Economic Stimulus

Multiple Predictions Of Disaster By The Republicans During The Obama Presidency, But None Occurred!

The Republican Party and the conservative movement has made multiple predictions of disaster during the Obama Presidency, with none of them actually occurring.

They have acted like “Chicken Little”, and have been shown for their deceit.

In the midst of all these attacks, personally and policy wise, Barack Obama has acted with dignity and class, despite the outrageous statement of Florida Senator Marco Rubio that Obama has shown no class. Instead, Republican leadership, including Rubio, needs to look in the mirror at themselves!

A catalog of some of the many predictions of disaster follows:

The economic stimulus would cause a further downturn of the economy.

The auto bailout would fail miserably.

ObamaCare would fail, and would destroy the health care system.

Bank regulations to prevent another bank collapse would fail miserably.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was a dangerous government intervention that would never succeed.

Unemployment numbers would continue to rise, making the economy worse.

Illegal immigration numbers would continue to rise, and crimes caused by illegal immigrants would become predominant.

Gays in the military would cause the downfall of the greatest military in the world.

The Ebola epidemic in Africa would overtake America, and lead to widespread disease epidemic in America.

The government would try to take away private ownership of guns.

Requirement of vaccinations was a plot against families and children.

Higher pay for lower paid workers would destroy jobs and business.

Obama’s executive orders were a move toward dictatorship.

Obama’s moves on the environment are destroying the energy industries.

Obama’s Presidency is the most corrupt in American history.

Obama sides with Islamic terrorism, and will not use drones and other tactics against them.

Obama was plotting with Muslims to destroy Christianity.

Gay Marriage would destroy the American family as we know it.

Obama is conspiring with Iran to destroy Israel.

Obama opening up to Cuba is unprecedented, to deal with a totalitarian government and give diplomatic recognition.

Obama is not respected by other nations across the globe.

The list could go on and on and on, but these 21 examples are just the tip of the iceberg of the Republicans and conservatives predicting gloom and doom during an Obama Presidency!

Unemployment Compensation : Earned, Not Handout, And Stimulates Economy!

It is sickening beyond belief to see Republicans, conservatives, and libertarians such as Rand Paul, who seem to think unemployment compensation is a handout, a welfare program, when it is precisely NOT that at all!

People who gain unemployment compensation have had to work to gain it, have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, have to prove they are looking for work to gain it, and it prevents people from losing their home, their food supply, their heat in the winter, their medicines needed to survive.

It stimulates the economy, and provides jobs, and works against the tremendous mental and physical stress that unemployed people go through daily.

Anyone who would say that people stay on unemployment because they are lazy are despicable human beings, and realize unemployed people are not living off the “fruit of the vine”, so to speak, but instead are dealing with absolute basics of survival!

No one should EVER be in a position where, because of hard economic times, that they go homeless, have to go for food to food banks, have no way to get medical care, or to stay warm. And that includes children, the silent victims of their parents’ bad luck!

A country that would cut unemployment compensation for those who deserve it, who would take away food as basic sustenance for human beings, but spend tons of money on their pets as worthy of their expenditure while ignoring the hungry, and would say that the minimum wage should never rise, and put human beings into a never ending cycle of poverty, is a nation that has a deep mental illness!

We cannot allow selfish, self centered, hard hearted, so called “religious” people to dictate that others should do without, all to avoid paying taxes, when one is fortunate, and owes more to his nation than those less fortunate.

We are talking about basic humanity and compassion, not about giving “free” stuff to people. We are talking about the whole point of human existence, to care about thy fellow man and woman!

Paul Krugman And Robert Reich: Sages On The Economy Too Much Ignored!

We have two brilliant, courageous educators who have promoted the understanding that the only way to get out of the economic downturn we have been in, is to do more stimulus spending, and have proved by what is going on in Europe that austerity is a disastrous policy, but they are too much ignored by many people, who choose to believe the conservative and Republican mantra on the economy, which is to do more of the same economic policies that have failed, those of George W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan before him.

