Great Recession

The Rehabilitation Of George W. Bush’s Reputation Begins Tomorrow!

Ronald 20 Comments

Every American President has obvious attributes and shortcomings, and the job of historians is to assess both, and come up with a reasonable conclusion on the tenure of each occupant in the White House.

George W. Bush has now been out of office for four years and three months, and has stayed out of the public eye and controversy, unlike his controversial Vice President, Dick Cheney.

Bush’s purpose in life is to begin the rehabilitation of his shattered image, primarily based on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, and the economic collapse in his last months, known as the Great Recession.

This is a lot to overcome, and having allowed Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to have so much impact on policy making does not help Bush’s quest to be seen as a President who did his best in difficult times.

Tomorrow, at the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library on the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas, a few hundred miles from his father’s library in College Station on the campus of Texas A & M, all four former Presidents will be present, along with President Obama, Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton, and many other dignitaries.

The new library will allow visitors to make judgments on whether they would have done any differently in the major crises of his eight years in office.

The library also avoids much attention paid to Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Bush’s political genius, Karl Rove, who, like them, remains highly controversial and divisive in the minds of many Americans.

It will be argued that Bush is trying to manipulate history, and of course he is, but every President in his library attempts that.

Will a reassessment of Bush change the view of C Span scholars who in 2009, rated him 36th of 42 men who have been President?

Likely, over time, and particularly after his future demise, whenever that is, the image of George W. Bush will rise somewhat from the depths, but it is hard to imagine him going higher than say number 30 out of 43, and certainly, there is NO chance that he will surpass his father, rated 18th out of 42 in the C Span poll in 2009.

“Socialist” Barack Obama And The Doubling Of the Dow Jones Industrial Average

Ronald 3 Comments

It is amazing how the right wing continues to call Barack Obama a “Socialist” and worse, and yet the Dow Jones Industrial Average has doubled from its low point in March 2009, due to the Bush Great Recession, and is now at its all time high!

Wall Street is doing fantastically, while Main Street is not, due to the refusal of the GOP and the corporations to cooperate, since their goal is to make Barack Obama a failed Presidency, but even with that, five million jobs have been created in the past four years, recovering the losses under Bush and in the early months of Obama, and beginning to gain beyond the massive losses, the greatest since the Great Depression.

But of course, Obama is made out to be the “devil”, and no matter what occurs, it is always rejected, with the goal being to propagandize so that Obama will be perceived as a total failure in all areas.

But the American people know differently, and a majority twice have chosen him because he is not a captive of the corporations, and is out to regulate Wall Street through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the strong advocacy of holding Wall Street to account of Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts!

Former Vice President Dick Cheney And Obama Foreign Policy: Total Hypocrisy!

Ronald Leave a comment

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the architects of the disastrous Bush foreign policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, has now denounced the Barack Obama foreign policy as a failure, and termed his appointments of John Kerry, Chuck Hagel, and John Brennan as dismal and second rate. when the Bush team, including Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet and others demonstrated total arrogance and total incompetence in their leadership of our foreign policy for eight years!

The fact that Obama has fought terrorism effectively is ignored, an amazing development when it was under Cheney and George W. Bush that America was attacked. Imagine if Al Gore had been President on September 11, 2001, and the literal hell that Gore would have suffered for such an attack occurring!

Cheney predicted that the war in Iraq would be won easily, and the fact that more than 4,000 Americans were killed in that war does not concern him, or the tens of thousands of men and women disabled by the war.

Cheney helped contribute to a feeble war effort in Afghanistan, and ten years later, we are still in that nation, with over 2,000 Americans killed, and still with 68,000 troops there facing threats every day of loss of life or serious disabilities.

This man also said that deficits and the national debt were not important issues, but of course, now his party emphasizes that, after the destructive financial policies they pursued, including NOT raising taxes in time of war, and helping the top two percent gain the biggest tax cuts in history, and yet see total abuse by Wall Street and the corporations, leading to the Great Recession!

The fact that this most despicable man of recent times has the nerve to even speak up on Presidential leadership, when his own President was a true disaster in so many ways, shows he has no shame or feeling of guilt or responsibility for what he and George W. Bush have wrought!

Troubled Second Terms Of Presidents Common Theme

Ronald Leave a comment

Sadly, it is much more likely that a second term in the Presidency will downgrade the historical image of that President, no matter how successful he might have been in the first term.

