I thought Obama said we had to spend our way back into prosperity?

[VaYank5150]

Obama seeks to freeze some spending - White House- msnbc.com

The spending freeze would apply to a relatively small portion of the federal budget, affecting a $477 billion pot of money available for domestic agencies whose budgets are approved by Congress each year. Some of those agencies could get increases, others would have to face cuts; such programs got an almost 10 percent increase this year. The federal budget total was $3.5 trillion.

 

[jillian]

He did. And I think he shouldn't be appeasing the loons yet again.

But maybe its just me who thinks you don't give in to school yard bullies.

But I suspect the first thing he'll do is make sure he's re-elected. Still better than the alternatives.

 

[rdean]

Obama seeks to freeze some spending - White House- msnbc.com

The spending freeze would apply to a relatively small portion of the federal budget, affecting a $477 billion pot of money available for domestic agencies whose budgets are approved by Congress each year. Some of those agencies could get increases, others would have to face cuts; such programs got an almost 10 percent increase this year. The federal budget total was $3.5 trillion.

We all know that Bush never included the cost of either war in his budgets. Obama did and Republcians screamed that he tripled the budget. Odd that.

 

[Titanic Sailor]

Geezus, what does it take for you Obama smoochers to wake up? He should have done this the first day in office. Where have you been for the last year of massive corruption and failure?

 

[Maple]

Obama seeks to freeze some spending - White House- msnbc.com

The spending freeze would apply to a relatively small portion of the federal budget, affecting a $477 billion pot of money available for domestic agencies whose budgets are approved by Congress each year. Some of those agencies could get increases, others would have to face cuts; such programs got an almost 10 percent increase this year. The federal budget total was $3.5 trillion.

Yes, that spending back to prosperity works real well at my house. Now I have credit cards so run up that I can't pay them off. Now I am filing for bankruptsy.JUST KIDDING, I PAY CASH FOR EVERYTHING AND IF I CAN'T AFFORD IT, I DON'T BUY IT. Maybe the government could learn something from the average citizens out in the real world.

BTW- this spending freeze is like shutting the barn doors after the cows have run off. McCain and Palin campaigned on this but they would have done it before they spent another 1.5 trillion dollars.

 

[Titanic Sailor]

If you think government spending is going to save our economy or get our jobs back, you are smoking crack. This is a lot more complex economy than the 1930s. The only breathing room we have as a nation is for government to take a back seat and shut up, and get out of the way for a little bit. The time for bright ideas and increased spending is over. Government broke our nation. It's going to take years to get out of this mess, and then maybe we can listen to bright ideas again. That's where we are.

 

[Maple]

If you think government spending is going to save our economy or get our jobs back, you are smoking crack. This is a lot more complex economy than the 1930s. The only breathing room we have as a nation is for government to take a back seat and shut up, and get out of the way for a little bit. The time for bright ideas and increased spending is over. Government broke our nation. It's going to take years to get out of this mess, and then maybe we can listen to bright ideas again. That's where we are.

Government is the CONSUMER of wealth, Business is the CREATOR of wealth and therefore JOBS.

BTW- the feds have no clue where that 787 billion dollar STIMULUS money went that no-one read before they signed it.

 

[uscitizen]

If you think government spending is going to save our economy or get our jobs back, you are smoking crack. This is a lot more complex economy than the 1930s. The only breathing room we have as a nation is for government to take a back seat and shut up, and get out of the way for a little bit. The time for bright ideas and increased spending is over. Government broke our nation. It's going to take years to get out of this mess, and then maybe we can listen to bright ideas again. That's where we are.

Government is the CONSUMER of wealth, Business is the CREATOR of wealth and therefore JOBS.

BTW- the feds have no clue where that 787 billion dollar STIMULUS money went that no-one read before they signed it.

Yes, but where they are creating the jobs and wealth now is the issue.

 

[jillian]

If you think government spending is going to save our economy or get our jobs back, you are smoking crack. This is a lot more complex economy than the 1930s. The only breathing room we have as a nation is for government to take a back seat and shut up, and get out of the way for a little bit. The time for bright ideas and increased spending is over. Government broke our nation. It's going to take years to get out of this mess, and then maybe we can listen to bright ideas again. That's where we are.

It is complex. But government does need to spend. And banks need to lend money instead of high fiving themselves for almost exploding the world's economic system with obscene bonuses.

And because the repubs broke everything doesn't mean that Dems shouldn't get to fix it... same as they always do.

The problem is the rant and rave from the rightwingnuts started the day he was elected.

 

[VaYank5150]

He did. And I think he shouldn't be appeasing the loons yet again.

But maybe its just me who thinks you don't give in to school yard bullies.

But I suspect the first thing he'll do is make sure he's re-elected. Still better than the alternatives.

jillian...you and I usually agree, but I have to take exception here. I voted for Obama because he touted himself as different from "politics as usual". What I am seeing is Obama governing by what the polls tell him. Typical politician to me...

 

[uscitizen]

Yes Obama is a typical politician and most all of them in government are.

We do however need a very non typical politician.
Actually lots of them.