Paul Krugman of Princeton University, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, and columnist for the New York Times, is a brilliant economist, and has called for a budget package that does not destroy the middle class any more than it is already!

So has Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, and Professor of Political Economy at the University of California, Berkeley, who has advised policies that make sense, but is also ridiculed by those who do not understand our history, and the economic cycle!

To promote austerity is seen as wrong headed, and would lead to a disastrous downturn in the economy, something Great Britain’s government has discovered, and both men advise us NOT to follow the same course!

The future of the middle class and the poor is at stake, and we would be wise to respect and follow the advice and counsel of both Krugman and Reich at this delicate time!

Paul Ryan As Congressman For His District: Typical Politician, Which Should Upset Tea Party Advocates And Conservatives!

An investigation of Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan’s record as the First District Representative demonstrates that he is not a Tea Party advocate or consistent conservative in his principles, when it comes to his constituents.

The record shows the following:

Ryan voted for earmarks for his district, while always condemning the concept.

Ryan supported the Auto Industry Bailout, because it affected many of his constituents.

Ryan voted for TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program, in 2008, because it had an effect on his district.

Ryan was opposed to the Obama Economic Stimulus legislation, but made sure that his constituents received some of the funding under the law.

So Paul Ryan has said one thing and done another, making him a typical politician, who speaks out of both sides of his mouth!

But if one is a true Tea Party advocate or hard line conservative, Paul Ryan should disillusion them, added on to the flip flopping of Mitt Romney!

But realize, the major reason to back Romney and Ryan is simply they are not Barack Obama!

This is more a personal election issue, than anything else!

But the problem is that, nationally, Barack Obama is well liked, and highly regarded, while the “likability” rating of Romney is very low, the lowest in modern times for a candidate, and even if Paul Ryan is more personable and likeable by comparison, he is not at the level of Barack Obama!

And even if Ryan were to become popular as much as Obama, remember he is the bottom of the ticket, not the top!

Economic Reality: 4.2 Million Jobs Lost In First Year Of Obama Presidency Totally Recovered, But Public Sector Jobs Down 600,000 Due To “Bully” Republican Governors!

Barack Obama came into office during a total hemorrhaging of the job market, due to the Great Recession that began in December 2007.

Therefore, there continued to be a loss of jobs for the first year of the Obama Administration, but that total lost, 4.2 million, has, as of this month, been totally regained, and now we are in positive territory, after 26 months of job growth, with the unemployment rate down to 8.1 percent, from 8.7 percent six months ago,and a high of 9.7 percent in early 2010.

This recovery is miraculous, and only marred somewhat by the Republican Party in Congress refusing to cooperate with the President on public sector jobs, so therefore the Republican “Bully” Governors have helped to cause the loss of 600,000 public sector jobs in the past two years, after the stimulus money of 2009 ran out, and no more was agreed to.

So while certainly, there is a lot left to do to restore a low unemployment rate, considering the circumstances and the political realities, Barack Obama has a lot to be proud of as he formally begins his reelection campaign on Saturday in Ohio and Virginia!

Reality: The Bush Economic Collapse Of 2008 Will Be With Us, No Matter What Policy Is Pursued, Until The End Of This Decade!

Politics abound as the Presidential Election of 2012 beckons, with the Republican Party claiming that the floundering recovery is due to Barack Obama, which is the furthest thing from the truth!

This economic disaster, which is called the Great Recession and is supposedly over, is really the second Great Depression and is far from over, and it would be no different if John McCain had been in the White House, and in fact, probably would be worse!

Economists almost unanimously agree that the Economic Stimulus legislation pushed through by the Obama Administration in 2009 saved the country from a worse situation, and a clear second Great Depression!

And now the end of stimulus funds, and the mad dash to cut spending, most economists agree, will cause a double dip recession, which will effectively bring about what everyone fears–a second Great Depression, which will drag on into at least 2019-2020!

