economy, stupid.''' That'''s as true now as it was in 1992, when he first said it. Voters in both the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races Tuesday declared the economy and jobs their No. 1 issue, trumping local concerns. The Republicans won both elections. On Friday, when the news broke that national unemployment had crossed the psychologically painful barrier of 10 percent for the first time since 1983, the Obama administration sent its top economic advisers ''' and President Obama himself ''' to the airwaves to reassure the public that they were on top of the situation. The thrust of their message: We feel your pain, and we'''re doing everything we can.[4] The unemployment rate rose from 9.8% to 10.2% percent. With only 130.8 million jobs in the U.S. economy, President Obama is now 7.8 million jobs short of what he promised the American people. That makes President Obama's stimulus an objective failure.[12] The raw numbers involved with calculating the unemployment rate by the current farce of an administration involve simply changing the definitions of who is considered unemployed versus gave up actively searching for meaningful employment as a starter. Lear Capital and others have been relating these changes by the Obama administration (Obamanation Administration for clarity) since early in the spring of 2009. Just a sidebar comment relating that back in the January/February 2009 timeframe, Speaker Pelosi was quoted by the major media outlets as haven stated something like, '''If we do not pass this stimulus bill over 500 million Americans will lose their job every month'''. Well, that means all Americans (working and those not yet working) would have to now get employed and then everyone would have to lose their job every month with a significant number losing their job twice in the same month, every month until their stimulus bill passes.[13] Obama sought to do that soon after the job numbers were released. '''I can promise you that I won'''t let up until the Americans who want to find work can find work, and until all Americans can earn enough to raise their families and keep their businesses open,''' he said from the Rose Garden. The chair of the president'''s Council of Economic Advisers, Christina Romer, offered a good news/bad news message in her statement. Although the unemployment rate has gone up, the rate of job losses has declined, she noted.[4] Even assuming the recovery is finally at hand, however, job losses are likely to continue for many months, and even Christina Romer, Obama'''s Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, admits the unemployment rate is '''unlikely to end 2010 much below''' the current level of 10 percent. If Chairman Romer'''s predictions prove accurate, and they'''re likely more than a little optimistic, all we may have to show for President Obama'''s 3.5 million jobs creation promise is another $787 billion in national debt.[13]

We learned that the unemployment figures rose by 558,000 in October. This follows President Obama'''s announcement that the White House saved or created 1 million jobs with the stimulus.[14] This is the biggest manipulative lie I have head in a while. The republicans have done EVERYTHING they can to obstruct Obama and to keep him from getting anything passed at all ''' THEY TOO are in this government so it is TOTALLY dishonest for them to lay all the unemployment at Obama's feet. They are here now, and they have been in the white house for YEARS while MASSIVE numbers of jobs were shed. I never heard a peep out of them, those millionaires. To say OBAMA 'has not come in on his promises' after 11 months is just dishonest. He inherited a DISASTER. AND where are YOU, republicans? Where are your big ideas for helping the president to create jobs? You think ONE man can do it? Why don't you get off your complaining duffs and DO SOMETHING. You want Obama to fail ''' and it SHOWS. The only one who looks bad is YOU.[15] Congress took further steps to right the staggering economy by expanding a popular tax credit for homebuyers and extending unemployment checks for the growing legions of people running out of benefits with few job prospects. The White House said the legislation builds on its efforts to spur job creation and President Barack Obama would sign it into law Friday morning.[16] White House aides have been discussing ways to accelerate job creation for months. Signing a bill that cuts business taxes and extends unemployment benefits and homebuyer tax credits, Obama said those ideas include "additional investments in our aging roads and bridges, incentives to encourage families and businesses to make buildings more energy efficient, additional tax cuts for businesses to create jobs, additional steps to increase the flow of credit to small businesses, and an aggressive agenda to promote exports and help American manufacturers sell their products around the world." If Obama is a smart politician, and usually he is, the double jolt of the election and the jobs report should make this the moment he ends the deliberations and moves into an action phase.[2]

We seem to realize that Speaker Pelosi is more than simply math or fact challenged. What specifically is the definition of a job saved? How do we identify a saved job and who reports which job(s) have been saved? These are tough questions that Gaff-A Minute (VP Joe Biden) hasn'''t answered as well as Obama, Reid or Pelosi. An airborne answer is that those numbers are simply extracted from their nasty leg fourth point of contact without respect to the reality that constantly confronts them. One of the few pieces of good news is that 75% to 87% of the '''we need this stimulus right now''' has still not been paid; it'''s just sitting there idle. The actual hope is once we can get conservative representatives in their to repeal the stimulus bill and any remaining pre-existing and Obama created false entitlements and proceed with intelligently designed legislation such as, perhaps the FAIR TAX, which would get our American economy growing without penalizing success. We the people need to effectively deal with these '''pirates on the Potomac''' as we prepare to meet the day-to-day challenges of life until those patriotic conservatives get into office.[13] The sad thing is, Obama and his administration don't have a clue on how to fix the economy. His only solution is to wastefully spend us into bankruptcy--with no results but record deficits. He is slowly but surely transforming us into a Banana Republic. No wonder leaders from Venezuela and Libya sing his praises and hope he continues along his path of destroying our nation. The PRIVATE SECTOR must be "stimulated"--not taxed, regulated and torn down! They are the ones who create good paying jobs and pay the taxes we need to fund the government. This administration will never support our economic engine, because Obama is too busy declaring war on capitalism and Fox News.[2] Obama told all of us that some jobs are going for good and that we would continue to lose jobs as the economy gets better. If these fools have a way to create jobs, why don't they tell us their plans. Oh, as usual, they have no plan. For Boner, who give him this job any way. I can't wait until he is voted out. He needs to go some where and get under the sun so he can get burn up and fad away. The repums are sick and they have no place in the new day and time. They can't change so what the hell are they here for. There are very few that live by their far fight wing.[15]

The loss of jobs last month exceeded economists' estimates. It's the 22nd straight month the U.S. economy has shed jobs, the longest on records dating back 70 years. Counting those who have settled for part-time jobs or stopped looking for work, the unemployment rate would be 17.5 percent, the highest on records dating from 1994. Last week, Obama claimed that he had "created or saved" 652,000 jobs. Its a good thing he invented that metric because he can pretend it would have been worse and there is no way to confirm or deny his claims.[17] The Department of Labor announced today the economy shed another 190 thousand jobs in October, pushing the unemployment rate to 10.2 percent and the running Obama jobs deficit to 5.7 million.[13]

Ms Christina Romer chair of Obama's Council of Economic Advisers warned that the U.S. unemployment rate is likely to remain severely elevated for some time even as the economy recovers from recession. She added that the recession's impact on employment has been massive, making it difficult to recoup lost jobs.[18]

Thirty-one percent of voters ranked the issue as the most pressing, compared with just 18 percent who cited health care. In Virginia, another state where Obama won easily in 2008, the Democratic nominee for governor lost in a landslide this year. A remarkable 83 percent of voters told exit pollsters they were worried about "jobs and the economy". Roughly half of voters said it was their top concern, while barely half pointed to health care. This does not mean that the president and his congressional allies should abandon the push for health care reform. Obama is right that, in the long term, health care reform is essential to economic progress; America cannot continue to steer more and more of its GDP into the accounts of profiteering insurance companies and expect to experience meaningful growth in employment or prosperity.[5] In the same Oct. 30-Nov.1 poll, 47 percent rated the economy the most important issue facing the country today. Health was a distant second at 17 percent. (For those who'd argue that Congress should not spend borrowed money to create jobs, the deficit was in fourth place, just behind the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan). There are some economic proposals, such as giving employers a tax credit for jobs they create, that have supporters from across the political spectrum. It's possible they could pass quickly. That will be more likely when and if Obama lays out what he wants and makes clear he's serious about getting it done.[2]

"All Americans have gotten from Democrats in Washington is more spending and more debt. What they want is more jobs." "The Obama administration and congressional Democrats tied their political fates to the bailouts and stimulus. If at the end of the day jobs fail to materialize, they won't be able to pass the blame on to George W. Bush or the Republicans. They've had control of Congress since 2006. It's on their watch, and they'll take the fall." "It's a Democratic economy.[19] Most of the Republicans now blasting the Obama administration for profligate spending were in power during the Bush administration, when the surplus was eaten away by tax cuts, two wars and a Medicare prescription drug plan. Since 40 percent of the deficit can be attributed to policies adopted during President Bush's tenure, according to Linden and Ettlinger, it's hard to take those Republicans seriously. Democrats would be foolish to listen to their no-government-spending mantra. It's going to take more stimulus to juice an economy left very nearly in ruin by the banking crisis and the real estate crash. Sure, it's counter-intuitive to spend more with high deficits.[20]

Within minutes of the announcement, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., issued a statement saying that Obama's big spending plans are slowing down the economy. "Increasing taxes on small business, as Democrats will do to pay for government run health care, is the wrong approach," he said. The White House has been bracing for this news all week.[21] "You really need to bring China into the creation of a new world order, a financial world order," Soros said. Looks like Obama is doing exactly as Soros tells him to! Also explains why Obama is borrowing record amounts from China and doing everything possible to de-value the dollar. Pelosi the LIAR Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office says that the speaker will not allow the final language of the health care to be posted online for 72 hours before bringing the bill to a vote on the House floor, despite her September 24 statement that she was "absolutely" committed to doing so. Madam Speaker, do you support the measure to put the final House bill online for 72 hours before it's voted on at the very end? PELOSI: "Absolutely. I wiuld hope that any Democrat that votes against HCR, has a new job lined up before they are up for reelection.[22]

NICHOLS. "And that's bad political news for President Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress, who continue to make the mistake of treating unemployment as an afterthought rather than the most serious issue facing the nation." Where have you been? Obama was warned repeatedly that his stimulus bill wouldn't create jobs.[5] The number of jobs created or saved by the Obama administration? -1,847,058. That's negative 1,847,058. It's a conservative estimate. Christina Romer, the chair of Obama's Council of Economic Advisors, warned last January that unemployment would climb to 9% if the'stimulus' bill that Obama hurriedly rammed through Congress wasn't passed. If Obama didn't get his pork-filled package passed.[23]

Last week the Obama administration issued a report purporting to show that the President's $787 billion economic stimulus plan had saved or created exactly 640,329 jobs. Such a precise number for such a fuzzy concept as jobs "saved or created" immediately raised doubts about the veracity of the report in any honest American's mind.[12]

How much better would that be for the country, and the administration's standing with the American people, than the advice so far to be patient until sometime in the future. The higher stock prices go on Wall Street, the more talk there is of million dollar bonuses and eight digit salaries, the more people see of huge bank profitswhile jobs continue to disappear and the financial road gets steeper for everyone elsethe more the Obama administration and the Democrats look like they are the "them" as in "them" against "us." That's not where they want to be. That's not where they should be. That's not where all those passionate workers and voters who elected President Obama expect him to be. That's certainly not where those who vote in the 2010 midterm elections will be.[24] Minutes after Boehner's comments, the Republican National Committee weighed in as well. "With so many families looking for work, it is time the Obama administration stop spreading their phony'saved or created' talking points and start creating the dependable jobs America needs. President Obama promised jobs during his campaign for president, and the elections in Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday were a clear referendum on his failure to deliver on this promise," said RNC Chairman Michael Steele in a statement.[15] The republicans want the government to step in to create jobs; but cry socialism when government is involved in health care reform or energy/immigration etc. If President Obama were to get a job for every person by Monday 11/9/09 the Republicans would complain why he did not do it Sunday 11/8/09.[15] "The American people want to know why Congress is forcing through the Pelosi plan for a government takeover of health care instead of a plan that will help create jobs. Concerned citizens don't understand why their elected officials can't work together to create jobs and bring relief to families hurting in the city and on the farm.[6] The fastest way to create jobs and stimulate the economy would be to implement universal health care, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, and fully fund education. That would relieve businesses of the burden of health care costs and create massive numbers of new construction and teaching jobs. These types of spending education, infrastructure, and a healthy work force are known to have high ROI.[25] Why? Look up the Cloward-Piven theory. They are implementing it brilliantly. The reason is in order for them to bring about total wealth re-distribution, they have to first destroy the currency. (e.g. Massive stimulus, wasteful spending projects, massive tax increases, massive new entitlements that can never be paid for, etc., etc.) They are doing like Lenin said: Vladimir Ilyich Lenin quotes: The surest way to destroy a nation is to debauch its currency. The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation. When state welfare entitlement programs and socialized medicine are implemented in the liberal name of "helping the less fortunate", it is only a front for trying to ultimately bankrupt the Government where they can step in and offer to take over everything and change to socialism. Is this the Change you think people had in mind? The socialist have the ideal trojan horse candidate-where any dissent is labeled racist, or hateful in the case of not socializing the health care system. If we do not stop this and return to the ideals of the Founding Fathers, and the Constitution, I fear our country is heading down the tubes. Pray that the people of this nation rise up & vote all of them out at the next opportunity.[2]

Hewlett-Packard Co., didn't report any jobs also for a $1.25 million computer equipment contract. Oniva estimates that the direct stimulus spending has created just under 8,000 tech and telecom jobs, but this is a calculation based on a White House formula that says for approximately every $92,000 in recovery dollars spent, one job is created or saved, said Michael Balsam, the chief solutions officer of Onvi. The government's formula attempts to look at indirect job creation that stem from direct awards, but Balsam has questions about way the government is reporting its data.[26] Congress approved $787 billion in February to promote job growth and the White House recently claimed that some 600,000 jobs have been created by the stimulus spending so far.[26]

The White House says zero. Their job numbers assume all $200 billion is "new" and supports jobs that would not otherwise exist. This is absolutely implausible. Some assert that this $200 billion is new spending because it was borrowed from savers. That assumes the people who lent Washington the money would have otherwise saved exactly 100 percent of it. Even if one conservatively assumes they'd have saved half of it, then (by their Keynesian theory) only $100 billion would be "new" spending supporting new jobs.[27] Government data showed that the U.S. economy had emerged from the deepest recession in decades, but the White House continues to battle crushing unemployment of just under 10%. The numbers apply to jobs directly created with Recovery Act funds, but officials say more jobs are also created indirectly, for instance in the retail sector, when these people spend their wages.[18] Obviously the Obama White House is falling short. They've decided that pushing their ideological agenda and paying off special interests is more important than helping U.S. citizens. Notice how many policies this crazy White House forces through instead of focusing on a rational solution to the economy (sorry, throwing money at everything, taking over private enterprises and creating more government jobs isn't the answer).[15] The White House is falling short on jobs according to the GOP. Is this the same GOP that under the first 5 years of the Bush adminstration had record outsourcing of U.S. jobs, or the same GOP that brought down the U.S. economy through uncontrolled spending, a refusal to finace their wars, or maybe the GOP that refused to regulate finincial institutions resulting in the finincial meltdown that we are currently trying to drag ourselves out of. Maybe its the GOP of private no bid contacts that paid out billions in support and construction money to certain firms in support of U.S. forces in Iraq that resulted in questions as to where that money actually went.[15] First off, I want to say I am a free-market libertarian and I would have dealy liked to have see some leadership from the Bush administration on the problem that their reckless spending on double-front wars caused. Other than criticism for a job poorly done, they have offered absolutely nothing to help the situation, not in the final months of 2008 and not today. It is easy to snipe when you are on the outside but you have to offer ideas, too. Frankly, the last thing this country needs is gloom and doom from the White House. This is taking time, but the most important thing is to get people spending again, and move jobs home when possible.[15] More government spending, in the form of, say, a bailout of state and local governments or a second federal stimulus -- may not have enough support in Congress, but the private sector is where the White House believes that growth needs to come from -- the government has already provided a trillion dollars worth of stimulus. Having abandoned the concept of moral hazard to save the economy in 2009, the administration will use it to their advantage in 2010. The White House believes that when Americans say they're worried about the deficit, they're motivated by a search for clues that the current administration is budgeting responsibly.[28] WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is reviewing options to support the economy, but the first priority is to complete emergency government spending that has already been agreed, the White House said on Friday.[29]

WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - A jump in U.S. unemployment to 10.2 percent last month reflects the typical lag shown by the labor market as growth picks up, a top economic adviser to President Barack Obama said on Friday. "Today's employment report contained both signs of hope for recovery and painful evidence of continued labor market weakness," Christina Romer, chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, said in a statement after the release of October employment data.[30] In the first official comment from the White House, Romer said the highest unemployment number in 26 years is troubling but that it masks signs of growth, including a slowing pace of job loss and spike in temp workers hired this past month. "Today's employment report contained both signs of hope for recovery and painful evidence of continued labor market weakness,''' Romer said in a statement, posted on WhiteHouse.gov.[3]

On Recovery.gov, the White House reported that 640,329 jobs have been created or saved via the September 20 stimulus allocation of $159 billion. Offering a disclaimer that the numbers might not be exactly perfect, officials blame state and local municipalities for the discrepancies, and plan to scrub the numbers clean, as they trumpet their newest transparency act.[31] Those dissecting the White House claim that the $200 billion spent on the stimulus has created or saved 650,000 jobs have focused on the arithmetical errors in counting the hirings. They are ignoring a much more fundamental issue. Before Congress could inject $200 billion into the economy, they had to borrow $200 billion out of the economy.[27] The White House is telling us that adding $200 billion to one part of the economy created/saved 650,000 jobs, but removing $200 billion from another part of the economy has not cost a single job. They need to be taken to task for such implausible economics.[27]

The White House announced last week that the $787 billion stimulus package has "saved or created" more than 1 million jobs.[11] The White House estimates that over a half million jobs were created or saved because of the stimulus package, but it is getting another look, as the numbers seem to be inaccurate, and evidence shows that stimulus money was used for projects that had nothing to do with establishing permanent jobs.[31]

This is funny since in Michigan the House, who is Democrat, proposed revenue enhancements to deliver a balanced budget, the Republicans, who control the Senate would not budge and almost all of the stimulus money sent to this state is being used to balance the budget deficit. Now the Republicans can spread lies and claim it's all Obama's fault that jobs were not created.[15] The Obama administration is right when it says it would all be worse without the stimulus money the Democrats in Congress appropriated last March. That money saved a million jobs, mostly those that would have been axed by state and local governments.[24]

Republican Party said in a statement "What is quite certain is that since the stimulus passed in February, over 2.6 million American jobs have been lost. The Obama administration is either living in a fantasy world or using these reports to have a public argument with the facts.[18]

On January 18, 2009, Obama's top economics advisor Larry Summers said Barack Obama's stimulus plan would keep unemployment below 10%. '''Both administration and independent forecasts predicted that only a very small part of the total job creation expected from the Recovery Act would take place within six months,''' he continued.[32] U.S. officials said that U.S. President Mr Barack Obama's stimulus plan has saved more than a million jobs as they battle a momentous unemployment crisis.[18]

You need to keep up. Now that the United States has an official double-digit unemployment rate, the Obama administration and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate need to adjust approaches in order to make job creation their primary focus.[5] I suggested a one year health care program and the look of disdain at having to take a community college course to get a job. The unearned sense of entitlement for citizens who love the Bush administration but blame the current administration for the unemployment rate again display their ignorance. It is a disgrace to blame the current administration for any of the problems the U.S. is facing.[15]

Democrats pledged that the so-called'stimulus' would create jobs immediately and keep the unemployment rate from going above eight percent. Since the'stimulus' was signed into law, more than three million private sector jobs have been lost. Americans are asking 'Where are the jobs?' but all they've gotten from Democrats in Washington is more spending and more debt," adds Boehner.[15] "The numbers speak for themselves," the Heritage Foundation said. House Republican leader John Boehner said more than 3 million private-sector jobs have been lost since the "stimulus" -- his quotation marks -- was signed into law. "Americans are asking, 'Where are the jobs?' but all they've gotten from Democrats in Washington is more spending and more debt," he said.[2]

The top issue that correlated with Democratic wins in House and Senate races was not the war in Iraq, health care, social policy or generalized anger with George Bush. The November 3, 2009, off-year elections were a mixed bag for Democrats, mainly because in many instances around the country the Republicans were either at war with one another or more generally struggling to get their act together. In New Jersey and especially in Virginia, where Republican candidates in high-profile races focused tightly on economic issues and job creation, they won. That is the reality of 2009.[5]

The American people want reform and support a public option (55% according to a new CNN poll.)As a Republican myself (yes, pretty much a RINO until I see some real change from the leadership but keep in mind I voted straight Republican until 2008) I am also ashamed that elected GOP members spoke at a hate-filled rally on the Capital yesterday and never stood up against Nazi signs and clear racism seen at the Bachman "Superbowl of anti-reform." These officals are not blind-they SAW the horrible, violent, dishonest signs and sat mute. Ed Crane, Middlebury, IN Hey toilet tissue (Ass Wipe) your the one other people were commenting on yeaterday. it was not just me that was insulted by your comments. i see your problem you live in a hick state where the KKK was founded, so i see where your coming from. again i hate to bring up history, buy its true, you live in a racist state, and i can see that i struck a nerve yesterday, My job was done!!! have a good weekend, please don't burn and crosses this weekend!!!! Jeff Evanston IL Jeff, unfortunately all you have done is confirmed what we all suspected. You said and showed it all in this response. Remember, it's your choice to continue the life of hate and anger driven by your faith in the liberal democrat party and the lies they make you believe. You are, well, their puppet or slave somewhat.[22] Luckily the American people do not need to count on phony new jobs studies to provide the objective data necessary to hold President Barack Obama accountable for his economic policies.[12] "For the first time in more than a quarter century, unemployment in the United States has reached double digits. That's bad economic news for America. That's bad social news for Americans out of work. That's bad political news for President Barack Obama and the Democrats[5] Unemployment surged to 10.2 percent in October, officials announced on Friday, defying economists' earlier estimates that it would not break the all-important 10-point mark and setting a 26-year high. The president on Friday said the uptick in Americans without work was to be expected, as unemployment takes time to correct, and he reaffirmed his administration was mulling new investments and tax credits to boost economic recovery.[33]

Based on the new figures released Friday, Koropeckyj concludes that the unemployment rate will ultimately hit 11 percent before the pain of the recession begins to ease. Pointing the nearly 16 million Americans who are out of work, Koropeckyj said, "It will take an awful long time for the labor market to absorb all these people."[1] "The unemployment rate, however, rose four-tenths of a percentage point, to 10.2 percent. That this occurred despite the rise in real GDP last quarter reflects both the typical lag between GDP growth and unemployment decline, and the recent exceptional increases in productivity. Having the unemployment rate reach double-digits is a stark reminder of how much work remains to be done before American families see the job gains and reduced unemployment that they need and deserve."[10] The October rate is the highest since late 1982. The Christian Science Monitor reports, “After dismal jobs report, unemployment rate could hit postwar high,” the new government data has economists reconsidering their earlier economic projections. "We have been forecasting a 10.5 percent peak for the unemployment rate in mid-2010; given that it is already at 10.2 percent, this could be too low," writes Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist for MFR Inc. in New York.[34] I think its worth noting that republicans want government to create jobs but they don't want government to fix healthcare. They want the government to do everything and nothing at the same time. The unemployment rate signifies that capitalism in this country is failing, not government.[15]

Hmmmm. Now lets look at the unemployment if the government workforce is equal to about 16% of the total job work force or 22 million employed by governments. 10.2% x 136 million work force =13,872.000 out of work. this number does not include those that have dropped off benefits which takes it to about 15 million. or some are saying about 17.8% total people out of full time work positions.[17] Congress on Thursday decisively approved an extension of unemployment benefits for almost two million people out of work nearly a year or more as the U.S. continues to lose jobs.[16]

Friday's announcement that the unemployment rate officially climbed to 10.2% revealed that 15.7 million folks are officially unemployed. That means an extra 1,847,058 of our friends and neighbors and fellow citizens are out of work who would have had jobs if Obama hadn't got Dems their pork. That's according to Obama's own chief number-cruncher's prediction.[23] The number of jobs that Obama has cost the country could be almost twice that number, if you include the number of folks who have given up looking for work, or accepted part-time jobs. The Labor Department says if they were thrown into the mix the unemployment rate would soar to 17.5%.[23]

Even with an economic revival, many U.S. jobs lost during the recession may be gone forever and a weak employment market could linger for years. Record unemployment rates shouldn't come as a surprise and Washington isn't helping with it's 1,000 page bills that will raise taxes, healthcare costs, utility bills and debt. Who is going to pay for all these increases when jobs are getting harder to find.[35]

EPI estimates the cost of the credit at $28 billion, much of which would be recouped through less spending on safety net programs. Even if these forecasts are off by a lot, there's enough reason to launch this credit early in 2010. Another no-brainer should be a commitment that teachers, police, firemen, health workers and others on state and local payrolls won't lose their jobs because tax revenues collapsed. This year's stimulus bill allocated $17 billion to help keep them working. It wasn't enough. Congress should provide whatever it takes in federal support to keep these essential services going.[24] Obama called it a stimulus bill, not a wait 2-3 years for jobs bill while spending billions to study field mice or on Murtha's airport or whatever. They were wrong about that, and they are wrong on health care'''.not to mention cap-n-tax.[15]

Boston Firm Ships 'Green Jobs' to China President Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress are spending billions of tax dollars to subsidize development of "green jobs" - positions for people and companies designing and manufacturing alternative energy sources such as biomass, wind and solar. One of Obama's buddies, Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, is also a vocal advocate of such subsidies.[22] Imagine a 2010 State of the Union address where President Obama puts on a full court press to wipe out unemploymentwith infrastructure building, job tax credits, support for state and local governments, and new initiatives for Americorps and the Peace Corps.[24] Obama remains in many ways a quintessentially European politician, a firm believer in big government, large-scale state intervention, social liberalism, supranational institutions, and the projection of soft power abroad. His political philosophy is frequently more attuned to Brussels or Strasbourg than it is to Washington. For a host of reasons however, President Obama is increasingly viewed by his natural allies in Europe- the left-wing intelligentsia in particular - as a mounting disappointment, whether it is dithering over attending the climate change summit in Copenhagen, supposedly ignoring the momentous changes within the European Union, making little progress with the Middle East peace process, adopting protectionist trade policies, a lack of commitment to human rights, the list goes on. The Democrats should know if the Rebubs are against this they should steam roller forward. When this HCR Bill is as old as the SS, Medicare, Disability, Veterans Administration and all the other Government run agencies, the Repub's will be trying to say they were for it all the way. That's the way it is when the going gets tough, look for the Rethugs to chicken out, they can't handle anything that doesn't come easy. If they don't get it done they don't want anyone else to try.[22] This healthcare bill put forward by the Democrats will only make this country go deeper into recession. I do not trust the Obama administration anymore because of this. Government run healthcare will bring this country into a Socialist state and I am believing that this is Obama's main goal anyhow. If the Democrats continue to ram this down our throats then they all will be unemployed in their next elections which could be well after 2010. When it is their turn for re-election, they will be targeted. Why not, they are targeting us seniors now by taking $500 Billion out of Medicare to pay for this government run option plan.[12]

How nice it is that the Democrats will vote in a health care package tomorrow (Saturday) that will possibly add another 1 trillion to our debt. Obama will again prove himself to be a LIAR when he said his cabinet will be the most transparent in U.S. History and all legislation will be posted on line for 72 hours prior to being voted on so the American People can read it. Well it is not going to be posted and most of our elected officials will not even have time to read the 2000 page bill before they even vote on it. Pelosi/Reid and clan are going to ram this legislation down out throats for they are the all knowing Kings and Queens of our Government and we surfs are not even worthy of knowning what they are doing.[17] Bring Our Troops Home Repeal DODT Not Raise Taxes Close Gitmo Create 3 million jobs Reduce the size of Government Stop Warrantless Wiretaps and my personal favorite - Transparency!!! Whats your favorite flavor. Why no mention of the wonderful GOP health care bill which the CBO thrashed? It covers less people and costs more.[22] There is no way of knowing whether a firm that completed a stimulus-funded project would have been without work in the alternative. We also have to question what will happen to those workers once the government funding is gone. Since February, the month the stimulus bill was passed, 3.2 million people have lost their jobs.[14]

Paulsen said the numbers inside the jobs report - which show increased productivity, more hiring of temp workers, and a declining rate of job loss overall, mean that the economy is about to start generating new jobs again. Companies generally work their employees harder as long as possible in a recovery to avoid hiring new people. As the recovery continues, the theory goes, those companies will be forced to begin hiring again. It's the same with the temp worker number.[1] With the growing U.S. population, at least 100,000 new jobs are needed each month just to keep up. Everything currently on the table to help the economy recovery: easier loans to small business, extended unemployment benefits, more help for people struggling to keep up with their home mortgagesall of that is small change compared with what's really needed to get the economy back on track.[24] Actually, Obama has said several times that jobs are usually the last part of the economy to recover. They pushed through an extension in unemployment benefits.[15]

The GOP knows a shaky economy, not Obama's health care plan, is uppermost in voters' minds. That's why the Senate last week passed an extension of unemployment benefits 98-0, with nary a Republican "nay."[20] The only ones feeling the pain are the unemployed, small business owners and government tax collectors. It's a combination of the economy, the health care reform debacle and the unrealistic energy plan. Obama is also seen by many that voted for him as too much like Bush and not enough like Clinton. He needs to ground AF1 and get to work in the Oval Office.[20]

Once these are done, whether we want to deal with health care reform, or illegals, or campaign finance reform (no corp/union/pacs) or some other item is perfectly debatable. The reason he went for health care at the expense of the economy and jobs is that he is a socialist and health care is the golden path to socialism. It enables the government to get people where they want them, dependent on government.[17] Jobs should have been Obama's number one priority instead of Health Care. If people do not have jobs how are they expected to pay for health care.[15] Obama should drop the "Socialized Health Care" boondoggle and start working on creating jobs, real jobs, by cutting taxes on small business.[17]

Pelosi and her crew are on Fantasy Island where real things are fake and fake things are real. Nancy got it so right with the Stimulus bill, remember that one? The one no Democrat read, but voted for it anyway? Look at all the jobs that created! Now she's pulling the same stunt for health care reform.[22] Health Care reform is a jobs killer. His own economics adviser, Christine Romer, stated that most of the effects of the "porkulus" bill have already taken place. That $787 billion boondoogle was toooo important to read and had to be signed immediately.[5]

As the USA burns, Obama and the DNC fiddle with a $10 TRILLION health care spending bill.[17]

At the time, the Obama administration promised that passing the huge tax and spending bill would keep unemployment from rising above 8 percent.[34] The reason there is widespread unemployment is because the Republicans created a financial meltdown under the last unbelievably corrupt and greedy administration. Lie and try to blame Obama all you like; everyone with a brain in their head knows Cheney and his lackey stole two elections and robbed the American people blind and it will take time to recover.[15] Wow. Obama has been touring the nation making sure we know how many jobs he has saved or created. It is looking more and more like he is saving or creating the jobless. Unemployment this morning topped 10.2%, even though the number seeking employment has declined.[32] To many people are out of work. This is the worst unemployment our nation has seen since the early 1980's. Because he is Barack Obama, everyone is going to say "he is doing a good job."[15] Romer, who is one of President Barack Obama's top economic advisers, said that the increase in unemployment is also indicative of the lag between job growth and GDP growth.[36] Only in Washington can jobs be saved by the thousands while being lost by the millions. In his term in office, employment has dropped by about 3.5 million jobs, yet Obama repeatedly promised he would create 3.5 million jobs if only we would elect him President and give him control over the nation'''s economic policies beginning with the enactment of a massive economic stimulus package. The President'''s jobs promise means total employment should be at least 138.6 million by 2010, leaving him with a total deficit to close between now and December of 2010 of 7.7 million jobs. By his own standard, these results attest that Obama'''s policies are failing.[13] The President doesn't create jobs, the economy does. I think Mr. Obama deserves huge credit for his management of an unprecedented economic emergency.[15]