Below is a list of second term Presidents— including those who succeeded to the Presidency during the term, and then were elected on their own—who faced adversity big time in that last term in the Presidency, indicating the negative developments.

Thomas Jefferson—-The Chesapeake Affair, and the Embargo Act.

James Madison—The War of 1812, and burning of the White House and the US Capitol by the British.

Abraham Lincoln—Assassinated within six weeks of starting second term of office.

Ulysses S. Grant—-Exposure of Credit Mobilier Scandal, and the Panic of 1873.

Grover Cleveland (non consecutive terms)—Panic of 1893, Pullman Strike, Cancer surgery on the President’s jaw in secret.

William McKinley—Assassinated after six months of his second term in office.

Woodrow Wilson—-Controversy over Versailles Treaty and League of Nations, the Red Scare, and the stroke which paralyzed him in his last 18 months in the Presidency.

Franklin D. Roosevelt—-Split in the Democratic Party over the Supreme Court “Packing” plan, attempted “Purge” of Southern Democrats, Recession of 1937-1938, and controversy over isolationism and World War II.

Harry Truman—After finishing the term of FDR, facing the Second Red Scare and the Korean War controversy.

Dwight D. Eisenhower—The Soviet move into space with Sputnik, and the U-2 Spy Plane Incident with the Soviet Union.

Lyndon B. Johnson—The escalation of the Vietnam War, and the invasion of the Dominican Republic, both highly controversial.

Richard Nixon—The Watergate scandal and the move to impeach, and the resignation.

Ronald Reagan—The Iran Contra Scandal

Bill Clinton—The Monica Lewinsky Scandal, and the Impeachment Trial.

George W. Bush—The Hurricane Katrina disaster, and the Great Recession.

Let us hope for better fortunes for Barack Obama in his second and last term!

Stock Market Hits Five Year High As Obama Is To Be Inaugurated For Second Term As President!

Ronald 2 Comments

After four tough years for the economy, Barack Obama is about to be inaugurated for his second term as President, and the stock market Dow Jones Industrial Average and S & P 500 have hit their highest point since December 2007, when the Great Recession was beginning.

Housing starts are up, and unemployment is staying below 8 percent, and many economists predict a good recovery becoming clear during 2013, as long as budget deals and debt ceilings controversies are resolved. But the debt ceiling issue is a troublesome one.

Obama has asked for a lifting of the debt ceiling only three times, while George W. Bush asked for it seven times, Bill Clinton a total of four times, George H. W. Bush four times, and Ronald Reagan a grand total of SEVENTEEN times!

In percentages, Obama has had the debt limit go up only 26 percent; Bush II 90 percent, Clinton 44 percent, Bush I 48 percent, and Reagan nearly 300 percent!

But now, it is suddenly a massive issue, when Republicans assert that, somehow, Obama has been more reckless than anyone else, when in fact, he has been far more responsible than any recent President, and particularly Reagan, who ranks at the bottom on this list of the past four Presidents and Barack Obama!

So Obama has a lot to be thankful for, relating to the stock market revival, but there are still many issues and problems that he will face in the next four years!

The Second Term Presidency: A Burden For Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, George W. Bush! What Will It Be For Obama?

Ronald Leave a comment

In the midst of all the euphoria over the second term victory of Barack Obama, many observers are sobered by the history of recent second term Presidents.

Richard Nixon, after victory in 1972, faced impeachment in the Watergate Scandal, and resigned in 1974.

Ronald Reagan, after victory in 1984, faced the Iran Contra scandal, and indications that he was mentally lacking in alertness.

Bill Clinton, after victory in 1996, faced the Paula Jones-Monica Lewinsky scandal, and was impeached by the House of Representatives.

George W. Bush, after victory in 2004, had major disasters with Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the stock market and economic collapse (The Great Recession) in the Fall of 2008.

Can Barack Obama avoid tragedy and disaster, and go on to have an outstanding second term, with the reality of being a “lame duck” President?

Stay tuned!

Republicans Condemn Downturn In Unemployment, Claim Conspiracy, Condemn Bureau Of Labor Statistics As Corrupt: Showing True Contempt For Unemployed!

Ronald 1 Comment

The Bureau of Labor Statistics contains statisticians and economists who pride themselves on their work, and have a firewall to prevent any doubts about their work.

