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POPSJob Creation??Yeah Right Even though the White House is now acknowledging that there have been errors made in calculating the true number of jobs created with stimulus money, that isn’t stopping them from keeping the inflated 30k + figure on the recovery.org website. You’d think a website that was created with $18 million would have a way of self-correcting, but apparently it doesn’t. But hey, there’s a whole bunch of employed czars. So, you know, we have that.
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POPSCash for Clubbers The golf-cart boom has followed an IRS ruling that golf carts qualify for the electric-car credit as long as they are also road worthy. These qualifying golf carts are essentially the same as normal golf carts save for adding some safety features, such as side and rearview mirrors and three-point seat belts. They typically can go 15 to 25 miles per hour. In South Carolina, sales of these carts have been soaring as dealerships alert customers to Uncle Sam's giveaway. "The Golf Cart Man" in the Villages of Lady Lake, Florida is running a banner online ad that declares: "GET A FREE GOLF CART. Or make $2,000 doing absolutely nothing!"
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POPS Obama’s Media Control Strategy
It looks like various progressive groups are lining up at the public trough for their share of the loot. They have in mind what the George Soros-funded Free Press calls "an alternative media infrastructure." These days we have conservative talk radio, Fox News, and alternatives to the "mainstream" media on the Internet. It is obvious that the Obama Administration and its progressive backers don't appreciate this new state of affairs. Ornstein contrasted what can be, under federal direction, to what we are witnessing "now on health reform," when so many dissenting voices are being heard. He added, "It becomes much more difficult when you have a cacophonous system with fragmented areas of communication." And that "cacophony and fragmentation" is most apparent on the Internet, he said. In other words, those naughty conservatives are standing in the way of Obama's health care reform plan. A new national broadband plan, combined with the just-announced FCC plan for . . .
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POPSThird Stimulus? Thanks, But You’ve Already Done Enough Damage Already
Sure just keep throwing money at the problem since we have ‘proof’ that it works so well. Abraham Maslow said, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail." The government has spent almost one trillion dollars trying to stimulate the economy. That's one expensive hammer. How exactly are they planning to stimulate the economy this time? First, is to extend unemployment benefits. Secondly, they will extend a tax credit for first time home buyers. Finally, the Associated Press reports a possible extension of subsidies for COBRA. I think it is high time that Congress roll up their sleeves and actually work out a successful method instead of repeating their lazy-man’s-mistakes of the past. The most logical stimulation plan is one that would allow business to produce and trade without government interference. This would free the government to do what it was intended to do, namely, protect its citizens rights as laid out in the constitution.
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POPSIt's a 12-day miracle! Praise Obama & pass the Hopium Quite humorous really. "The president picked the Steelers in the Super Bowl. They won. He submitted an $885 billion stimulus plan to Congress. The money was printed. He nominated a tax cheat for secretary of the Treasury. The tax cheat was confirmed."
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POPSObama Can't Outsource Afghanistan FTA: Biden in 2002.... "Security is the basic issue in Afghanistan. Whatever it takes, we should do it. History will judge us harshly if we allow the hope of a liberated Afghanistan to evaporate because we failed to stay the course." One commentator has suggested that he's going to "outsource" it to NATO.
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POPSPoll: Lowest support yet for healthcare We all know this. As more of the population becomes aware of this bill the more opposed to it they became. I'm convinced that's why the Stimulus and Clunkers Bill went so quickly. Speed...while they're unsuspecting. Suddenly, people have became more informed & suspicious. Suddenly the people realized they were being duped with all that verbal hype that means nothing. Slow & steady wins the race. Reform is necessary, but this needs to be seriously vetted and studied with cognizance of what the long-term effects will be. Is there no one in Congress who will commit themselves to this most vital issue that effects (affects) soooooo many Americans for decades to come?
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POPSObama Heads For Foreign Policy Disaster The U.S. is applying pressure to Israel, because Israel is susceptible to U.S. pressure, in hopes of gaining concessions from the Palestinians, who are not. The process is the diplomatic equivalent of a drunk searching for his key under the streetlamp"because it's brighter there. The approach has never worked before, but repeated failure does not seem to have discouraged Obama from trying yet again. Not everything that goes wrong in the world is the president's fault, of course. Vladimir Putin's Russia would behave aggressively no matter who was president, just as any president would confront the same unappealing range of options in Pakistan. But the very intractability of such problems makes it more important to do right what can be done right. Despite the domestic focus of these early months of his presidency, Barack Obama thinks of himself as a foreign policy thinker above all, according to those who know him best. His confidence is undiminished by his lack . . .