The economy shed another 190,000 jobs in October, bringing the number of jobs lost since Obama was sworn in to 3.8 million.[12]

Re:Obama's signs of Dope: Blah, Blah, Blah. Until Obama and his four thousand czars realize that everything depends on jobs and that Summers and Geitner need to find work in banks or Wall Street where they crookedly diverted taxpayer money to reward bad deeds. Obama found a job. Why can't he help millions of Americans find lesser emploment.[10] "With so many families looking for work, it is time the Obama administration stop spreading their phony'saved or created' talking points and start creating the dependable jobs America needs[15] Wait, that's according to YS. Today it was announced that the Obama administration has lowered individual and small business taxes. 650,000 jobs created and saved is a start in the right direction. Obama doesn't have a magic wand so don't expect recovery in such a short period of time.[17]

Earlier in the week the Obama Administration released figures purporting to show the Obama stimulus had saved or created 640,000 thousand jobs.[13] For instance, the U.S. Social Security Administration is upgrading some IT equipment with money from the stimulus, but according to reports on three projects underway in Maryland, which represent just a fraction of the agency's tech spending, only 17 jobs were created or saved on about $11 million in spending.[26] What Heritage fails to recognize is the value of spending $787,000,000,000.00 to create exactly 640,329 jobs. I think it's wonderful. That means the current Administration spent $1,229,055.69 tax dollars per job created.[12]

Now go have a nice date night. That's lost jobs not new ones. This administration is trying to create jobs and move things along by spending money, but it is digging us deeper into the hole.[33]

Absolute failure, but in Obama's mind he never expected to help businesses create new jobs. He only planned to reward his voting block conctituents that helped him get elected e.g., 15 million union members from SEIU, AFL-CIO, UCFW, NEA, AFT, etc.; and community organizers from ACORN's 300 affiliates, millions of government employees, and millions of non-working citizens subsidized with entitlement programs paid for by working taxpayers.[12] Yes OBAMA not the government is falling short. He cut 160,000 jobs of government employees this morning. I hope his people are overjoyed with their moron. It is the Congress that is inactive not the poor old Civil-Service workers scattered thoughout America.[15] To have a clear sense of the liabilities created by Obama's misguided policies, we should add to our "jobs lost" number an estimate of private workers who have been "dislocated" by the government.[11]

Republicans, however, accused the administration of making up job creation numbers out of thin air to disguise the failure of Obama's economic policies.[18] The administration said the number was evidence that the stimulus program had exceeded early expectations toward reaching the president's promise of creating or saving 3.5 million jobs by the end of next year.[37] Classic government waste, a bureaucracy that encourages statistical inconsistencies and little accountability, and statements by politicians that fly in the face of the facts, as Vice President Joe Biden says, oh yes, '''we are on track to create and save 3.5 million jobs through the Recovery Act by the end of next year.''' At a Cabinet meeting in October he said about the Recovery Act: '''everyone said this is going to get screwed up here.'''[31] The president has vowed that the economic recovery package would save or create 3.5 million jobs over 2 years.[18]

WASHINGTON -- Emergency help for the jobless will be a huge windfall for Realtors, homebuilders, mortgage bankers and others, and that's no accident. Those industries have spent months and millions of dollars making the case for $20 billion in tax cuts for homebuyers and businesses to help create jobs and revive a sluggish housing market. Their lobbying campaign paid off Thursday when Congress voted to pass the tax breaks as part of a broader extension of unemployment benefits.[16] Every employed America now works almost four weeks a year just to pay the 6.2% Social security and 1.45% Medicare taxes. Considering the near-bankrupt status of both programs, few of us will live long enough to recover what we paid into them. Today's Congress proposes to subsidize Medicare-like benefits to those who never have and never intend to pay a dollar in federal taxes. Intelligent leadership from the White House should be directed toward creating jobs for those willing to work, providing incentives for those willing to work hard, for creativity and for contributing to the health our nation. It continues to focus on assisting only those who refuse to help themselves, giving them little incentive to overcome their continuing dependence on public welfare.[2] According to the White House, 650,000 jobs were created or saved by $150 billion in stimulus funds.[24] What's more, the feeble 640,000 jobs the White House is reporting were "saved or created" by the stimulus is still a gross exaggeration.[38]

At the White House's website on the stimulus package, it claims 129 jobs were saved in Cocoa Beach. Was that what really happened, or did employees just get raises? Those 129 jobs are at the Brevard Child Care Association, so I asked the Executive Director there, and got some hemming and hawing.[37]

IBM put the number of jobs created or saved at 16.8 is based on a combination of formulas developed by IBM and the White House, according to the company's filing.[26] California was on top of the White House'''s blame list, saying it reported that 250 jobs were saved as the funds were used to hire workers to build additional train tracks for the Union Pacific Railroad. That number has since been adjusted to 74 jobs.[31]

President Barack Obama on Friday urged Americans to remain patient despite news of last month's dismal, double-digit jobless numbers, which he stressed his White House was working hard to correct.[33] President Barack Obama makes remarks about the mass shooting at the sprawling Fort Hood army base in Texas and the rise in the unemployment rate in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, Friday.[4] Hmmmm. the last time the unemployment rates were this high (1983) Republicans controlled the White House. Their response? Nothing.[15]

The three top Republicans in the House of Representatives released statements Friday morning taking Democrats to task for the news that the unemployment rate hit 10.2 percent last month.[6] The measure, cleared the House 403-12 Thursday, a day after it won unanimous support in the Senate. It extends benefits for 14 weeks for all those who have exhausted their federal aid or will do so by the end of the year. Those living in states where the unemployment rate is at 8.5 percent or above get an additional six weeks.[16]

NPR is reporting that the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the House bill showed that only 2 percent of Americans would be using the public option by 2019, when the legislation is fully implemented. That's an interesting fact that's gone unreported. And, to pay for this expensive new entitlement, the Baucus bill in the Senate proposes a new $40 billion tax on medical device manufacturers over the next 10 years. This includes the manufacturers of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, both of which my daughter uses to manage her type 1 diabetes, and which are the next step toward an artificial pancreas for people with diabetes. Mona Charen, whose son also uses one, wrote about the devastating effect this tax will have on the industry, on kids who need this technology, and on the cost of healthcare (which will increase).[9] I do have hope for you guys, and I understand the fear and frustration, but if anger and hatred is all you'''ve got, then be upset with the one'''s who have deceived you for so long ''' Trickle Down Economics, Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, etc ''' don'''t take it out on the people who point out the fallacy that is today'''s Republican Party. This bill better deliver, or else, the dems will never see a congressional majority or the white house for many decades.[22] I'll give you some perspective. ACORN and left wing "community organizing groups have been consolidating their power for 30 years. Their goal is socialism or worse. Don't take MY word for it, read what they have SAID. Read what George Soros has said; how many times has he been to the White House? We ARE a REPUBLIC, thus, anyone who wants to "re-invent America is - what? Both parties have spent too much. If Newt and the Republicans did not force Clinton to move to the center there would have been no "surplus" at the end of his 8 years. And, they still spent alot of money. If FM/FM and govt had not pushed sub-prime loans for people who could not afford them (beginning in the 1990s) we would not have had bundled mortgage securities that was the primary cause of our near collapse last year. There is plenty of blame to go around because NO ONE challeneged ACORN's notorious voting registration violations; instead money was funneled to them. The ongoing investigations should be really interesting if we ever get to the bottom of this mess.[12] What people aren't getting is that there are allot of companies out there that were already on life support when Obama took office. The stress of the last few years had them in critical condition. They were streched out on loan on top of loan. There is nothing that this White House, or any White House Admin could do to save them. Bankcruptcy was and is inevitable for them. Those that survive, survive leaner.[15]

In my last column ( Obama Promised Infrastructure Reform; Now's Time to Get Serious About it ) I talked about the accelerated road and bridge program the U.S. House is ready to approvebut which has run into White House resistance. The New Jersey and Virginia election results and exit poll numbers should be reason enough for the White House to become the driver, not the anchor for this program.[24] Since Democrats have the White House and hold huge majorities in the House and Senate, the brunt of voter anger will be taken out on the Democrats in 2010. Without his name on the ballot in 2010, Obama will have a hard time transferring his appeal to the new voters he got to the polls in 2008." "This would have a huge impact.[19]

Obama apparently had the same misconception and thought the stimulus was more than enough. Certainly they were not lacking for data or opposing views, such as yours. Call it wishful thinking on the part of the White House that all they needed to do was buy a little time and things would be OK.[25]

The White House activated a plan calling for the president's economic advisers to hit the cable channels at 9:30 a.m., the first time the administration is allowed to comment under rules governing the 8:30 a.m. release.[3]

In November 2010, the weight on voters' minds will be one part health care reform, one part climate change reform, and one hundred parts the state of the economy. Huge deficits will be omnipresent throughout President Obama's first term, complicating his administration's messaging efforts on the economy.[28] For Republicans, it is clear that President Obama's stimulus has failed our economy and the American people."[18] The Republican National Committee needs to stop reporting that the vote here in New Jersey was a referendum on President Obama. Governor Corzine has failed on his promises and lead New Jersey into a deeper hole than we were in when he took office. He blames the economy which is troubling as we were in trouble before the fallout of the economy.[15]

If there are those out there who are blaming President Obama for not curing all the ills in our country overnight then they have their heads in their "sandpits." Because he has not fixed the problems the GWB administration left in his lap, it is reported some of those who voted for him are going to vote Republican next time. (Or is this just more Repub. misinformation)? If not, do they really think the Republicans will resolve all these problems overnight (or at all?) Just think of all the problems caused by them befor Obams.[15]

Just to keep it all in perspective, this recession started 23 months ago and 72 million jobs have been lost during that time frame and President Obama was in charge for 10 of those months.[15] There is no job recovery possible given the steps that Obama and the Dems have undertaken. Only if most jobs become govt jobs (which it seems is part of their plan) will we see any job growth. That all leads to their incremental approach with healthcare and debt to a socialist transformation of the govt. As you said, "If President Obama can fix things like Reagan did, he may be on the road to a second term, and he has the power to do it too, considering that his party controls Congress."[5]

None of you Republicans or Conservatives have answered my question, so I ask again, in hopes of an answer: What kind of conservatism is this new '''Conservative''' party supposed to be like? Is it Goldwater'''s Conservatism or is it Reagan'''s? My guess is nobody will answer, again, because there are no good answers. Goldwater had a strong following but fell short in his presidential aspirations (he would be considered a moderate now, by the way and he is the GRANDFATHER of the Conservative movement) ''' As for Reagan ''' he did get elected, but he shot the deficit sky-high, along with his successor and GWB ''' all of which were '''fiscal conservatives''' Goldwater is as close as you can get to a '''pure''' conservative and his family endorsed Obama in this last election ''' you can flail and beat your chests all you want, but the wilderness is where you will find yourselves'''.again Someone, please tell me what your goal is? Do you even know? Do you even care? Or is it '''Us versus Them''' and '''Good versus Evil'''?? Doesn'''t seem like a very solid plan to me'''just more vitriolic criticism with no solutions.[22]

Fortunately, the economy'''s natural recuperative powers spurred by powerful, effective stimulus from the Federal Reserve mean the recession may be ending in the sense that overall output and incomes are stabilizing and the recovery may be on the horizon. Last week'''s report that the economy grew at 3.5 percent at an annualized rate was certainly good news, though efforts by the Obama Administration to spin this as suggesting the stimulus legislation was working were nonsensical.[13] Boehner's statement was released just minutes after the Labor Department reported that the nation's economy lost 190,000 jobs in the month of October and the unemployment rate rose from 9.8 percent to 10.2 percent.[15] Christina Romer, chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), said Friday that new unemployment numbers shows "signs of hope" as well as "painful evidence of" a weak jobs market. New jobless numbers released by the Department of Labor this morning showed unemployment at 10.2 percent in October, up from 9.8 percent in September.[36] At Treasury, Chief Economist Alan Krueger told reporters that officials behind the scenes are debating a slew of new ideas about what else to do to solve the nation's increasingly chronic unemployment problem. He would offer no details: "I can't comment on what's being considered, or when what's being considered might happen," Krueger said. He also said that reporters should not describe the new measures - whatever they are - as "stimulus." That's because, he said, to an economist, "stimulus connotes a more general increase in economic activity." The measures under consideration he said, are more narrowly focused on creating jobs.[1]

Unemployment remains a key hurdle to sustained recovery, with the latest monthly figures in September pushing the jobless rate to a new 26 year high of 9.8%, with job losses accelerating to 263,000.[18] If we have a 10% unemployment rate, that mean that consumers are not buying your products, and if consumers are not buying, you will not be able to stay in business. Since these corporations have taken our jobs overseas, I suggest that you start finding ways for those overseas concumers to buy your product, the American consumer (middleclass0 is tapped out.[15] London: Government figures released yesterday showed U.S. employers cut a deeper-than-expected 190,000 jobs in October, sending the unemployment rate to 10.2 per cent, its highest since April 1983.[39] "After watching an average of 673,000 jobs disappear in the final three months of the Bush Administration, the 190,000 jobs lost in October are fewer than the jobs lost in September," Pelosi said, adding that the unemployment rate is expected to keep rising slightly before a rehiring trend begins.[7] Job-seekers outnumber job openings six to one, and the official unemployment rate now stands at 10.2 percent.[20]

When the temporary jobs vanish, the rate of unemployment will spike again. It's time to put this number into perspective.[15]

The review found some counts were more than 10 times as high as the actual number of jobs; some jobs were credited to stimulus spending when, in fact, none was produced." It continued in California. "That total represents more than half of CSU's statewide work force. University officials confirmed Thursday that half their workers were not going to be laid off without the stimulus dollars."[37] Since the survey data only accounts for half the spending during that time, officials say the true number of jobs created is over a million.[18] The figures confirm government and private forecaster's estimates that overall Recovery Act spending has created and saved at least one million jobs an administration official said on condition of anonymity.[18]

If 17.8% is used then we have 17.8% x 136 million or 24,2080,000 out of work. that would mean we now have only 112 million people supporting all aspects of government budget and expenditures. while 195 million are not paying any taxes at all and or are un or under employed and not supporting the government budgets. If jobs where saved anywhere. they where actually saved inside the government sector by using tarp funds to reinforce state and federal government budget shortfalls in order to maintain current government payrolls. a storm is approaching.[17] Why do you assume that the Democrats want to fix the job situation? France seems to work nicely with perpetual 10%+ unemployment. It makes the masses more grateful for the nanny state.[5] Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Keith Hall says job losses appear to be slowing. Christina Romer, the president's top economic adviser, says the unemployment report does include some encouraging data, such as a jump in temporary service jobs. Christina Romer, the president's top economic adviser, says the unemployment report does include some encouraging data, such as a jump in temporary service jobs.[16] Romer, who heads the president's Council of Economic Advisers, says the latest unemployment figure doesn't come as a surprise, but it's still disappointing. She says there were some positive signs, such as an increase in temporary services employment, that indicate budding confidence in the job market.[40]

Mr. Boehner and Mr. Steele: I do not see you doing anything to "create or save" jobs. The president may be losing the battle against unemployment, but at least he is trying.[15]

In order to create jobs wouldn't the U.S have to bring back the jobs that were shipped out of the country in the last 20 years, you remember those jobs bonehead, the ones that created all the tax breaks for the corporations selling out the U.S workers for slave wages overseas. How can Republicans, my own pitiful party, blame this on anyone besides all of the politicians in Washington that provided these tax breaks to their friends and campaign contributors? It's time that we place mirrors in front of both parties when they spew forth this venomous garbage that the other side is reponsible.[15] Obama never said jobs would be created instantly after the passage of the stimulus. He said it will take time.[15] The jobs report reinforced that in spades, providing instant ammunition to conservatives and Republicans. Within minutes of its release, they seized on it as evidence that the Obama stimulus plan is not working.[2] New data, to be released later in the day, provides the first solid evidence from employers on job creation spawned by the USD 787 billion Recovery Act passed in February despite stiff opposition from Obama's Republican foes.[18] There are some who believe everything out of the mouths of Obama, Pelosi and Reid. I recently made a remark about shady math and the other person corrected?? me saying "Oh no, there were jobs created and He(Obama) is doing great, just wait and see" I told them they will wake up, hope it's not to late to save the rest of Americans. The mentality of some is to follow without questioning,I question first, I have since I first heard of this man and listened to his repeated lies.[12] The Obama administration has been content to peddle contrived terms such as "jobs created and saved" and "job-years."[41] Look out now for even more claims about "saved or created" jobs from the Obama administration.[11]