But it is easy to condemn government ‘bureaucrats”, and Republicans have now promoted a conspiracy theory, that Barack Obama is manipulating that revered agency, setting up lower unemployment numbers just in time for the Presidential Election of 2012. This is the theory promoted by Congressman Allen West of Florida, Senator John McCain of Arizona, and other irresponsible Republicans, angry over the dramatic drop in unemployment from 8.1 percent to 7.8 percent, the first time unemployment has been under 8 percent since the Obama Presidency began, and occurring just a month before the election.

So when more people gain employment, that is bad news, as it works against the Republican attempt to prevent Barack Obama from having a second term in the White House. It also shows the contempt of the Republican Party toward those who are unemployed! Instead of celebrating the wonderful event, instead besmirch hard working, loyal federal government employees as Obama lackeys, tainting the whole Bureau of Labor Statistics!

But think about it: Why, if the Bureau of Labor Statistics is being controlled by Obama, did it take until now to bring unemployment numbers down? It could have been done a year ago, so as to make the Republican campaign more difficult, instead of giving them the economy issue that they could hold over the head of Barack Obama constantly! The whole concept of collusion is so preposterous that it reflects badly on West, McCain and others!

One could excuse the West statements, as he is a well known whacko in trouble in his Florida district, as his Democratic opponent, Patrick Murphy, is leading in many polls. But for McCain, Barack Obama’s opponent in the Presidential Election of 2008, it again indicates the dual personality of the Arizona Senator—sometimes responsible in his utterances, and other times, totally loony and nutty—a good sign that maybe McCain should resign, as his behavior is truly embarrassing, and maybe he should just retire and enjoy his family, and stop his reckless, conspiratorial accusations, with no backing, which embarrass him and remind us that his prime is past!

As has been commented by others, the true answer is that EDUCATION is the best way to bring down unemployment, and that there are seasonal variations up and down in unemployment. The idea, that employment numbers are finally starting to improve greatly, should be celebrated by any patriotic American, who should be happy that unemployment is down and employment is up!

But the Republicans only see it as politics, since they refuse to take responsibility for the fact that it was under their watch that the Great Recession occurred, just as was so with the Great Depression eighty years ago! George W. Bush was the updated Herbert Hoover, without the integrity and intelligence of Hoover!

And again, a reminder, EDUCATION is the best guarantee of employment. So Asians have an unemployment rate of 4.8 percent last month; whites have 7 percent; Latinos have 9.8 percent; and African Americans have 13.4 percent. Also, college educated have an unemployment rate under 5 percent, while high school graduates are almost double that rate, and dropouts even higher!

So instead of complaining, what Republicans, Democrats and everyone who is independent should be doing is promoting EDUCATIONAL opportunities as the way to insure the future of the American economy!

September 17, and Mid September: A Momentous Time Historically In America

Ronald Leave a comment

Today, 225 years ago, 39 delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution, hoping it would keep America united as a nation.

150 years ago today, the fears they had of an America dividing reached its peak of death and destruction, with the Battle of Antietam, which killed and wounded more soldiers on one day than any other battle of the Civil War, and indeed, more than on D Day on June 6, 1944.

And four years ago, after the collapse of Lehman Brothers on September 15, the stock market was reeling from its greatest collapse since the Great Depression of 1929, putting us into the Great Recession, which although technically over, still has an impact on America and its Presidential election in 2012!

Mid September has been a bad time for America historically, with the death of President William McKinley by assassination on September 14, 1901, and the death of President James Garfield by assassination on September 19, 1881, as additional moments of trial and tribulation!

Bill Clinton Hits A Grand Slam At The Democratic National Convention!

Ronald Leave a comment

Coming off two nights where the Washington Nationals managed to hit six home runs for two games in a row, something that has only been done twice before in major league baseball history, another “former” resident of Washington, DC, former President Bill Clinton, looked as if he was part of the Washington Nationals lineup last night at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina!

In baseball lingo, we could say that Bill Clinton hit a grand slam home run, as he defended the Barack Obama performance in office; linked his own time in office with that of his Democratic successor; showed the hypocrisy of Paul Ryan on policy and was laudatory toward Vice President Joe Biden’s contribution to the Obama Presidency; and destroyed the idea of Mitt Romney that the answer is to go back to the failed policies of the Bush Administration which got this nation in the economic mess it is in, which Clinton said no President in the past could have rectified completely in just four years!

Clinton, a masterful and charismatic orator, excited the convention, adding to the drama of this gathering, in a way that was very special and unique. The dynamism and electricity of the thousands of delegates and guests could be felt in every home that tuned in to the dramatic 45 minute address, much of it ad lib, by a man who has had his ups and downs historically, but is now riding a wave of popularity in the mid 60s in public opinion polls.