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POPSA Bus Named Gutlessness Congress figured it out in about five minutes, as demonstrated by the hogwild porkfest on the stimulus. The American electorate has been a little slower on the uptake, but polls numbers suggest they are getting it. Maybe not specifically the unprincipled, disloyal gutlessness, but the results of it: The American people hate a loser. This should make it fun. USA Today : Mass transit dispatcher Pelosi, public option “essential” to passage. Here’s Krugman, one of the most prominent advocates of expanding government … a.k.a “socialism” in the current political argot … in America today, wringing his hands over the under-the-busification of the public option. Michael Gerson at RCP. Great headline, “Obama’s Crisis: Credibility” Ambinder , surveying the wreckage and declaring the train to be running on time. Sorry to mix metaphors, but the bus he keep throwing people and things under just stalled at a crossing. Here comes the 5:35 to Naked Self-Interest.
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POPSIllinois Public Opinion Turns Against President Obama's Health Care and Economic Policies his individual policies have far less support. Recent non-tribune polling has shown that a majority of Illinoisans do not support the the current Democrat Health Care reform. The Tribune poll reflects this sentiment as only 42% approve of the President's handling of Health Care. On the contrary, 43% of Illinoisans disapprove of the President Obama's handling of health care reform. In addition, Illinois residents who have experienced an unemployment rate that has risen from 6.7% to to more than 10.5% in July are increasingly losing confidence in the President's economic policies. 49% of respondents indicated that the President Obama's economic policies have had a negative or no impact on job creation, as opposed to only 45% that believe his policies have had a positive impact. Tribune polling also indicated that the President's support among Independents in Illinois has all but disappeared. 58% of independents believe that his economic policies have had no impact or a
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POPSIn President Barack Obama Backyard, 10,000 Patriots Unhappy About Unstainable Government Spending New Lenox Tea Party Express draws 10,000 YouTube (1:58) On tax day, the tea party movement began in earnest. Until now the movement has remained at the local levels. No longer will that be the case. The movement is coming to Washington on September 12, 2009 for a march and rally at the US Capitol. From autos to banking, the government is crowding out the private sector of our economy. Where Bush bailed out the private sector, Obama is making hostile government takeovers. Ignoring our multi trillion dollar deficit, Washington is considering a massive new energy tax and a takeover of health care. On Saturday, September 12th FreedomWorks will be joined by over ten thousands of liberty-loving activists to take a stand against politicians who are bankrupting our future. National co-sponsors include Tea Party Patriots, ResistNet, National Taxpayers Union, Americans For Tax Reform, Young Americans for Liberty, Ayn Rand Center, Campaign for Liberty, Free Republic .
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POPS Why It’s Not Working Uncle Sam has borrowed $388 billion in the second quarter and is scheduled to borrow $406 billion in the third quarter and nearly $500 billion in the fourth. In order to provide $152 billion in so-called fiscal stimulus, the government is draining close to $800 billion from the private-sector savings supply " $800 billion that will not be invested in new-business enterprises, including small businesses. To be honest, it’s hard to know what Biden is talking about at any given moment he opens his mouth. But on the economy and the “stimulus” plan he’s even more incoherent than usual. (Actually, I suspect Biden was brought on board the ticket to provide Obama with a comic side-kick. Buddy movie politics.) The economy is a shambles directly because of the policies of the Obama administration. Kudlow predicts a minimum 500 point Wall Street rally if ObamaCare fails. (I’d bet on a lot higher, frankly).
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POPSThe So Called Liberal Media XXVIIII: Why Villagers are clueless Those of you who remember Paul Krugman's often harsh criticisms of Obama during the election campaign might be surprised to read Howard Kurtz's media column which puts him first among the disappointed former Obama cheerleaders. Krugman has certainly been critical of Obama's performance in office, but this is only news for Kurtz, not people familiar with Krugman's writings. All Villagers aren't wrong in everything they write obviously, certainly not Kurtz, but this latest error is laughable. I can understand if it was a matter of interpretation, but come on Howard, this one wasn't even close to being on the mark. (h/t Atrios)
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POPSStealth ObamaCare Part I Hidden in "Stimulus" Bill industry (health care) failed. It wasn't just a massive back lash from we the people, but because she was advised it would not pass a constitutional challenge. Now that the American people are beaten down with massive government regulations that ruined the finest health care system in this world and a population that is sick and dying, the shadow government is making another attempt to take over another private sector, even though the U.S. Constitution forbids such legislation . "The underlying method of cutting costs throughout the plan is based on rationing and denying care, not preventing health care need. The plan's method is the most inhumane and unethical approach in cutting costs. The rationing of care is implemented through a Council, equivalent to the National Health Care Board in the British Health Care System. The name given to this panel is The Federal Coordinating Council For Comparative Effectiveness Research (“Federal Council”).