Obama said the economy is starting to recover, but jobs are always a lagging indicator. He called higher employment "my administration's overriding focus." "It's not going to happen overnight, but we will not rest until we are succeeding in generating the jobs that this economy needs."[21] When will the Obama administration finally see what is needed to help Americans? Jobs and stable economy.[15]

Well, if HC passes, we'll need a couple of million or more HC professionals hired. That should make a dent. Any time a job is cut, it hurts the economy as a whole, because those jobs provide the disposable income that support it. You can argue economic philosophy forever, but those are the facts.[5] Ignore the fact that the economy has significantly recovered in last year. Ignore the fact that government doesn't directly create the jobs in this nation. I have faith in this nation and I see jobs coming back.[15] Anytime a change creates a more efficient allocation of labor, that is, the same amount of labor produces more goods and services, the economy benefits. This requires people to lose their jobs.[5] A Kentucky shoe store that supplied nine pairs of work boots to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers counted the $800 expenditure as saving nine jobs. That large of a bang for the buck was too good to be true. This entry was posted on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 2:52 pm and is filed under economy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.[34]

In Texas. More than one-quarter of those jobs, or about 5,100, were summer positions for people 24 and younger One tiny Navarro County town's housing authority reported creating 450 jobs with a $26,174 grant, a claim that was obviously wrong but not fixed in time for last week's reports. The city of Corpus Christi said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also questioned its claim that 195 jobs would be created by the construction of a child care center."[37] Sounds like it's time for Joe Biden to come out and assure us that the stimulus has already saved or created 50 bajillion jobs.[15] A recent administration claimed that the stimulus bill had created or saved more than 600,000 jobs (how do you accurately measure how a job is "saved.")[34] The figure above shows the projections the administration made in January with and without the stimulus bill, and the actual unemployment rate since then. Unemployment has risen not only above what the President'''s advisors predicted would happen if the stimulus passed, but above what they estimated would occur without the stimulus.[22] BHO Washington DC - February/2009 The President'''s economic advisors predicted that unemployment would rise to 9 percent by 2010 if Congress did not pass the stimulus bill, but that with the stimulus unemployment would stay below 8 percentage points. Congress passed the stimulus bill in February 2009 and the President has repeated his claims.[22]

The $787 billion stimulus bill pushed by President Obama and passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress last February is looking increasingly like a failure of sorts.[34] Unfortunately politics don't work that way and its rather sad. The real stink of all of this is that the President hasn't come out and made a stand of what he HAS TO HAVE in the bill. Sure he's said he'd "like" this and that. A little direction and guidance early on in the debate would have given this whole process, in my opinion, a better chance of being a good bill. I think its become so focused on just getting the votes to pass SOMETHING that the administration and Congress have lost sight of what this reform is intended to do.[22] "Our plan is to go tomorrow, which has been clear." I have such problems with the way things have unfolded with the new administration. If the Speaker would just come out and say "Look, we are trying to make sure the language in the bill is correct and meets the President's vows he gave to the American people" it would grab attention and respect from both sides.[22]

The bill, which also extends unemployment benefits and expands a tax break for money-losing businesses, now goes to President Barack Obama, who plans to sign it Friday.[16] President Obama signed a law Friday that would extended unemployment benefits for as many as 20 weeks along with some modest business tax relief.[35] Guess who was in charge during the other 13 months. President Obama has done what he can to help the unemployed by extending unemployment benefits and subsidizing COBRA payments so the unemployed families will still have health insurance.[15]

WASHINGTON -For months he had warned it was coming but that didn't ease the political shockwaves for President Barack Obama when unemployment topped 10 percent. A year after his election Obama finds.[2] The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its latest jobless numbers today, showing that unemployment in America is now at a staggering 10.2 percent. These new numbers serve as a glaring reminder of the President's claims in January that the "stimulus" plan was necessary to keep unemployment from rising above 8 percent.[38] Unemployment could break double digits in the Labor Department's new jobless numbers to be released today. Mike Lillis writes that the House GOP's health proposal would cover children depending on where they live.[36]

White House officials have warned since taking office that this day was coming, and the West Wing contined to say in recent weeks that unemployment eventually would pass 10 percent, even as "green shoots" were busting out in the economy.[3] Washington (CNN) - The top Republican in the House of Representatives says the White House is "falling short" when it comes to battling unemployment.[15]

"Earlier this week, voters in New Jersey and Virginia sent the White House a strong message that they're concerned about three top issues: jobs, jobs, and jobs."[9] ATR's Center for Fiscal Accountability has been tracking the questionable jobs claims by the White House here, here, and here.[41] Job creation is now the top issue in America. The White House and congressional Dems must recognize this or face serious setbacks politically.[5]

The White House had scheduled Obama to sign an extension of an $8,000 homebuyer tax credit, the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009.[3] Aside from small, precise interventions, like an extension of the homeowners' tax credit, business tax relief, and continual UI and COBRA extensions, the White House won't 'do" much of anything to kickstart the economy in 2010.[28] As part of the government's efforts to encourage people to spend money to help revive the economy, the House voted 403-12 Thursday to expand a popular tax credit for homebuyers.[16] Since our tax revenues are down, we plan to spend $2 trillion more because that will "stimulate" my supporters. er. the economy. Those evil rich people and money grubbing corporations deserve to pay more of their "fair share" of all those non-tax payers' debts. Besides, we already booked all of their campaign contributions last year. Who said anything about short term. we are trying to secure power for our party in perpetuity. short term. get a load of this guy. he must be from Fox News. better yet, he's a plant from the "party of no". Hey Axelrod - $10 bucks I get a hole in one on this hole.[10]

The motor vehicle industry also posted gains. "These are hopeful signs that the unprecedented policy actions are working to stabilize the economy and put us on a path toward recovery," she said. Since its all-out effort for the stimulus package last winter, the administration has been taking smaller, less publicized steps to try to goose the economy. Its main focus has been on health reform. That may have to change now, even if it means the Senate doesn't get to health until next year. That's not to say people have suddenly fallen in love with our health care system.[2] The healthcare bull is being totally misrepresented. This is NOT about broader or better coverage. It's about extending the reach of the Federal Government at the health care administration and taxation levels. It's dishonest. They've taken an Army tent and stuffed it into a Trojan Horse. I agree with Richard, of NY. Let THEM take the plan and it's taxes for 10 years and let us know how it works.[9] It has been 11 months it is far beyond the time for this administration to take ownership for the country's state and stop blaming backwards. To those who say we have had 8 years of getting us into this. You and I both know that is an exaggeration and at this point is a moot point as things are getting worse not staying the same and not getting better. The blame someone else mentality is what is making us a weak country, people need to take possession of their problems and work as hard as they can to improve things and that goes for the Government as well. This needs to apply to all parties and all people on all levels of Government.[15]

"Aides also note that the gross domestic product for the third quarter, announced last week, showed growth for the first time in a year. Those 10.2% out of work are really going to care about a GDP number artificially inflated by easy money from the Fed. Man is this administration clueless.[3]

Lessee here Barry. wasn't it you and your cronies that ramrodded the huge pork ridden "stimulus" bill thru when you first took the presidency?? So now if you change the name it will work better?? Is the name changing admission that your spending so far has been a miserable failure??? Lessee, this is NOT a stimulus because it's "Paid For", LOL how in the hell does that happen. the money has to come from somewhere, doesn't it?? I cannot believe the way this man continues to insult the intelligence of the average American by even thinking that we would swallow this garbage.[1] "Democrats' answer to unemployment: 'Let's create more federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.'" "Most of these spending bills (stimulus, supplemental, and double-digit increases in appropriations) have led to bigger government, not to helping the private sector create jobs.'" "Perhaps this isn't the change many can believe in."[19] Borrowing from savers doesn't add new spending, either. It is possible that all $200 billion in government spending (and jobs) merely displaced private spending (and jobs) dollar-for-dollar and job-for-job. This is why the unemployment rate is not dropping.[27]

Although American politics does not generally reward courage, it also punishes apparent inaction. The unemployment rate seems unlikely to even begin to decrease by the 2010 elections so the Democrats really needs to give people a sense that they are seriously working at putting things right. Otherwise, there will be a strong anti-incumbent backlash in 2010 and marginal seats, mostly those held by the Blue Dogs and "moderate" GOPers, will drop like flies. There is justice in that since these are the same people who have been blocking reform across the board; unfortunately, we'll all end up paying the price for their self-important rigidity.[25] The unemployment rate is the percentage of unemployed people who are collecting unemployment benefits today. This number does NOT account for the unemployed whose benefits have run out. That number could be anywhere from 15 to 20%.[15]

The one thing we have no good way of tracking accurately is the total number of self-employed people who are also now "unemployed". Unemployment numbers are tracked via payroll reports and self-employed folks don't pay their taxes that way. There's no way for the government to truly know, let alone include, the total number of people "unemployed" during this recession.[17] Democrats will counter the unemployment numbers by pointing out that the stock market is moving back up and companies are becoming more profitable. Unfortunately, companies are not improving by producing more; they are improving by reducing cost (i.e. shrinking their workforce). In some ways this is good. During good times, companies can become sloppy and inefficient, especially if they are forced to do so by union employees. This is no comfort to those who are out of work.[32]

No matter the absolute economic numbers, if people feel like the economy is back on the way up, Democrats will be in good shape." "It doesn't help anybody.[19] Volunteered responses: Hurt both parties, 5 percent; Depends, 3 percent. "Even though it is Republicans' policies that got us into this economic mess, from a public perspective it is Obama and the Democrats' economy now.[19] The deficit will remain high, but the administration is confident that a good vector for the rate along with visible economic growth will enhance consumer confidence and induce more spending. If consumers are spending -- if they sense that their personal incomes are rising they will be less amenable to Republican economic arguments. Some GOP strategists are already counseling their clients not to shoot their wad on the economy, anticipating that it will recover enough.[28] In order to do what Reagan did, one must first be inclined to follow Reagan's political and economic model. Neither Obama or the people he has surrounded himself with understand or like anything about supply side economics, the Laffer Curve, etc. They are all "demand side" economists, believing that the government can jumpstart growth with spending. Problem is, their spending is derived from political considerations instead of economic ones.[5]

"The government doesn'''t create jobs" Michael Steele in January, as he led the push against any and all of Obama's economic recovery plans. Half the stimulus was this "Making work pay" tax cut.[15] The Economic Policy Institute has developed an innovative job creation tax credit plan that it estimates would create 2.8 million jobs in 2010 and another 2.3 million in 2011.[24] '''My economic team is looking at ideas such as additional investments in our aging roads and bridges, incentives to encourage families and businesses to make buildings more energy-efficient, additional tax cuts for businesses to create jobs, additional steps to increase the flow of credit to small businesses, and an aggressive agenda to promote exports and help American manufacturers sell their products around the world.'''[1] All the mechanism to create jobs are in place. Unless these businesses start getting innovative and come up with creative ideas to get the consumer to spend money, we are in for a long haul. If these businesses are holding out for the President to make a decision to keep the tax cuts permanently in place, I suggest you businesses rethink that idea.[15]

Schumer went on to reference a study by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University, which found that "84 percent of green' stimulus funding has thus far gone to foreign companies." Stating that the stimulus money "is supposed to create jobs in America," the Senator vowed that he would introduce legislation to prevent such funding if actions are not taken.[35] The fact is, there is no guarantee that the government actually creates a job when it spends stimulus money.[11]

I heard that factories in China short of workers now and what happen about here. Think about it, what business have to care about creating jobs if they have their ways to make profits. Why they have to deal with Unions and get all those troubles. Unless they have real good advantage, they don't brother create jobs. Therefor, government has to interfere and they have to make sure their policy create jobs directly, not do things by chance. Government can spend fund to build properties and use those facilities encourage retire or help small business. On that way we can have multiply effects create jobs not create debt.[25] CBO has confirmed that our health care plan will lower premiums by up to 10 percent, especially for small businesses, making health care more affordable and helping create jobs.[6] What we do know is that the stimulus is working, and we must keep it going." "Hurts both parties a lot. Working families can't think about health care or energy unless they've got a job to pay the rent and electricity bills."[19]

"After the stimulus, TARP, and eventually health care, Americans can't take another bill that can be interpreted as a spending bill."[19] It's one thing to be serene under fire, it's another to be delusional. More than a few Democrats in Congress are perplexed and worried that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is insisting on ramming through a 1,900-page health care bill on Saturday, just days after her party took heavy losses in Tuesday's elections. "It reminds me of Major Nicholson, the obsessed British major in the film 'Bridge on the River Kwai,'" one Democrat told me. "She is fixated on finishing her health care bridge even as she's lost sight of where it's going and what damage it could cause to her own troops."[5] Republicans, none of whom are likely to vote for a health reform bill, are already seizing on the possibility of a delay. "If the Democratic Leader of the House is moving the goalposts, it's because Democrats can see the writing on the wall," said Ken Spain, the National Republican Campaign Committee's communications director.[22]

Democrats expect to get a kind of White House endorsement for the House bill today in what's known as a SAP, "Statement of Administration Policy," which would track the healthcare reform package.[22] You know, John always has a lot to say and criticize the white house and democrats on everything they do. I still have yet to hear any solutions he proposes to help his own state move ahead during these difficult times. If the only thing he is worried about is getting re-elected, maybe he should consider getting out of public service.[15]

Apparently reacting to reports of workers removing documents from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) headquarters in New Orleans, Louisiana. Earlier this week, we discussed the White House's was claiming the "stimulus saves nine out of every five jobs."[7] Asked when the public should begin to judge the effects of the stimulus, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said '''I think we should begin to judge it now.'''[22]

The White House budget office already has asked cabinet agencies to present two budget requests for the fiscal year of 2011, in an attempt to freeze spending at current level and another that will cut spending to 5%.[35] The republicans are idiots. Why don't they come up with some ideas that are do able. instead of always bad mouthing what the White house does. They had 8 years to make a difference and didn't do anything.[15] I'd rather have a Democratic White House and Coongress that works to respond to the problem than simply ignoring it, which the Republicans would have done.[15] With fewer employees. It will be awhile before they hire back, if ever. This is a consequence of the Republicans giving Big Business free reign to do as they please. They did. Those at the top took and did all they could to fatten their wallets before it all emploded. The only thing this White house could do with Stimulas is slow the fire down. It could not be put out. It will have to burn itself out.[15]

Do the people in the White House really think we're that stupid? If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is a duck--even if you call it a turkey.[1] Bill Killmer of the Homebuilders called the credit "a pretty powerful tool" in getting people contemplating buying a house to "move to yes and be motivated" to close the deal. Like the Realtors, homebuilders have been citing the tax credit in their marketing campaigns, using the government subsidy to propel their "Buy now!" message.[16] Did you all read the story about the nut cases at yesterday's "event" at the Capitol? Five people had to be attended to by government health care workers. Does anyone know what Rep. Boehner does except go in front of the tv cameras? Does he actually work on anything of substance? I heard his version of health care bill was a disaster.[22] Republicans said the the health care bill will anger voters. Pelosi said her bill will make health care more affordable for individuals and businesses which "will help them invest in our economy, which will generate jobs."[7] We bought the Bill Clinton free trade charade and it has helped push America to the brink. Wall Street and it's money players do nothing for America. The health care debate should be this,how much theft will Americans accept.[5] The Democrats are set to begin debating a $1.05 trillion health care bill on Saturday that includes a government-run insurance option and a mandate that businesses provide coverage.[7]