If Bill Clinton could convince white working class males to think of their future, instead of the appeal to their prejudices by the Republican Party, then he will have vindicated his goal of moving his party and the nation toward a continuation of the Obama Administration, which has much to be proud of, and has, indeed, made America a better nation than it was four years ago.

So Bill Clinton reminded us, that despite much work left to do, we are “better off” than we were four years ago, an old refrain used by Ronald Reagan, who attacked Jimmy Carter in 1980, on the basis that we were NOT better off, and managed to convince the country to elect him, not realizing that Reagan would pursue economic policies that would start the decline of the American economy and help to cause the massive government debt, mostly occurring under Republican Presidents Reagan and the two Bushes.

Only Clinton was able to balance the budget several times, slowing up the debt’s growth, and actually leaving a surplus for George W. Bush, which was then squandered by two wars in Iraq and Afghaniatan, a Medicare prescription drug plan unpaid for by taxes, and a policy of deregulation of Wall Street which led to the Great Recession of 2008, all thrown into the lap of Barack Obama in 2009, creating the worst economic times since Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression in the 1930s!

Romney And Ryan: Spreading Lies And Myths Unashamedly!

Ronald Leave a comment

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are setting a record for spreading the most lies and myths of any Presidential campaign team in American history!

Apparently, it does not matter that even Fox News Channel and the Wall Street Journal are calling them out for making their own facts, along with other news media!

What are the lies and myths?

Barack Obama is cutting Medicare benefits for recipients, when Paul Ryan’s plan is to make Medicare a voucher system and raise the age for eligibility for future recipients from 65 to 67.

Barack Obama is to blame for the downgrading of America’s credit rating, when it was the GOP Congressional leadership that refused to raise the debt limit before the deadline, and everyone knows that to be the fact.

Barack Obama has added more to the national debt than all Presidents before him, while in reality the Republican Presidents are responsible for more debt than Democratic Presidents, and much of the debt increase is due to Bush policies, including war spending, the unpaid for prescription drug plan, the Great Recession that occurred under George W. Bush, and the constantly growing interest on the national debt, no matter who is the President.

Barack Obama is ending the work requirement under welfare, while in fact that is not the case, and many GOP Governors have asked for the right to use different plans on welfare that change the requirements under the Bill Clinton welfare to work plan.

The Janesville, Wisconsin auto plant, in Ryan’s home district, was shut down by Barack Obama, while it was actually ordered to close in 2008 during the Bush Administration, and Obama worked to save the auto industry in the Midwest successfully, once he came to office, and Mitt Romney wanted the industry to go bankrupt.

The Republicans want to protect the poor and the sick, when in actual fact, they wish to cut food stamps, Pell Grants, and other assistance to the poor, including a drastic cut in Medicaid, under the Ryan budget plan.

Barack Obama raised taxes on the middle class, when in actuality, he LOWERED taxes for the middle class.

Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney are against the statements of Todd Akin about rape and abortion, when in reality Ryan sponsored legislation on the matter with Akin, and both Ryan and Romney had no problem with the party plank on abortion, which opposed abortion on any grounds whatsoever.

Higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations harm economic growth, when pursuing exactly that policy spurred the greatest economic growth in American history under Bill Clinton in the 1990s.

Barack Obama has created no job growth, when he has, in reality, presided over greater job growth in the past three and a half years than eight years under George W. Bush.

Barack Obama has been involved in his administration in an “apology tour”, and has favored Muslim nations, when in fact he has never “apologized” for America, and has been aggressive in pursuit of Muslim terrorists in Al Qaeda and the Taliban, killing more terrorists than anyone could ever have imagined, and also was able to get rid of Osama Bin Laden and Moammar Gaddafi.

Both Romney and Ryan and other Republicans wanted Obama to succeed, when there is no doubt that all Republicans made it their mission to insure that Obama would be a one term President with no accomplishments, which they well know has not been the case, as he has accomplished more in one term than any President since Lyndon B. Johnson domestically, has changed the image of America to a positive one in the world, and has made as much progress in the worst times of an economic downturn as Franklin D. Roosevelt did in his first term during the Great Depression, similarly making progress against difficult economic times, but not resolving the crisis in one term, but being attacked as Socialist, Communist, radical, Fascist by right wing critics!

The lies and myths will not carry the day, and Barack Obama will be reelected as FDR was in 1936, although not by the massive landslide of FDR!