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POPSBuried in Stimulus Bill, ObamaCare Part 1 ~ Signed February 13th The rationing of care is implemented through a Council, equivalent to the National Health Care Board in the British Health Care System. The name given to this panel is The Federal Coordinating Council For Comparative Effectiveness Research ("Federal Council"). (Section 9201 H.R. 1 Version of the Stimulus Bill.) President Obama has already appointed the fifteen member Federal Council. According to the Stimulus Bill, p. 152, all members of the Council must be "senior federal officers or employees." Thus, medical treatment will be dispensed by a group of bureaucrats from their ivory towers, not by the hands-on practitioners in the presence of the patients. The council was funded with $1.1 BILLION from The Stimulus Bill. (Source.) http://www.hhs.gov/recovery/programs/os/cerbios.html According to former New York Lieutenant Governor and Health Policy Analyst Dr. Betsy McCaughey, the Federal Council will set a cost effectiveness standard for treatment. . .
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POPS If Obama Fails, It's Not His Fault If it doesn’t, President Obama will have been defeated. But it’s the party, not the president, that will have failed. Rhetorical question: If Obama's not running the Demokrat party, who is??? 3. Obama is bogged down because he has been working so hard to accommodate Republicans. 4. Obama is failing because he's too nice. From The LA Times, words of encouragement from Rep. Maxine Waters Twenty-seven days after taking office, Obama abandoned his short-lived commitment to transparency and bipartisanship and signed his ill-conceived stimulus bill into law. Since that very turbulent moment, Americans have developed persistent doubts about Obama's judgement and leadership strategy. And in the process they have rediscovered their self-confidence. The Wall Street Journal explains: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203706604574370301468452872.html
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POPSReasonable Questions For Unreasonable Times - Why are citizens mocked and laughed at when they ask their congressman to read the bills before they vote on them? - Was the cash-for-clunkers program meant to save the earth or the economy? Did it accomplish either? - How did Van Jones, a self-proclaimed communist become a special advisor to the president? - Did President Obama know of Van Jones’ radical political beliefs when he named him special advisor? - The Apollo Alliance claimed credit for writing the stimulus bill"why was this group allowed to write any portion of this bill? - If politicians aren’t writing the bills and aren’t reading the bills, do they have any idea what these 1000 page plus bills actually impose on the American people? - If the ‘public option’ health care plan is so good why won’t politicians agree to have that as their plan? - If town hall meetings are intended for the politicians to learn what’s on our mind"why do they spend so much time talking instead of listening?
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POPSBeware those holding sleazy jobs Under our current system, less people perish, while under the future system, funeral home directors across the country will be heard saying, 'Ask Mr. Lee if we can stack some of these bodies in the back of his dry cleaner because we're running out of room,' and that's a positive step for America, economically speaking."
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POPSAfghan War Part of Economic Stimulus Plan? What a way to up job figures - more contractors in Afghanistan than troops. Seems as though we are copying British plan to combat American Rebels in 1778 - Hire out of work German soldiers to fight G. Washington. This is just nuts and would make a great Marx Brothers (not Carl Marx) movie if it were not for all the people dying and getting wounded.
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POPS Health Care Trading Cards: Collect 'Em All! Wondering who gets what out of the Democrat Party's push for single-payer, socialized medicine? Keep tabs on all the cash changing hands with this exclusive collection of Health Care Trading Cards™! "What Obama didn’t say is that AARP receives millions in federal funds, and hopes to get even more by becoming a vendor under his plan. In January 2007, NLPC published Special Report documenting taxpayer support for AARP. The study found that federal funding accounted for $83 million, or about 10 percent, of AARP’s then-annual revenue of $878 million." Unaccountable politicians -- who have come out and said they don't give a crap what their constituents think -- will amass more power, further breakdown the firewalls in the Constitution and then walk away. And where will Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid be in ten years, when the rest of us are struggling with a massive, out-of-control, federalized medical system that doesn't give a damn . . .