One more thing: remember, outside economists say passing the Democrats' health care plan will slow the recovery further, stagnate wages, and increase unemployment.[32] "If Republicans successfully cast cap-and-trade as a cap-and-tax, job-killing piece of policy, moderate Democrats won't be able to vote for it." "If they manage to pass health care, I can't imagine the Democrat leadership making their members walk yet another plank."[19] Signs are pointing to a delay to Sunday or possibly next week due, in part, to unresolved issues over abortion and illegal immigration -- as well as the possibility for Republicans to use delay tactics. Nancy Pelosi, in remarks today, hinted at a delay with this comment: "Within the next few days, the House will vote on the most comprehensive health care legislation in our history."[22] From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell, Luke Russert and Domenico Montanaro The House is coming on tomorrow for what was supposed to be a rare Saturday vote on health care.[22]

The popular tax break is estimated to cost $10.8 billion over the next decade, and businesses that stand to benefit have flooded Capitol Hill in recent weeks to push it through. Realtors mobilized their 1.2 million members across the country to write and call their representatives and senators to urge extension of the credit, warning that failure to do so could cause this year's housing market uptick to grind to a halt. Several dozen of them flew to Washington recently to visit members of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee to press the point. In case they didn't get the message, Realtors sent more than 500,000 letters to Capitol Hill and made nearly 13,000 phone calls to Senate offices last weekend to corral support in advance of a key procedural vote on Monday, according to a spokesman.[16] Lawmakers tend to listen to the politically active bunch. Public disclosures show Realtors have spent nearly $14 million lobbying Congress so far this year, and their political action committee gave about $12 million to candidates in the last election, according to the federal campaign finance records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., an architect of the tax credit, was a Realtor before he was elected. He was instrumental in pushing through the original credit as part of housing legislation last year, and extending it in the stimulus bill enacted in February.[16] Along with the homebuyer credit, the package contains another $10 billion tax break that allows companies that suffered during the last two years to use recent losses to reclaim taxes paid in the previous five years, when times were good. Big businesses that were cut out of that tax break when it was included in the stimulus measure early this year lobbied Congress to let them take advantage of it this time. They included retailers and manufacturers, among others, who said the measure would propel employment.[16]

Thank God the stock market is not crashing again at the same time. These liberals just do not want to accept that tax and spend does not create jobs. The question is how much worse will it get before they HAVE TO admit failure? Politics is more important than doing what everyone with any common sense knows - stimulate small businesses, cut taxes at all levels. This is the ONLY way to create jobs. This is the ONLY way to "save" jobs.[13] All we have to show are higher taxes, more debt and a malaise that permeates America today. Congress is no better, they seem to forget that lowering tax rates across the board will create investment and in turn jobs.[15]

Chase. I think there are 136 million people employed in jobs or who file tax returns out of 307 million citizens. hmmmm I guess these numbers look a little upside down.that means 181 million citizens have no jobs.[17] You begin with the increase in the number of unemployed Americans since the stimulus was passed in February as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number is 3.2 million, which represents the jobs that have actually been lost since the stimulus package was enacted.[11] Considering the foregoing, nobody need be surprised and presumably only professional kool-aid drinkers would be that the stimulus cost 1.25+ million per saved job. Believe that figure! No excuses, because it's well in line with the 24,000 dollars each crashed clunker has actually cost the taxpayer. Bottom line: The "law of unintended consequences" needs to be expanded to include the future loss of office for each and every one of these "geniuses" who dare(s/d) to vote "Ay" on this or similar bill(s).[12]

Please stop acting like KINDERGARTNERS and get to work on the business of the ENTIRE COUNTRY AND NOT THE BUSINESS OF THE GOP. You and Mr. Steele, think the elections were about party (GOP or DEM), well let me tell you it was more about JOBS, JOBS and JOBS. So pay attention to what is really important. It does not matter to people who are hurting, and need to find a job, which party (GOP or DEM) helps the country to recover.[15] How surprising, the party that helped send our jobs overseas is blaming Obama. Do these people never look in the mirror? Some of us actually have memories.[15]

The U.S. has lost at least 2.8 million jobs since President Barack Obama signed the "stimulus" package into law on Feb. 17.[41] Barack Obama is the President, not a job recruiter for the lazy among us who won't get off their duff and look for work.[15] Obama is a one-term president. You would think a man of his background would understand that jobs are the key to a happy, safe America.[5]

" said Boehner. Why does Boehner not give a few suggestions about what Obama might be doing to create those jobs immediately. If he knows the secret to doing so, then why not share it with all of us? I speculate that Boehner has no idea of what should be done, he is just criticizing because that is the preferred Republican tactic.[15] We don't want to hear from you unless you have solutions. Encourage the Republican governors to utilize their state's stimulus funds towards job creation, as opposed to witholding them to make the administration's efforts look ineffectual.[15] Many of the states used their stimulus funds to balance their budgets so the jobs that this would have created saved jobs for teachers, fire fighters, and others. Their unwillingness to help get the country back on track from where they left it is absurd. All the money they spent under 'w' is in the budget and not being spent under the table any more. They should help be a part of the recovery and be held accountable for the mess they left behind.[15] The U.S. job creation claims is not based on actual contract awards, said Balsam. "Only 25% of that money has actually left Washington," he said. That may help explain why newspapers such as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are reporting that that U.S. claims that 10,000 jobs were saved or created in Wisconsin "rife with errors, double counting and inflated numbers based more on satisfying federal formulas than creating real jobs." The newspaper came to this conclusion after looking at some of the local job creation reports. Other newspapers are turning up similar findings after examining local project spending.[26] Let us say I had a job and my job was to just spend money. I produced nothing and sold nothing and had no commerce involved with my spending function. and I was told to spend all the money that I just received and or collected and or took away from others who actually worked. taxpayers. who actually do produce and sell things and do real commerce. now I was then told that if I needed more money not to worry about it. just spend all of it and when you need more we will pass laws and just take more from the taxpayers. they have to follow all our tax laws because we are the ones that write them.[17]

The economy needs more government spending if businesses are to start hiring. Congress might also appropriate more money to help state capitals, which have met their balanced-budget mandates by cutting workers and trimming badly needed social services. That's a vicious cycle which leaves individuals ''' and the economy ''' worse off.[20] Too bad Obama won't push congress to curb government spending, and lower taxes across the board. Allow americans to keep more of their money and utilize it as WE see fit, not how the government sees fit. He won't.[5]

Government gets bigger, politicians bicker and spend, National debt climbs past sustainable levels, new money is printed to dilute the money supply and kill the dollar. This is NOT change I can believe in. All the while Congress thumbs their nose at the voters while Obama parties, vacations, plays golf, plays basketball, flies here an there frivilously wasting taxpayer money and burning fuel(so much for climate change).[3]

A decade or so later, news reports were about prosperity and budget surpluses. If President Obama can fix things like he did, he may be on the road to a second term, and he has the power to do it too, considering that his party controls Congress.[5] The rebuilding of Americaour roads, bridges, rail system, mass transit, water and sewer systems, waste disposal systems, waterways, dams and airportsshould be the centerpiece of an ambitious new program President Obama lays before Congress in 2010. That would be a good start.[24]

President Obama, I believe, resigned himself to the new rules of the United States Senate were 60 votes is a requirement for everything. For the long term interests of the country he should try to inform the public about Senate rules, in the hopes that it will lead to significant public pressure for reform.[25] We NEED HCR NOW. A "no" vote, is not acceptable. President Obama, who has refused to release his college transcripts, yesterday divulged his daughter Malia scored a 73 on a sixth-grade science test. Obama went into unusual detail about Malia's 73, telling a Wisconsin school audience his 11-year-old daughter recently "became depressed," explaining that in the Obama household "our goal is 90 percent and up" on school tests. Obama said Malia complained her test differed from the class science study guide but that after changing her habits, she scored a 95 on the next science test. He quoted Malia saying, "I like having knowledge." Her teacher is a racist - that must be it. Gee, all these endorsements from all these organizations.[22]

Huge deficits will be omnipresent throughout President Obama's first term, complicating his administration's messaging efforts on the economy.[28] The first came in Tuesday's elections, when exit polls in New Jersey and Virginia showed widespread concern about the economy. Incumbents and their parties lost big in both states. Presidents may inherit good economies or bad ones, and they can't do much to control economic trends. They almost invariably get the blame or the credit for what happens on their watch.[2] Back in the first few months of the current administration, when I was writing piece after piece urging the new administration to adopt a more aggressive economic policy, what I had very much in my mind and wrote about on a few occasions was the possibility of a sort of political economy trap.[25]

If the administrations' promises of the impact the "stimulus" would have on the economy were at all true, the country would not be experiencing the worst job numbers it has seen in almost three decades.[38] Obama can be expected to point to ongoing conversations about additional economic-growth measures. The administration also notes that the number of jobs lost in October -- 190,000 -- was less than the number lost in September, 219,000, and down from the 741,000 jobs lost in January, the month he took office.[3] I can see the interview now: Mr. Obama, there have been about 4,000,000 jobs lost since January and the number seems to keep growing.[10]

Taking the (inaccurate) 640,000 jobs "saved" number and multiplying by $92,000 comes to about $59 billions. These government economists must be using that "new math". you know. that math that causes high school graduates to be unable to make change for a dollar.[31] Jared Bernstein, who happens to be the vice president'''s chief economist and senior economic advisor said the actual cost per job was probably nearer $92,000.[31] "The President has said that job creation is the ultimate measure of economic performance.[6]

For economic, social and politic reasons, Democrats need to remake themselves as the party of jobs.[5] You can blow all the smoke that you want about the economic conditions that we face in this country, but unless you Dems and Republican put your heads together and fix this mess, NO PARTY job is safe.[15] Why is this the democrats fault? Isn't this the job of congress? If I remember correctly, there is another major party called Republicans that have not nothing but, whine, make mountains out of molehils, filibuster, and otherwise been uncooperative in coming to solutions.[15]

Once again the Republicans come out with their criticisms with NO plan or policy for rectifying the situation. Steele stated that they would go after any Republican who worked with the Adminstration. The Republicans have decided they will sit on the sidelines keeping their fingers crossed for failure rather than do their jobs which is to work within Congress to find solutions.[15] You don'''t honestly believe McGrumpy & Klondike Barbie WEREN'''T going to continue the Republican'''t agenda! History is not going to be kind to the dynamic duo of darkness, deceit & destruction that'''s for sure! Have another sip of your tea dear''' but for the love of God quit stapling the tea bags to your forehead will ya? Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL Trained chimps could do a better job then Obama/Biden. They'd get the same amount of work done, plus they'd be fun to watch, you know, riding their tricycles, smoking their cigars, and throwing their waste at people.[22] I think this every time this phony talks: what is he doing to combat whatever it is that he's complaining about? Job creation? Nothing to contribute there. Until Republicans can show that they're doing anything but holding press conferences and issuing press releases, I will continue to rely on Democratic representatives to actually do any work. It doesn't always happen, but as a whole they're a lot more reliable than any obstructionist Republican.[15] The sheer hypocrisy is unbelievable when these GOPers are "falling short" on the jobs they have! While projecting onto others, Republicans have the audacity to skip out on committee work this week that we taxpayers are paying them to do. If these GOPers refuse to DO THEIR JOBS, there are many decent Americans more than willing to do the work for them.[15] Officially, 10.2% of the workforce is out of a job. Count those who are working part time, or underemployed, or have been out of work so long they've quit looking and the percentage doubles. That adds up to about 1 of every 5 Americans.[24] An estimated 3 to 5 million young Americans (under 24) have never had a full time job.[24] It comes out right after we had Biden and company claiming that they had created 640,000 jobs or a million jobs or whatever the number was each time you asked.[32] List of recent newspaper articles that have fact-checked bogus stimulus claims of bogus "jobs saved or created" numbers.[37] The companies receiving stimulus funds report the number of direct jobs created, but don't estimate the indirect help.[26]

The stimulus package in February only created temporary jobs or saved pre-existing jobs.[15] About 8,100 jobs were created in South Carolina by the stimulus according to recovery.gov.[37]

The stimulus helped jobs that are federal, state, and local or some form of government. Police have kept their jobs, firemen have kept their jobs, roads are being built, etc.[15] This whole "job count" thing is beginning to feel like the "VietNam body count" thing. a useless effort to make politicians feel good about something they don't believe in. The worse part of it all is that there are paid employees of the federal government wasting tax dollars making these useless counts.[37] This from a Republican? All these years, they told us that the free market would provide jobs, that government was bad.[15] Only a FRACTION of the stimulus money has been spent, and over the course of the next two years the results on job creation will be apparent to everyone.[5] We have to get that money back in circulation. Those aren't real jobs because they did not come from a real demand from the market. Obama knows this. and it is part of the reason why reticence has been shown towards jobs projects. This is not to minimize the importance of our current 'jobs' crisis. but our current jobs crisis has been in the making for decades. as has the financial market's 'mix-up'.[5] We are on the hook to fix it." "Though voters were tired of the smoke-and-mirror policies of the prior administration, they unequivocally expect the Obama administration to produce jobs.[19]

Criticize each and every action of the Administration even if Obama is doing the same thing a Republican president would be doing. This opposition is not the loyal opposition: it is not loyal to the nation or its people. Republicans are willing to let ordinary Americans suffer if that is how they can get back into power.[15] Not Obama. Republicans insult Americans with this tripe about the current administration being the cause. Obama has been in office 9 months, this mess is the result of GOP's arrogance, and mismanagement over eight years of Bush and his minions.[15]

Republicans, tea baggers and assorted independents have spent the last few moths marching on Washington and shouting down any discussions on healthcare reform. Perhaps Obama should "Go Iranian" and bring the troops out to the streets to shut the demonstrators down like we saw recently after their election? How about silencing the Free American voices for you? Whatever happened to all the war protestors we saw before the election of 08? Obama will be playing golf over the weekend, Day 71 and 72, thinking about what to do in Afghanistan, as people continue to pass.[22] My posts here have vacillated between cajoling and whip cracking but the outcome has been essentially the same. The left remains unfocused, disorganized, and basically impotent to effect any useful pressure on this monumentally inept administration. Obama was supported by The Nation magazine because he has a gift for uplifting speeches, yet he refuses to raise his voice to rally the populace to his side. The frustration is like watching the (potentially) greatest player to play the game, stand at the plate against an aging Pedro Martinez with his 88 mph fastball while taking strikes right down the heart of the plate and refusing to lift his bat off of his shoulder. People need to not just get angry, we should be furious at this point.[5]

With some 7,000 people exhausting unemployment benefits every day and the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers set to expire at the end of November, there was a sense of urgency in getting it to Obama's desk.[16] It is totally clear that this President is incompetent, and has no clue whatsoever about basic economics. What we are seeing is unemployment climbing because businesses are fearful of the huge tax burden ahead AND because people are not buying goods and services from these employers because of the same fears.[15] Christina Romer, the president's top economic adviser, says she doesn't expect the high unemployment rate to scare off consumers. Christina Romer, the president's top economic adviser, says she doesn't expect the high unemployment rate to scare off consumers.[16] Today the unemployment rate passed 10%, a sort of brutal milestone. The thing to do, I guess, is to keep making the case for doing more; in particular, we can hope that centrist Democrats will finally realize that timid economic policies are hurting their own electoral prospects. It's an uphill fight.[25] In some ways, the short-term politics of the deficit are negligible. They're preferable to the short-term politics of a much higher unemployment rate with no economic growth -- and a smaller deficit.[28] There's no way to spin your way out of the highest unemployment rate in 26 years.[2] Meanwhile the unemployment rate has broken the 10% level for the first time since 1983 that is the highest unemployment rate in 26 years.[35] The unemployment rate has surpassed 10 percent for the first time since 1983 -- and is likely to go higher.[17]

Overall, a good article, but the above comment is incorrect. The extension passed because Majority Leader Harry Reid filed a cloture motion to shut down GOP stalling that had lingered for a month.ONE MONTH! On the first cloture procedural vote, there were 13 'nay' votes, some of which were from Senators hailing from states with horrific unemployment rates (both of South Carolina's senators were in this column). 30 hours later, another vote passed with 2 'nays'.[20]