So it means even if the GOP wins the Presidency this time or in 2016, we are not going to be returning to pre–2008 economic figures and unemployment levels for effectively an entire decade!

Economists are saying this economic recovery will be one of the longest, and most difficult in American history, and remind us of the Great Depression from 1929-1939, only ultimately resolved by World War II spending!

This severe recession, if you want to call it that, is worse because of the housing collapse, the taxation policy, and the lack of regulation of banks and corporations, all due to the terrible policies of the Bush Administration over eight years, and we are going to pay the price for the greed and selfishness of the Congress and the White House for a long, long time!

The social disruption that is likely as people realize there is no quick fix , but that the Republicans have learned nothing from their blunders and short sightedness in the first decade of the 21st century, is scary to accept as likely!

Instead of uniting to revive the economy and cut social suffering, they would rather just protect the rich and the corporations and preach religion as the answer, which is most certainly NOT the answer to our plight!

Jon Huntsman Separates Himself From The Republican Pack, Therefore Making Him Legitimate As Alternative To Barack Obama!

Jon Huntsman, former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China, is quietly separating himself from the Republican pack of presidential candidates, legitimizing himself as the most credible candidate the GOP could offer, if they have any common sense, which they almost certainly don’t have!

Huntsman has made some strong statements that make sense, including:

1. He believes in evolution, rather than the religious based theory of creationism or intelligent design.
2. He accepts scientists on global warming, that it is a real problem.
3. He backed John Boehner on the Debt Ceiling legislation, which no other GOP candidate did.
4. He supported the DREAM Act, to give a path to citizenship to young immigrant children who might otherwise be deported, and instead allow them to go into the military or get a college education, and obtain a path to citizenship.

On the other hand, he has also, possibly obligatory, said:

1. He opposes the Obama Health Care legislation.
2. He opposes the Economic Stimulus legislation passed by the Democratic majority in Congress in 2009.
3. He suggested that possibly Obama could be impeached for his intervention in Libya.
4. He joined all the other GOP candidates in the most recent debate in raising his hand opposing a deal, theoretically, with ten dollars in budget cuts for each dollar in tax increases.

So Jon Huntsman is playing the political game, taking stands he almost certainly would change if in the White House, but even with that, he shows some statesmanship, some potential, that were Barack Obama to lose to him in 2012, the country would be in the best hands it can be, considering the state of the Republican Party in the present time period.

But of course, the question is will the GOP go for a comparatively moderate, reasonable, rational, sane candidate such as Jon Huntsman, who also has real credentials in foreign policy?

The answer is: Don’t hold your breath!

Mormon Vs. Mormon: The Real Battle For The Republican Presidential Nomination of 2012!

This morning, at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, former Utah Governor and former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman announced his candidacy for President, and made it clear he wanted to mount a high level campaign without personal attacks, but just arguing that he can do a better job than his former boss, President Barack Obama. He plans to focus on New Hampshire and Florida as the way to gain an early lead in the race against Mitt Romney, his major rival.

Huntsman begins his campaign with many assets: good looks, good speaker, nice family, outstanding record and popularity in Utah when he was Governor of the state, knowledgeable in Mandarin Chinese, great experience in foreign policy in Asia in his role as Ambassador to China and Singapore as well as being a missionary in Taiwan, business background in his billionaire father’s chemical business, and image of being a moderate in a field of extremely conservative opponents except for Mitt Romney, a fellow Mormon.

Huntsman’s negatives are that in a right wing party he is a moderate by comparison; is also seen as very much a clone of Mitt Romney, but with less public exposure; he is, like Romney, a Mormon; and he worked for President Obama, and now wants to criticize him in a gentlemanly manner after having raved about his leadership, and the fact that he worked for Obama is seen by many as a reason to reject him.

It seems to the author with Huntsman recently repudiating the Obama Health Care reform, the Economic Stimulus of 2009, stating his opposition to abortion, and asserting he supports the privatization of Medicare proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan, all points that upset the author and led to his statement a few weeks ago denouncing Huntsman’s changes of heart, that he has lost credibility.