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POPSSorry Snobs: Townhall Rage IS Real Democracy Then, public opinion intervened. Obama is now on the wrong side of a genuine grass-roots revolt by people who feel ignored by everyone who is supposed to be representing them. Consider the AARP. It has all but endorsed a plan to slash several hundred billion dollars over 10 years from Medicare. It is providing cover for the creation of a new system that, if it ever succeeds in "bending the cost curve," will have to scrimp on expensive end-of-life care. The AARP is overwhelmingly favorable to a plan opposed by the elderly more than any other age group. Who is the more authentic voice of seniors -- the AARP playing along with its Democratic allies, or the elderly at town-hall meetings wondering what the Medicare cuts will mean for them? The inside-Washington players are easily co-opted and cowed. The American Medical Association came out in opposition to a public option in June, and then -- after a stern talking-to by Washington's political barons -- immediately backtracked.
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POPSRoadblocks Devised to Push Back Against HC Town Hall Protesters I have no problem with only the Congressmen's constituents being allowed to attend but it is interesting that ID's are required for this but not promoted by the Dems for voting. From what I've observed from the meetings is that direct questions do not receive direct answers....this is what makes the people so angry! Too much hemmin' and hullin'...trying to say something without saying anything; probably because they don't really know what's IN the BILL! As one conservative said: They did it to the citizens on prayer, they did it on abortion, they did it with the stimulus bill, and now they're trying to do it with health care. The Country is split down the middle on most every issue, so it's not surprising that there is this much reaction to the other side.
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POPSBrief Bio of Head of Tea Party Committee The New York Times interviewed some people at Arlen Specter's health care town hall. It turns out, the head of the local Tea Party committee is an unemployed man who's actively voting to shoot himself in the foot. Apparently, this is what happens when you spend all your off-time listening to conservative talk radio.
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POPSObama Uses His Horrific Unemployment Numbers to Push For Obamacare It's a pitch that comes as the Democratic-controlled Congress wrestles to write a health care plan that meets Obama's goals of expanding coverage to millions of uninsured while reining in exploding costs. The US unemployment rate rose from 7.6% to 9.7% under Obama... the highest rate in 26 years. Bureau of Labor Statistics- via Sweetness and Light Obama said with the Stimulus Bill the unemployment rate would not go over 8% but the unemployment rate is currently hovering around 9.5%. Obama claims his plan is working. And, now he wants to takeover the health care industry.
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POPSObama's "Read my lips. No more taxes." Then Obama's National Economic Council director Lawrence Summers likewise said when asked about the middle-class tax hike on "Meet the Press" that it was "never a good idea to absolutely rule things out, no matter what." That's because Geithner and Summers both know that Obama's health care proposal is not a stand-alone item. In addition to unfunded Social Security and Medicare entitlements, bailouts and stimulus spending have already pushed the national debt to $37,813 for every man, woman and child in America. According to the IRS, the top 5 percent - which includes households earning more than $160,041 - already pays 60 percent of all federal income taxes. Even former Clinton Treasury official Leonard Burman admitted in a New York Times oped that "this idea that everything new that government provides ought to be paid for by the top 5 percent, that's a basically unstable way of governing." White House spokesman Robert Gibbs furiously backpedaled Monday . . . . .
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POPSUnemployment Benefits run out for many What happened to the 'New Deal' type stimulus jobs to rebuild our nation's infrastructure? The WPA (Works Progress Administration) of the 1930s even paid for writers to catalog the way our nation ate - recording traditional recipes etc. to 'make work.'
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POPSPresident Created Oregon Stimulus Jobs That Lasted Only A Week July 29th The White House requires states to report numbers in terms of full-time, yearlong jobs. That means a part-time mechanic counts as half a job. A full-time construction worker who has a three-month paving contract counts as one-fourth of a job. Using that method, the AP’s analysis of figures in Oregon shows the program so far has created the equivalent of 215 full-time jobs that will last three months. Oregon’s House speaker, Dave Hunt, called that measurement unfair, though nearly every other state that has passed a stimulus package already uses or plans to use it. “This stimulus plan was intentionally designed for short-term projects to pump needed jobs and income into families, businesses and communities struggling to get by,” Hunt said in a statement. “No one ever said these would be full-time jobs for months at a time.” Still, critics say counting jobs, without any consideration of their duration, isn’t good enough.
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POPSBernanke Defends Bail-Out Package Mistakes Should Ben Bernanke and Timothy Geitner both be called before congress to testify under oath about the huge mistakes that they made in issuing the bailout packages, and sending unaccounted money to foriegn banks last fall ?
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