If at first you don't succeed. bring up abortion! Mercy. That's a fact. I just have a real problem with folks creating a "conventional wisdom" quote that states the President said something definitive like "unemployment won't go over 8% if the stimulus passes" when he DID NOT say that, and all the projections referenced say plainly that they are ESTIMATES and have tremendous margins of error, as most ESTIMATES do.[22] I would like to remind the GOP who was President in 1983 when unemployment was at 10%. Not only that, but "St. Reagan the Great" was in his THIRD year as President when unemployment was at 10%, not in his first year like our current President.[15]

One thing is certain: If unemployment continues to rise, it will be the only issue in key congressional districts and states across the country next year. Nothing else that the president or his congressional allies talk about will matter.[5]

Foreclosures continue unabated; credit is still hard to come by; employers aren't hiring. What if gross domestic product grew in the third quarter of the year? That's meaningless to an out-of-work dad avoiding debt collectors. You can hardly blame Republicans for trying to paint their victories as a referendum on the president's policies.'' They chalked up impressive wins ''' especially in New Jersey, a deep blue state ''' and they're using them to boost a dispirited base and rattle Democrats, who were already nervous about their prospects going into next year's Congressional elections. That's how the game of politics is played.[20] You do not care about America all you care about is the President is a Democrat and not a fiscally irresponsible Republican. No body can get us out of this Republican created disaster in 10 months and you know it. That we are not in a depression is no thanks to your party.[15]

President Obama was right to press ahead with legislation to improve the dysfunctional health care system and regulate carbon emissions.[20] Hey Boner get out from behind the podium and pass legislation that helps the middle class with health care, jobs and clean energy.[15] If health care reform is passed, there will be thousands of jobs available in the health care sector but that requires an education and experience as well.[15]

We, the left wing pinkos that slandered the Bush Administration into obscurity, the communists and our islamic buddies are plotting to destroy Amerika by spending all of your ill gotten real estate profits on health care for the welfare chiselers and the enrichment of your internationist new world order bankers.[12] What the GOP is doing so far is vote against Obama in New Jersey, and Virginia, the "T" party movement, the thousands who demonstated in DC protesting Pelosi's absurd rip off travesty under the guise of "health care."[12] I DISAGREE - Obama's brain trust "Objective" is working as planned, patterned after Karl Marx and the communist party, use the mass of disgruntled people who will vote for your party. THAT is their "Objective", KEEP THEM UNEMPLOYED and the more unemployed getting doles from the great benefactor government the better.[12]

I understand and accept many of the liberal provisions under our government like providing medical care for children living in poverty and establishing a moderately progressive income tax structure so those with higher income levels pay a increased share of their earnings in taxes. I fear what Obama's irresponsible turn toward socialism is doing to this nation.[2] Obama never learned economics. Government does not produce tax revenues they eat them.[3]

Gee, the truth finally comes out; Obama the puppet on a string; no experience running anything; economic advisors who are partisan fawners; everything said is a lie, a distortion, a fabrication. Nobody wants to believe Rush when he says that Obama is deliberately trying to destroy the economy; guess what?; it's becoming more obvious that the Game Plan is to destroy us so that we can be rebuilt, under his vision, as a second rate player in Soros' version of the OneWorld Order.[3] To really tell what is happening in the economy you need to look at the '''U-6''' rate defined as: '''Total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers.''' That rate for October 2009 stands at 17.5%.[17]

After GEORGE W. BUSH wrecked the economy so thoroughly, we have to expect that it's going to take some time for the jobs picture to recover.[15] Transferring people from well paid production jobs into the service economy whether by automation, "efficiency" or outsourcing, amounts to the same thing, a lower standard of living for most.[5] The results of last week's gubernatorial contests in Virginia and New Jersey can be largely explained by three words: jobs, jobs and jobs. Exit polls from both contests show that voters rated the economy as their top concern.[20] Private sector creates jobs, and govt can help or hinder the private job creation process by getting out of the way or by enahncing conditions that move a company to take risks in order to grow. This cabal has done neither and has in fact hurt the economy more than Bush. 3.2% grow last quarter was in govt. not private sector.[5] Last week the Commerce Department reported that the economy grew at 3.5%. If this recovery is going to include job growth along with GDP growth, then job killing initiatives like Obamacare and cap and trade will have to be abandoned.[12] Romer pointed to the slower pace of job losses and the fact that employment in temporary help services, typically one of the first industries to see job gains, increased by 33,700 jobs. "These are hopeful signs that the unprecedented policy actions are working to stabilize the economy and put us on a path toward recovery," she wrote.[3] Over a period of eight years Bush and our legislators set the stage for huge job losses. How reasonable is it to undo those effects in ten months? What has the GOP accomplished to solve the problem? Tax cuts? That did not work either. It seems this has a lot to do with the greediness of corporations and financial institutions.[15] It'd be nice to see the Republicans put forward a plan on the economy that isn't centered around tax cuts. We know they don't work, Bush did it for 7 years before the economy tanked.[15]

Here we go, blaming Obama for not fixing everything in less than a year. I'm frankly tired of listening to the party of no complain without offering any viable solutions of their own other than more tax cuts for the wealthy, who will just pocket the money.[15]

I don't like Boehner, but Steele has to be the most unclassy guy I have ever heard talk. He is such as loser to represent any party let alone the party of NO. It was no surprise the dems lost those 2 states on Tues. Corzine was in trouble before Obama even took office and Virginia has had a democratic governor for the past several elections and they did not have a good candidate this time around, so Michael Steele you can take that theory and put it where the sun don't shine. The bottom line is those races were decided on local state issues and that alone.[15] Obama and the dems are not creating alot of jobs but the ones they are generating are good public sector jobs.[20] If more of the CLOWN Republicants would do their jobs then more Americans would have jobs. They are trying to punish Americans for voting for Obama. They have lost many groups of voters (Blacks, hispanics, gays, and half the whites) mainly because of their hate.[15] I guess if Hillary had won and Bill was back in the WH Americans would associate Democrats with certain kinds of jobs.[5] Remember outsourcing of american jobs was good. If the republican ceo's would stop sending jobs offshore, cutting payrolls and give up their obscene bonues that would be a start.[15] Hey WH, how about telling the financial services companies to start moving all of their jobs ONSHORE! That would be a good start. If I'm gonna have to bail out these iceholes the least they can do is hire 100% American workers.[1]

Maybe if Mr. Boehner would work with the President on some issues, he could give the President suggestions about job creation. That would be too good for the country, I guess. It is simply bad for the country that the Repubs won't work at all with the others to solve our country's ills. It literally makes me sick.[15] If the GOP would just do their job and quit trying to make the President of the United States fail, we could get some good things out them. They choose to remain losers.[15]

Why are these people so stupid. This was don by Bush the C average president. It for not take 10 months to bring back jobs.[15] No one watching or punishing. Bush and the republicans that locked their job continuance, to the success of these billionaires and the big corporate thieves, now have the audacity to blame the later developing problems across the board, on this president and the fact that he cant fix it overnight.[15] Mr. Boehner and his republican colleagues have offered no solutions on how to create jobs.[15] Government does not create jobs, except govt jobs, which are not jobs per say, but expenditures of moneys already earned by the private sector and sent to Washington.the "paychecks" govt hands out are someone elses wealth used now for services.[5]

'''Indeed, a Council of Economic Advisers''' study predicted that only 10 percent of the total job impact of the Recovery Act would take place during calendar year 2009.[32] Skittish executives would rather staff up as much as possible with temp workers, who are less expensive and easier to fire if the recovery doesn't take hold, than to hire full time employees. "By every indication, this is a report that shows we should be into job creation by early next year," Paulsen said.[1] COLA raises are counted as jobs "saved" and the various ways a "job" can be calculated allow for one person to be counted a multitude of times as a job "created." It doesn't end there.[38] Oracle Corp. reported from the same agency a contract of $1.25 million that didn't cite any jobs created.[26] Essentially, the jobs "saved or created" by the $787 billion plan rely on nothing more than fuzzy mat h and a lot of imagination.[38]

That would fly through congress. China is sinking $100 billion into clean energy - unless we want them to get all the jobs and all the profit as we exchange buying foreign oil for buying foreign windmills and foreign solar panels, we need to get off our duffs and build some factories -here- where those jobs are needed.[25] Businesses don't need to hire when they can make as much profit with less workers. They are still playing with numbers, knowing full well nobody will dare complain 10-12 hr. workdays for fear of losing their jobs.[15]

One of the specific examples of the stimulus / bailout failure was the collapse of CIT. More jobs will be lost as CIT unwinds itself through bankruptcy and someone steps in and grants lines of credit to businesses that need capital to operate.[25] Given lags in spending and hiring, the peak impact of the stimulus on jobs was expected not to be achieved until the end of 2010.'''[32] Computerworld - WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government has spent about $700 million on IT and telecommunications products and services under its economic stimulus program, part of a total of $3 billion that's in the spending pipeline, according to a private analysis of this data.[26] The Keynesian stimulus theory fails for the simple reason that it is only half a theory. It correctly describes how deficit spending can raise the level of demand in part of the economy, and ignores how government borrowing to finance deficit spending automatically reduces demand elsewhere.[12] To the GOP, going to war is good way of stimulating the economy because most citizens do not see it as a government spending program.[15]

It's strange how those that complain about "our money" and "our taxes" never want to acknowledge those dollars are needed to finance the government. Have they ever considered the "free market" is a collection of rules and regulations that help the economy work in an efficient manner. Without the rules being in place, how does business play the game? They(complainers about taxes) do not understand "the scorecard for business is the bottom line." How does business make the bottom line seem healthy when they do not have the customers with disposable income? They immediately impact their bottom line by firing the workers who make enough to pay their obligations and have enough disposable income to buy other goods and services.[20] I concur that some degree of government regulation is needed to prevent greed from undermining our economy. Had Barney Frank, Senator Dodd and others in our Democratic controlled Congress lived up to their responsibilities to properly oversee Fannie and Freddy Mac (as requested by Bush and Republican members of Congress), the collapse of our housing market could have been less severe.[2]

Thievery on a banana republic scale spooked the market and undermined confidence in the American economy. Now as unemployment surges past 10% on its way to who knows where 15%? the administration scrambled for cover.[37] The only way to reduce unemployment is to have a vibrant free-market economy. Two things must be present to do this: 1) The expectation of an ample and reliable supply of inexpensive power and 2) Policies that are pro business - large and small.[5]

We agreed with you, were disappointed at the size of the stimulus, and have been gritting our teeth as the economy turns but unemployment continues to rise after the medicine takes effect - as per usual in these economic straits.[25]

Nancy Pelosi says 293,749 Americans will die if HCR is not passed. "We need to pass this stimulus plan quickly, because if we don't, unemployment may rise above 8%."[22] I rather for the unemployment to come down in Feb. 2010 becasue it will give the Dems move power to shut the Party of Do nothing down for good. The party of Do Nothing but look out for the rich will continue to be in the wilderness because most American people know just who watch this unemployment started on no matter how the Conservatives try to spin this.[10] This from a group who was willing to delay unemployment benefits after elections for their political benefit. I can no longer believe that the republicans have Americans on their mind. Instead what I believe they have in mind is themselves. Whatever is good for their political future is what they will do.[15]

Why should we be patient when the bank and corporate bailouts happened AT RECORD TIME?Mr. President, you are not even addressing the causes of unemployment, NAFTA, offshoring, outsourcing, undocumented and too many visas. You are BLIND, DEAF and DUMB on this.Besides, all your "investment" of OUR tax dollars is going to go to the same offshoring, outsourcing corporations WHO DO NOT EMPLOY AMERICAN WORKERS. Their "recovery" has nothing to do with the electorate.Go ahead, make us angrier.[33]

The Obama administration is too little competency and too little common sense, a replay of the Carter administration, at best. Americans want their president to succeed, want their congress to be productive. The shame is the men and women who promised to do their best are not living up to their promises, blaming others for the broken promises.[12] I still don't understand why so many lefties and progressives can't see Obama as being nothing more than another wind machine at the top of a plutocracy. Your faith is so amateurish and childish when it comes to erecting and glorifying national gods, and this fact is never more clear than when the hero du jour is enthusiastically reviled and butchered when the mob finally realizes he's actually no different than the previous butchered hero whose crimes and deceits he swore to cure and undo. The Republic has been fading for 30 years, its spring and summer are gone. Harping and kvetching here is the limit of your power, and its clear that nobody on this blog has the cojones to do anything more. It is hilarious but tragic that millions of American Supermen, so assured of their superiority and righteousness, could be so ignorant (and indolent) to believe that a simple vote for 'change' would be sufficient to change course and drive away the clouds.[5] Why? So in 2010, Barack Obama and the Democrats can run on falling unemployment. They'd rather you starve now so they can have recovery happen in an election year.[32] The high unemployment number of 10.2 percent prompted Obama and his advisers to explain how they're on top of the situation.[4] As the unemployment rate goes up, Obama's chances for re-election goes down.[15] If the unemployment rate remains at 10 percent or higher by next March, the Democrats will be in serious trouble."[19] The '''U-3''' tally is defined by the Bureau as: '''Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate),''' which for the month of October stands at 10.2%.[17] The unemployment rate for teenagers in the labor force soared to 27.6% in October, up 1.8 percentage points from the month before and hitting a third straight record high, the Labor Department said Friday.[5]

The unemployment rate is a "Stark Reminder" that the stimulus package is not working.[3] Hey Bobo, I remember you said the unemployment rate would go over 8% if you don't pass the stimulus.[15]

I know you are generally uneducated in economics, but you are a smart enough person to know that the unemployment rate is what we economists call a LAGGING INDICATOR. And that's exactly what you'd be saying had McCain won the election and the unemployment rate is where it is now.[15] When add in all of the people who aren't counted at alland used to be countedthe real unemployment rate is 21.4%.[32]

The president vowed the government would do more to bring unemployment down from October's 10.2% rate.[35] According to some economists, the government jobless rate minimizes actual unemployment, which may be closer to 15 or 18 percent.[20]

The U.S. jobless rate hit a 26 1/2-year high of 10.2 percent last month as U.S. employers cut 190,000 jobs, posting a somewhat weaker performance than predicted by economists polled by Reuters before the data's release.[30] Analysts predicted a cut of 175,000 jobs, the smallest number for 14 months, and a rise in the overall jobless rate to 9.9 per cent.[39]

The administration also notes that the number of jobs lost in October ''' 190,000 ''' was less than the number lost in September, 219,000, and down from the 741,000 jobs lost in January, the month he took office.[10] The state Commerce Department puts the number at 3,497 jobs ''' less than half of what'''s being touted. More than half of those were in a summer youth employment program, according to the newspaper report."[37] Although a Colorado Springs Head Start program reported it had created or preserved 269 jobs, the real number was three, according to an interview with a program manager."[37]

FILE - In this March 5, 2009 file photo, job seekers join a line of hundreds of people at a job fair sponsored by Monster.com in New York.[35] NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Americans of all ages are being hurt by the weak job market, but the nation's teens are in a particularly bad spot.[5] The problem we are facing is not americans welliness to work it just the companies are seeking low pay workers. and they are simply taken Jobs from Amerian work force and sending them over seas. Corparate ladder is looking more toward their bank accounts and the hell with the american work force. now,, here comes the crime and prison growth to increase. These three are related.[15] As someone who has been wrong every time, I would suggest you work on your math skills and private sector jobs.[36] Well, there is a point where you must choose to emulate Columbia School of Journalism or be a journalist. Times are tough all over, even reporters are finding it necessary put in a days work in hopes of keeping their jobs.[37]

Soooo, the first time we get a job report of less than 200K jobs lost in a month since what, last November, the GOP still criticizes? Yawn.[15]

The problemthe huge problemis that even with the stimulus 7+ million jobs have been lost since the recession began in 2007.[24] We have lost 3 million jobs in the past year or so, so I guess we are only down 2.3 million jobs.[17]