And yet, Huntsman could very well bend on these statements, as all politicians do, and is still saying he believes in climate change and global warming, and supports civil unions for gays.

In other words, Huntsman is not preferable to Barack Obama, but among all Republican candidates, he offers the best hope for someone who will be, if elected, acceptable within the mainstream, but with a critical eye on his evolving views.

It is said that Barack Obama is most concerned about Huntsman, and it is clear that Mitt Romney is also very concerned about Huntsman.

Face the facts: Huntsman has the backing of “Establishment” Republicans led by the Bush family, and by implication, Senator John McCain, and Romney is seen as unacceptable to them.

So Huntsman has some major advantages, including in addition, being almost a generation younger then Romney (13 years) and being “newer” as compared to Romney who ran and lost the nomination in 2008, and gained the enmity of both John McCain and Mike Huckabee, his major rivals.

So, the contest may well be Mormon Vs. Mormon, unless the evangelical Christians are able to stop both dead in their tracks, to the detriment of the Republican Party!

Forget Jon Huntsman! His Disgraceful Surrender To The Far Right Of The Republican Party!

When one thought about the upcoming Republican Presidential race, there was some hope that someone moderate might actually show principle and be an alternative to the extreme right wing of the party.

And this author had hope for Jon Huntsman, the former Governor Of Utah and President Obama’s Ambassador to China, as a possible alternative who, were he to win the nomination, could give the President a real race for the White House, and were he to win, would be acceptable as the occupant of the White House.

Well, such illusions have now been destroyed, by Jon Huntsman himself! And this is very upsetting!

Huntsman has now changed his view on climate change, on the economic stimulus, and the health care issue, and has told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that were he in the House of Representatives, he would have voted for the Paul Ryan plan on Medicare, which would destroy Medicare as we know it in ten years.

The man may be charismatic, handsome, and appealing in an intellectual way, but he is a major disappointment by his abandonment of what he believed in.

His decision to move his unannounced campaign headquarters from Utah to Florida indicates he hopes to have an impact in the Sunshine State, but that indicates that he might even abandon his support of gay civil unions, as in Florida and many other states, the opposition to gay rights is still very strong in Republican primary voters, many of whom are evangelical Christians.

If Huntsman, who is Mormon, and must deal with that issue just as much as fellow Mormon Mitt Romney, hopes to gain evangelical backing, he will have to change his position on gay rights. Not that such a decision will guarantee evangelical support, but without such a switch, there is no hope at all of such backing!

So, disllusionment with Jon Huntsman just adds up to a sense of hopelessness that there is any chance of ANY Republican being mainstream in the traditions of the party in the age of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, and EVEN Ronald Reagan!

WIth Mitt Romney backing away from “Romneycare”, and Jon Huntsman surrendering to conservative extremist views, the GOP is a shell of its old self, and gives progressives no hope that there could be any sense of acceptance of ANY Republican Presidential winner in 2012!

More Republican Hypocrisy: Attack Stimulus But Work To Gain Stimulus Funds! :(

Republicans voted against the Economic Stimulus legislation in February 2009, and are using it as an issue against the Democrats and President Obama in the midterm elections, but yet they have worked to gain stimulus funds for their districts and states! 🙁

What total hypocrisy this is!

Among those who have done so are:

Senator John McCain of Arizona
Congressman Ron Paul of Texas
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota
Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Congressman Mike Pence of Indiana

So, in other words, campaign against stimulus funds and “earmarks”, but put your hand out and ask for funds to do exactly what you are working against! 🙁

How can anyone believe anything the GOP campaigns about? Can anyone honestly expect that a Republican Congress will NOT promote “earmarks” and stimulus spending if they feel it is to their benefit?

So the Republicans are saying: “Listen to what I say, not what I do!” Hypocrisy to the extreme, which should NOT be rewarded at the polls nine days from now! 🙁