Well maybe if the GOP would start working for the American people instead of saying "NO" all the time, just maybe, just maybe things would be different. He hasn't been in office a year yet and still you all think he has a magic wand to make things all better. after 8 yrs of wild spending by the GOP it takes a while to get things back in order. [15] As usual, all criticism and no help from the modern Republican Party. What positive things have they done over the past year to help the situation.? Their only focus seems to be to get back into power, not to actually help the American People.[15] Want to know something else the American people were promissed, Boehner? That the Republican party would put Country first.[15]

If that's not enough to get people angry I'm not sure what is. Where do they get these clowns.Ken Spain is the latest of the bozb club to come a lieing.Sky rocketing un=employment,really,while Bush was in office you had it right,but the numbers have gotten better monthly.But Spain man can you tell us how proud you where yesterday, when your party leaders where all Ginned up, and couldn't remember the words to the pledge of allegiance,Real Americans,no the words,and was that the leader of your party,waving the constitution,crying about our fore fathers and how he invoked there ghost,the funny part was when he tried to quote from the Constitution and ended up quoting from the declaration of Independence.how proud we all where,the leaders of the republican party can't even quote from the right documents,how sad the party of NO brains has become.maybe one should wait till late afternoon before one starts tipping highballs. This is tragic for so many people who really need an alernative to their current health insurance coverage and carriers.[22] Since it was GWB and the CONservative Republicans that got the country into the mess it is in right now, what are they offering as a solution? More of the same? Boehner and the Republicans have nothing to offer except being critical of Obama; other than that they have nothing more to offer, except maybe some more of the failed Bush]\Chaney policies, that favor big business and ignore the needs of the people.[15]

Where were Boehner and Steele when Bush and friends were driving this country into the ground? Where are the Republicans when it comes to offering solutions? Where are they when it comes to being bipartisan and working with the Democrats for the benefit of all Americans? If the Republicans hate government so much why then are they so anxious to run the country? Time and time again we have seen that even the Republicans, with all that they detest about government, cannot rein in spending and big government. They are all worked up because they are not in power, because it's clear they want power for power's sake not for any beneficent reason.[15] The Republicans have no ideas and should have just continued to say no. This must be a huge embarrassment and now all they can do is applaud when Democrats need more time to work through complex issues in which Republicans sat on the sidelines simply hoping for failure.[22]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the news shows that more work needs to be done, but that Congress has taken steps "to protect the middle class and set the stage for economic growth."[7] The truth is that you are right ONLY in that any socialist economic system, in PURE form, does not work. It stifles entrepreneurship, and ultimately new ideas and economic growth in the long run, by allowing too little freedom of individual choice and opportunity. Pure CAPITALISM also DOES NOT WORK. Pure capitalism leads to EXACTLY what we have now in this country, which is the END of the middle class. It leads to 5% of the richest people in the country owning 95% of the resources. That leaves 95% of the population in STIFLING poverty. (This almost always leads to civil war throughout history.)[2]

A robust middle class is IMPERATIVE to the economic growth of a nation. Therefore, the PROPER economic system for ANY nation is a well balanced MIX of social services (yes, that means food stamps, welfare, and college money for students) along with the capitalist freedom of entrepreneurship. This system allows for new ideas, growth, research and development, while at the same time allowing those in poverty a HAND UP. When you are a child raised in a poverty stricken neighborhood, with other ailments in the family such as malnutrition, addiction, abuse, etc. it is IMPERATIVE that these children have SERVICES to help them rise above.[2]

When we were done watching that, we could go watch the chimps. The Soros Plan To Kill Capitalism Having purchased, rented, or placed a down payment on all the political influence up for sale in America, leftist troublemaker George Soros now plans to ramp up his war on markets worldwide by creating an "Institute for New Economic Thinking" (INET). "The system we have now has actually broken down, only we haven't quite recognized it and so you need to create a new one and this is the time to do it," Soros told the Financial Times last month. Soros said he wants Communist China to run this new financial system.[22]

Show me the stimulus funds designated to create new demand for business growth. Only businesses that might soon benefit are those supporting Healthcare reform, Cap and Tax, or Green renewable energy like GE, Duke energy, Siemens, etc.[12] By the President'''s own measure, the stimulus has failed. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=unemployment+WONT+GO+ABOVE+8%25&aq=f&oq=&aqi= Sorry Nashville - I could only find 217,000 references proving Obama Said it. Most are from those far right wing blogs like MSN, ABC, NBC, CNN, Politico, Huffington Post. When will you start saying that he never said that he would.[22] There's probably no way to blame it on your predecessor, either. The only way for President Obama to fix this political problem is to fix the actual problem, or at least seem like he's trying extremely hard.[2] There was clearly some wishful thinking (on our part, those who agree with your analysis) that President Obama would be a latter day Roosevelt. He's not FDR, and not LBJ either. Since he is clearly capable of understanding complex economic analysis, we must conclude that he made a political calculation when he decided to be impressed with the Rubin prot''g''s, and that calculation has been overtaken by events.[25] Christina Romer, the president's top economic adviser, says President Barack Obama is taking steps to address economic and employment concerns.[16]

When Bush left the unemployment was at 6.4%. It is under Obama and his "genius" economic policies the unemployment got to 10.2%.[1] Unemployment is rising faster than Obama aides, key members of Congress or top economists anticipated.[5] Capital will move to sweeter spots and higher unemployment is the obvious winner in Obama's grand plan for the USA.[3]

Boehner and Steele, have you pay attention what Obama said before? He said his stimulas bill plans for 2 years.[15] Man! These Republicans are so quick to jump on the administration. They think we all forgot how the last 8 years before Obama sucked and eventually got us to this point.[15] The last 'administration' had a huge hand in creating the mess we're in now and all the republicans are doing is obstructing and criticizing Obama for not being able to wave a magic wand and make it all better.[15]

The result would be a persistently depressed economy, and a fading out of Obama's promise. I really, really wish I had been wrong about this and for a while, as banks seemed to regain their footing and stocks went up, it looked as if the administration's softly, softly policy might work out after all.[25] What should the Obama agenda be for 2010? It's all in the message of the Virginia and New Jersey exit polls. Eighty-five percent of Virginia's voters said they were worried about the economy. Of those, 53% said they were very worried.[24] I actually think Obama wants to marginalize the U.S. economy to help pave the way for global governance based on collectivism.[5] Oh, what a shock! You mean Communism doesn't create a sound economy? Obama, Ayers, Soros, Karl Marx, et al, will be SO dissapointed.[12]

The more dislocated workers that Obama creates today, the higher the number of workers that will have to eventually be reabsorbed by the private sector tomorrow when the stimulus winds down.[11] Wait, I thought you were the guys who said that "Government doesn't create jobs." Now this is all Obama's fault? Of course, then you don't have to assume any of the blame yourselves, or admit that we are in a downward cycle that is slowly coming back.[15] Obama Democrats should stop rushing healthcare reform and address more important issues. Another example of what's wrong with government run healthcare.[9] In New Jersey, a state that Barack Obama won easily in 2008, Democrats lost the governorship in 2009.[5] Waaaay too much 'new boss, same as the old boss'. If the ocean and climate scientists are right, lots of folks are going to get pennies on their eyes before things get betteras a result of the baited-and-switched Audacity on display in the heart of the Global Superpower. The Buck does stop with the President, Obama knew what he was doing and who he wanted to appease.[25] "The president and his team for some time have been evaluating other ideas. Advisers were here earlier in the week to go through some of their ideas that the president and the team will look at, and decide if they make the most sense," he said, referring to a meeting hosted by Obama with a panel of experts from the world of business and academia.[29] Boehner and the GOP created this mess, and Obama needs more time to clean it up.[15] A decade or so later, news reports were about prosperity and budget surpluses." WTF kind of BS is this? Reagan and GHWB ran up huge deficits! It was the Clinton administration who got got deficits down and eventually created a surplus. They did that partly with a tax increase, not by tax cuts. The right wingers always want to cut taxes, and for most of us, they are right. The rich need their taxes increased, dramatically.[5] The Commerce Department said Wednesday that new home sales fell 3.6 percent in September, and some industry representatives blamed uncertainty about the tax credit. Senators agreed to extend the existing tax credit for first-time homebuyers while offering a reduced credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years, said Regan Lachapelle, a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.[16] "Enough Democrats in the Senate will realize adopting a massive new energy tax in the midst of the worst economy in a generation will be political suicide."[19] Wow,The Bush tax cuts have done what for the economy?Let's start a war, that will jump start the economy, Well Santi what should we do with the two headed monster we have going right now?Tell Your friends the Chinese that we are stopping those silly incursions and forget about the trillions we have borrowed?The Mao worshiping free traders are jumping for "what"?We don't want to make something,anything here?Why not,will it cost us 2 more dollars to buy it?Oh boy,maybe Walmart would buy 3,000,000 of them to "show"everyone how much they care. Seriously folks, when are we as Americans going to come to the conclusion that making things is good.It is better than just consuming.[5] Reagan/Bush type tax cuts just stop taking money out of the economy, allowing smarter, more market oriented citizens to invest it intelligently.[5]

Savings do not fall out of the economy. They are invested or deposited in banks -- which then lend them out to others to spend. Even when recession-weary banks hesitate to loan money, they invest it in Treasury bills instead. They don't hoard customer deposits in massive basement vaults.[27] Any economist will tell you that during a recession the only solution is for the GOVERNMENT to SPEND money in order to stimulate the economy because during a recession, the PRIVATE SECTOR is cutting back and will not invest their own money until the economy has recovered.[15] The latest measure of the economy's struggle to emerge from the crisis comes a day after government statistics showed 3.5% GDP growth in the third quarter after a painful year of contraction.[18] There is a widespread anticipation that the labor market will take a while to recover, despite a return to growth in the third quarter that ended the worst U.S. economic slump in 70 years, and Romer said that the dislocation between economic activity and the labor market was usual in an upturn. "That this (jobless increase to 10.2 percent) occurred despite the rise in real GDP last quarter reflects both the typical lag between GDP growth and unemployment decline, and the recent exceptional increases in productivity," Romer said.[30] The number of people who "don't count" as unemployed for one excuse or another is staggering. Not counting them officially to have an artificially-low unemployment number isn't going to improve Christmas sales this year, or keep struggling stores open past January.[32] An ever growing number of Americans have to sit on the unemployment line until next year by design.[32] On Friday we learned that unemployment increased to 10.2%, and the number of unemployed Americans rose by 558,000 in October.[11]

Ken Spain: "A vote for yet another job-killing expansion of government in the wake of newly-released skyrocketing unemployment numbers would just be further proof of how politically tone-deaf the Democratic majority has become."[22] We had to pass the bill without politicians even reading it because time was of the essence, if not unemployment would go above 8%. It is, as many suspected, nothing more than a policitical slush fund to be sprinkle around to buy votes.[3] Hitting double-digits for the first time in a generation, U.S. unemployment reached 10.2 percent last month, up from 9.8 percent in September.[34] Take a look at history! So much for the stimulus helping unemployment stay under 8 percent." "They cannot blame Bush forever."[19] Not only was it bad policy for too small a stimulus it was always bad politics. Its almost like campaign advisors refuse to acknowledge that the driving force in election outcomes is unemployment because then people would realize that in general campaign advisors are worthless.[25]

Joan: I suspect that when you speak about 'rewarding the incompetents' and 'keeping the bums on life support', you are referring to Citibank, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, and I could not agree with you more. These bums are'siphoning money off people who work hard for it' (taxpayers like you and me) and being rewarded for criminal behavior and incompetence at the same time. Lewis sold BofA shareholders on the SEC-conceived merger of Merrill Lynch without telling them that the bank would not only swallow $12 billion of Merrill's $27.6 billion in losses, it would also pay accelerated bonuses of $3.6 billion to Merrill executives. Lewis kept this information from shareholders before they voted on the mergerthat is a crime.[20] Choice,competition are meaningless words uttered by meaningless people like you.Are billionaires out there waiting to be a competitive insurance magnate? How about other pools of money just lying around to become a competing interest? Believe you me the insurance companies have hidden behind politicians for years.[5]

Why do people believe spending more money is going to solve this problem. Poor spending habits by individuals and companies are why this economic downturn occurred.[25] Does the American public realize that not all of the money has been used as of yet? Please tell me what spending measure of ANY type had an immediate affect. It will take some time.[15] Provide stimulus enough to theoretically avoid a precipitous spiral but STILL orchestrate a reduction in overall capacity mostly in the form of small businesses. This is VERY similar to the Japanese experience(in which I lived literally and professionally) which had a much stronger fiscal starting point and a state-controlled JGB market, vacillating between spending and austerity all the while creating a legion of "arbeiters" to do part time service sector work with no benefits.[25] Given the poor economy and that monetary stimulus is no longer possible, fiscal stimulus through deficit spending is reasonable in the short-term, as Paul has repeatedly said.[25] Spending more money may help with spikes in the economy, but is not a long term solution.[25]

The employment picture is terrible, but the continuing government transfer payments -- extensions of COBRA and unemployment insurance -- are militating the social effects off mass unemployment. Conservatives are going to run on deficits and spending because they can, and because those issues serve as proxies for a range of objections to the size and scope of government.[28] When the federal government acknowledges the "one-in-10" reality, people get scared, and rightly so. Modeling by social scientists confirms what we instinctually know: As unemployment rises, the reality gets closer to home and even those who are employed start to fret.[5] "A jobless recovery and double-digit unemployment are not what the American people were promised.[15]

Christina Romer, the president's top economic adviser, says double-digit unemployment is disappointing but not surprising.[16] High unemployment would also lead to Democratic electoral losses, further undermining the ability to act (since the fact is that today's GOP is the party of economic ignorance).[25]

"White House falling short on Jobs". at 10.2 % unemployment that's an understatement.[15] Mary Kate Cary is a former White House speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush. She currently writes speeches for political and business leaders.[9] Christina Romer, chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said in a blog post that the Labor Department report contained "both signs of hope for recovery and painful evidence of continued labor market weakness."[2] White House economic adviser Larry Summers on why open markets, global integration remain key to global prosperity.[28]

'''Today'''s report is yet another reminder that American families and small businesses are still struggling, and the White House response is falling short,''' said Boehner.[8] Turns out a lot of Americans are not as subservient as Chicagoland residents. That's tough for this White House to understand.[37]

The White House time horizon, remember, is focused on sustainable growth over the long-term.[28] The GOP criticizes the white house, that's all they do it's not news, it's business as usual.[15] "Our focus obviously continues to be on ensuring that that money gets out as quickly as it is prescribed," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told a daily briefing.[29] David's journalism career spans three decades, including coverage of five presidential elections, the Oklahoma City bombing, the 2000 Florida presidential recount and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has covered the White House for USA TODAY since 2005. His interests include history, politics, books, movies and college football -- not necessarily in that order.[21] ". is now the top issue in America. The White House and congressional Dems must recognize this or face serious setbacks politically."[5] DUH. These White House solutions just ain't working. and the buck stops there.[15]

Media analysises of the documentation has found numerous errors that contributed to an inflated count, "White House tally appears to overstate stimulus jobs."[34]

Democrats will be stuck defending an indefensible status quo. That's a guaranteed loser for Obama and his congressional allies, who will see their House and Senate majorities slashed if not obliterated by an understandably angry electorate.[5] "The final bill may not set lofty goals, but it will be a good first step toward achieving necessary emissions reductions." "Probably not during this session." "Enacting meaningful cap-and-trade legislation is important not just for curbing climate change but because it represents America's best hope to regain its position as the global leader in clean-energy technology." "While the House has already moved forward a historic bill, the Senate will have trouble getting its act together."[19] Be positive not angry. First Read: House Leadership has established a "hot line" for members to get expert answers to questions from constituents and to better understand various nuances of the bill and potential impact to their own districts.[22] "We need members to reach a comfort level" with the specifics according to aides. House Leadership has established a "hot line" for members to get expert answers to questions from constituents and to better understand various nuances of the bill and potential impact to their own districts.[22]

The House passed the bill on a 403-12 vote Thursday, a day after the Senate ended a monthlong stalemate with a 98-0 vote.[16]

Ask an expert economist how many would have been lost if we hadn't enacted the Stimulus bill. CNN won't. they don't want there to be any evidence out there contradicting the existence of a massive controversy to report about in order to snag viewers and click to satisfy their advertising industry masters. Quite obviously not in light of the clear implications of the polls analyzing the breakdown of the elections and what people said were the issues that determined their votes, but that's ok. facts, evidence and accurate analysis mean nothing to the GOP. They just fabricate whatever they want to be true and start repeating it ad nauseum as if reality can be cowed by their blather.[15]

CNN just released a poll in which 59 percent of the public said Congress should keep working on health care reform bills.[2] The new health care bill: Insurance companies have the right to deny ins for prexisting conditions but the deniee then has the option to get affordable gov't insurance.[1]

" In this new version of the bible, Jesus asks the lepers what health care plan they're on before he cures them."[25]

What a shame the U.S. government can't act with the same celerity as it does to finance and justify the barbarism of Israel for causes such as health care and economic recovery in its own backyard.[5] How about that old 45,000 die each year spin, what a joke. If they don't have private healthcare and are ill, they are not denied health care treatment; they can get Government healthcare under Medicaid, Medicare or indigent care and treatment programs, right? So, I guess our Government failed them and they died, right? So let's give it all to Government so they can fail us all a little bit more.[15]

"Democratic leaders will continue to blindly push for it, but their rank-and-file members attempting to survive will rebel." "After this week's elections and another painful health care vote on Saturday, there will be zero appetite to pass a tax on energy."[19]

Under Reagan you had a much higher marginal tax rate (I believe 50% for people making over 200k, correct me if I'm wrong) than under Clinton or now Obama. [17] You voted for a person who stated "Judge me by who I surround myself with". It is clear WHO he has surrounded himself with - left wing ideologues. The stars aligned just right last Nov. Millions of people voted on pure emotion, ignoring Obama's past comments such as the so called founding fathers or the civil rights movement and courts did not go far enough on wealth distribution. People were blinded and did not address what they were really going to get. They were naive.[12]

Then they spent the last 3 yrs stonewalling every fix the dems tried to pass with no attempts to compromise on anything. Now it's Obama's Fault? The gop had 8 yrs screwing americans & it's going to take more than the 10 months Obama's actually been in office to fix their mess. Maybe the gop should care about our country before their party.[15] The irony is, the clueless and inept Republican leadership is now critical of a President trying to fix they left behind. Just goes to show they will say whatever they can to damage the leader of the opposing party, as opposed to actually helping us Americans.[15] Republican leaders What's your plan? Does saying NO to everything produce jobs? Do you have an alternative course of action? If so, please share so the American people can weigh the alternatives.[15] Puffing up numbers and smiling while obfuscating, doesn't work on the American people any more, if it ever did.[12] The official figure does not include millions of Americans who have given up looking for work in the midst of the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression, and millions more who are underemployed.[5]

Dr. Krugman, thank you for pointing out that the administration has taken a weak economic position with regard to the economy. Both this blog and your column in today's NY Times point to the fact that the administration's policies are not working.[25] "Although it will take time and it will take patience, I am confident that our economy will recover, I'm confident that we're moving in the right direction," the president said during a brief speech in the Rose Garden, at which he took no questions.[33] Since. 2008. we have lost 7.3 million jobs! Again Bush was president when the Great Recession began; and what did Bush do? Forced Congress to bail out the banks & Wall Street. Our economy GREW in the 3rd Quarter, this IS significant, but the so-called-liberal media keeps focusing on what's wrong instead on some of the obvious signs of.[15] Instead of bad mouthing the economy & OUR president, CHALLENGE YOUR CORPORATE FRIENDS TO OPEN A MANUFACTURING PLANT IN THE UNITED STATES. Challenge them to think of our country over profit! Just one plant! Along with all that the Congress has done & continues to do to stimulate this recovery, this can be another way help our country.[15]

Yeah, Mr. President, why haven't you fixed the U.S. economy yet? I thought all the teabaggers were AFRAID of a centralized economy, but in the same breath they some kind of perverse glee in complaining about the president's inability to just wave a wand and put everyone to work.[15] Without growth, our business model does not work, therefore, the economy goes through realignment while a new business model is created.[20]

Put the power of the economy back into the hands of what made America great, the individual, not Government. Oh one more thing, hows that Change thing working for you? While some Americans are sitting on their fat asses hoping, the rest of us are DOING. Link[20] The only ones being "stimulated" are the multi-million dollar corporations. Lowering taxes are businesses and individuals and reigning in the bloated federal government would go a long way in helping to heal the economy, although federal regulations are a must at this point in history.[25] One of the BEST ways a government can stimulate the economy is go to WAR. Hence, why Bush went to war in Iraq to avoid a recession.[15]

When we have the party in power that caters to the entitlement people, the government employees, and the dregs, we will become very like Nigeria. [20] Well healthcare seems more important to the Dems. because as Carville said if this doesn't pass they are doomed. What the stupid Dems. don't realize is people won't be able to afford the so called affordable healthcare by the government because they are out of work.[15] We have crumbling dams, shaky bridges, buckling highways and neglected national parks. Why not push a generous portion of our borrowed Renminbi towards those projects? Imagine: people would be working and we'd be improving our infrastructure - revolutionary! We are being collectively ripped off and we're letting it happen because we don't want to accept the truth. The truth is this: our government's first priority is to serve the corporations that keep them in office.[25]

I had to chuckle because first off, Obama won't do a thing Reagan did to spart the greatest economic growth in our history.[5] It was their policies that led to this problem in the first place. They have not given one workable solution to fix the problem. All they have been doing is hindering the problem by trying to destroy Obama and the Democrat with any means possible.[15] The Labor Department's stunning announcement of a 10.2 percent jobless rate is the second blow in a week for Obama and the Democrats.[2] Republican are keep criticizing Obama for predicting 8% employment rate. How about Prediction of rozy pictures of war in iraq by Bush/Cheney? which resulted in this mess which we are facing today.[15]

Inline with rightwing Obama Derangement Sysndrome (ODS), expect President Obama to be blamed in 3. 2. 1.[22] President Obama has a chance to change all of that with some bold strokes. It could be his last chance.[24]

Obama is taxing us into oblivion. Go get your hollwood millionaires who support this administration, and Jay Roekfellar to pay for them. oh yeah, that's right, they only want to spend the TAXPAYER money of producers, not their own. [2] Populist backlash has started and will continue to effect the Democratic Party and the Obama administration.[3] Over the last 15-20 years, the Democratic Party (mainly the Clinton machine, Sen. Chuck Schumer, the 2006-08 Obama presidential campaign team and Sec.[3]

What we can see, is that unemployment is now the highest in 30 years despite taking on $800B in additional debt. [17] "Obviously, high unemployment levels are never helpful, particularly in an election year. Democrats have two things working in their favor: Unemployment levels will have begun to decrease by next year's midterm elections.[19]

"High unemployment will be the most tangible evidence that the stimulus did not work."[19] If unemployment continued to rise, I feared, Congress wouldn't draw the right conclusion that we needed more stimulus.[25]

Doesn't the 10.2 percent include the lengthening of the unemployment benefits? Thus the number would have to jump up.[12] Of course, if we would JUST give Exxon-Mobil and Steve Forbes-types billions of dollars in tax cuts. unemployment would fall like a rock.[5] You want to fix jobs? Start a war! If we learned nothing from World War II is that nothing solves unemployment problems like a good old fashioned war.[5]

Expect more waiting, and arm twisting, as vulnerable reps take the hint from voters. As the unemployment rate reaches double digits, the public makes its preference known.[9] Obamarama is is still blaming the current unemployment rate (10.2%) on Bush.[3] In 1983, the unemployment rate was on a downward trajectory, while in 2009 it is rising.[5]

The president and his allies face an overarching challenge. Not since 1983, when Ronald Reagan was in his first term, has the jobless rate gone over 10 percent. [5] A carrot and stick approach rather than the "here's your own money, do with it what you want" approach Republicans more often use. Don't forget, President Reagan had worse to contend with, and inflation too at the start of his first term.[5] America's first half white president has proven to be a failure less than 1 year into his term.[20]

Republicans took 8 years to get us close to the Great Depression II. It will take a while to fix your messes. You people don't have a right to complain, you created this mess and you still don't have answers on resolution.[15] Repuke business people want the status quo. Its their lowest labor rate in years and production is up. Its repuke paradise.[2]

New Wave (Sent Friday, November 06, 2009 9:33 AM) You sir are a moron for trying to politicize what happened yeasterday. NO ONE AND I MEAN NO ONE BLAMED the president for that but you see those peoples suffering as a means to advance youragenda and that sickens me.[22] Partially, yes. partially no. Clinton also 'engineered' capital growth. by doing it the 'new fashioned', capitalist way. by DEREGULATING the very institutions that could be viewed as too big to fail. encouraging behavior that only they could take advantage of. and passing it off as 'good conservative policy'. to the very people who's children will still be paying for their yachts and summer homes.[5] The good news for Democrats is that Republicans are held in even lower regard than Democratic incumbents."[19] Now everyone wants the Democrats to wave a wand and along with the New President of 10 months, make everything perfect.[22]

"Democrats have woken up to the electoral impact of a national energy tax -- fortunately not before House Democrats walked the plank." "Whatever Democrats can or can't pass won't do anything for the environment, but it will scorch them politically."[19] As the House gets ready to take up the $1.2 trillion sweeping health-care proposal, Democratic leaders are struggling to round up the 218 needed for passage, with the party's. General Motors (majority owner, U.S. taxpayers) is trying to rescue its European subsidiary Opel after backing out of a plan to sell the company to a consortium led by.[7] Far right wingers believe the shooting at Ft. Hood, Texas is a case for imprisoning all Muslims, writes pmcarpenter. House Republicans left preexisting conditions out of their healthcare plan, says meg.[36]

Republicans who (assisted by some notable Democratic allies) laid the foundations of the current crisis -- with misguided tax breaks for the rich, warped spending priorities and fundamentally-flawed trade policies -- will be able to position themselves as pro-jobs populists. [5] In the medium-term, we should follow up with bills to eliminate the tax cuts for the wealthy, close tax loopholes for the rich and corporations, and reduce military spending to cut the deficit.[25] Government continues to increase spending deficits and burdensome taxes on the industries and working class citizens who ultimately pay all our government's bills.[2]

Oniva Inc., which tracks government contract spending and has set up a separate site, Recovery.org, to look at stimulus spending specifically and has tallied the amount of technology spending. It calculates spending, and planned spending, based on actual contracts, or parts of contracts, that have allocated funding for IT and telecommunications communications and services.[26]

Now, a report on the government'''s stimulus Web site improbably claims that that single lawn mower sale helped save or create 50 jobs."[37] Bottom line. the government can not really create any jobs. the government can only consume resources and money they did not produce or earn. by collecting this money from private tax payers.[17] It also would extend until the spring a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers that had been slated to expire at the end of the month, add smaller credits for some who own a home, and make the money available to wealthier people.[16] First-time homebuyers have been getting tax credits of up to $8,000 since January as part of the economic stimulus package.[16]

Last year, Patrick put Massachusetts taxpayers' money where is mouth is by backing a $58 million package of incentives and subsidies to Evergreen Solar, which manufacturers collector panels used in solar energy units. Now barely a year later, Evergreen has announced that it is moving its final assembly phase to a factory in China, according to the Boston Globe.[22] If all the heavy duty trucks were switched to run on natural gas that would almost be enough for us not to import oil. Converting those vehicles to run on natural gas doesn't cost a lot of money and emissions would be reduced. I guess it's too easy to do.or no one has offered enough kickbacks to this chicago style of government we are stuck with for a few more years.[15]

The Wall Street theives are making big money, so why change good thing? Obama is caught in a bad spot.[2]

The bad news is millions don't. Millions see the government as their nanny. [5] Disagree. It shows that his program is working. He wants to destroy the free enterprise America so Americans will demand more government hand outs and more government control. He and his administration are evil and very destructive.[12] The truth is that businesses are scared to hire more workers! This administration is anti-business and businesses are running scared and staying lean. You folks may not like the big bad businesses and you may believe they are greedy and only benefit the rich but the fact is that they create employment for you! If you do not like being employed, than continuing berating them and taxing them every time they turn around.[15] How about the fact that the republicans aren't constantly reminding everyone that they and Bush put us on the brink over a period of 10 years, and during this time they kept telling their blind faithful that don't put any more restrictive controls on them, they know what is best for America, trust them to do what is right. They have been making bad decisions based on instant profit under the republicans (no control policy) for years.[15] Because of you we haven't had healthcare reform even though every President since Teddy Roosevelt (Republican) suggested that we needed universal care.[15]

Unfortunately, the Democrat leadership has turned a deaf ear to the concerns voiced by countless citizens, and the American people are paying the price. [6] The specifics of how to do so may be a combination of tax breaks/tarrifs, consumer choices (Buy American, or similar), or some new form of regulation.[15]

SOURCES

1. White House.: New measures are not a stimulus - Eamon Javers - POLITICO.com
2. It's Crunch Time on Jobs, and Time for Obama to Make His Move -- Politics Daily
3. Romer: Unemployment rate a'stark reminder' - Mike Allen - POLITICO.com
4. High unemployment number puts pressure on Obama | csmonitor.com
5. Double-Digit Unemployment Is Obama's No. 1 Challenge
6. POLITICO 44: Boehner uses jobs to swat health bill - POLITICO.com
7. Unemployment numbers sharpen the debate on health care | Washington Examiner
8. White House Failing To Curb Job Loss, Claims Boehner Talk Radio News Service
9. Democrats Should Focus on Unemployment, Not Healthcare - Mary Kate Cary (usnews.com)
10. White House: Signs of hope, pain - Mike Allen - POLITICO.com
11. Obama's 'Lost And Dislocated' Jobs - Forbes.com
12. Morning Bell: 10% Unemployment Shows Objective Failure of Obama Stimulus » The Foundry
13. Obama Jobs Deficit Hits 7.7 Million and Climbing » The Foundry
14. Jobs Saved vs. Jobs Created « The Enterprise Blog
15. CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - GOP: White House 'falling short' on jobs « - Blogs from CNN.com
16. THE INFLUENCE GAME: Business aided by jobless bill - Business - Wire - TheSunNews.com
17. Jobless Rate Exceeds 10% - Obama $800B Stimulus Fails - Auburn Journal
18. Steel Guru : Stimulus plans - Saved more than a million jobs in US
19. National Journal Magazine - Congressional Insiders Poll
20. Voters thinking about jobs, not Obama | Cynthia Tucker
21. Obama's challenge: Unemployment rate hits double digits - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency
22. Health vote could slip to next week - First Read - msnbc.com
23. American Thinker Blog: Jobs 'created or saved' by Obama?
24. The Agenda for 2010: Jobs, Jobs and More Jobs - U.S. Politics Today - News Media Monitoring
25. Obama's trap - Paul Krugman Blog - NYTimes.com
26. Stimulus for tech and telecom $3B, but jobs still guesswork
27. The Most Important Question No One Is Asking about 'Stimulus Jobs' - Brian Riedl - The Corner on National Review Online
28. The Deficit Choice: What The White House Is Thinking - The Atlantic Business Channel
29. White House: too soon to discuss 2nd stimulus bill | Markets | Markets News | Reuters
30. UPDATE 1-White House's Romer - jobs will lag growth | Reuters
31. - Stimulus Fiasco, an Update
32. Saved or Created Jobs Or Unemployment? - Erick's blog - RedState
33. Obama urges patience despite unemployment numbers - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
34. Eye on Business » Blog Archive » Is it too early to call the stimulus bill a failure?
35. Stimulus work creation controversy
36. Romer: Job losses show mixed results - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
37. Newspapers rise and fact-check The Won « Don Surber
38. Jobless Numbers Prove "Stimulus" Is Anything But
39. gulfnews : US joblessness rises above 10%
40. The Associated Press: White House adviser: Job numbers disappointing
41. 2.8 Million Jobs Lost Since "Stimulus" Signed Into Law

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