 

[California Girl]

If you think government spending is going to save our economy or get our jobs back, you are smoking crack. This is a lot more complex economy than the 1930s. The only breathing room we have as a nation is for government to take a back seat and shut up, and get out of the way for a little bit. The time for bright ideas and increased spending is over. Government broke our nation. It's going to take years to get out of this mess, and then maybe we can listen to bright ideas again. That's where we are.

It is complex. But government does need to spend. And banks need to lend money instead of high fiving themselves for almost exploding the world's economic system with obscene bonuses.

And because the repubs broke everything doesn't mean that Dems shouldn't get to fix it... same as they always do.

The problem is the rant and rave from the rightwingnuts started the day he was elected.

Jillian, you're almost right. The only issue is that the Republicans didn't break everything. Intelligent people cannot keep blaming 'the other guy', when the facts do not hold up that claim. Everyone broke the system.... the banks, the politicians (both sides) and we did our part. Surely you are smart enough to see this. I understand the idiot koolaiders on both sides screaming blue murder about 'the other guy', but you're not one of them. Look at the facts - stop pretending it was "Booooooooosh". It was not. You know that. I know that. All intelligent Americans know that.

 

[jillian]

jillian...you and I usually agree, but I have to take exception here. I voted for Obama because he touted himself as different from "politics as usual". What I am seeing is Obama governing by what the polls tell him. Typical politician to me...

i know we usually agree. but i'm pragmatic. i don't like every decision he makes. i like some.... as opposed to the prior 8 years where there wasn't a single decision coming out of the admin that i agreed with. i also think the perception is that he bit off more than could realisticallly be done at one time. He needs to shut down the loons so he can run his govenment.

and i think in certain ways he's very much an improvement. but the system is what it is. people don't self-immolate. and if he's not re-elected, we get the loons back who broke everything in the first place.

and if you want real bold politicians who engage in brililant, creative thought, then campaign spending has to be controlled... campaigns should be paid for by the government... not by private interests.

 

[VaYank5150]

jillian...you and I usually agree, but I have to take exception here. I voted for Obama because he touted himself as different from "politics as usual". What I am seeing is Obama governing by what the polls tell him. Typical politician to me...

i know we usually agree. but i'm pragmatic. i don't like every decision he makes. i like some.... as opposed to the prior 8 years where there wasn't a single decision coming out of the admin that i agreed with. i also think the perception is that he bit off more than could realisticallly be done at one time. He needs to shut down the loons so he can run his govenment.

and i think in certain ways he's very much an improvement. but the system is what it is. people don't self-immolate. and if he's not re-elected, we get the loons back who broke everything in the first place.

and if you want real bold politicians who engage in brililant, creative thought, then campaign spending has to be controlled... campaigns should be paid for by the government... not by private interests.

I only agree with your last paragraph. Obama KNEW what he campaigned on and KNEW what got him elected. His own party betrayed him on healthcare reform. If the Democrats cannot pass their key social agenda because of infighting, then they deserve to lose everything they gained in 06 and 08.

 

[Titanic Sailor]

What is so hard about passing a law right now that says all pre-existing conditions can not be blocked by insurance companies, and all Americans have health care, the industry eats the cost through taxation. Let's face it, we are here because health care became big business, and government let them get away with it. So, the industry pays the price for their greed.

 

[VaYank5150]

What is so hard about passing a law right now that says all pre-existing conditions can not be blocked by insurance companies, and all Americans have health care, the industry eats the cost through taxation. Let's face it, we are here because health care became big business, and government let them get away with it. So, the industry pays the price for their greed.

That's the problem with private, for profit health insurance. No matter what anyone says, it is a BUSINESS. The whole idea behind owning and operating a business, as opposed to say a non-profit organization, is to MAKE MONEY. Is this conflict of interest so difficult to understand?

 

[jillian]

What is so hard about passing a law right now that says all pre-existing conditions can not be blocked by insurance companies, and all Americans have health care, the industry eats the cost through taxation. Let's face it, we are here because health care became big business, and government let them get away with it. So, the industry pays the price for their greed.

They should get rid of the anti-trust exemption for insurance companies.

They should make it illegal to deny coverage for pre-existiting conditions and they should make it illegal to discontinue coverage when someone gets sick... get rid of the one million maximum coverage and expand medicare to extend to people who are under a certain income level AND whose employers don't give health coverage.

Relatively painless and would cover almost everyone, IMO.

Obama got hurt on this because someone thought it a good idea to tax coverage.

Oh...and they have to get rid of Bush's deal that kept medicare from negotiating pharmaceutical prices.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Obama seeks to freeze some spending - White House- msnbc.com

The spending freeze would apply to a relatively small portion of the federal budget, affecting a $477 billion pot of money available for domestic agencies whose budgets are approved by Congress each year. Some of those agencies could get increases, others would have to face cuts; such programs got an almost 10 percent increase this year. The federal budget total was $3.5 trillion.

Even Obama is running against his record

 

[Murf76]

If you think government spending is going to save our economy or get our jobs back, you are smoking crack. This is a lot more complex economy than the 1930s. The only breathing room we have as a nation is for government to take a back seat and shut up, and get out of the way for a little bit. The time for bright ideas and increased spending is over. Government broke our nation. It's going to take years to get out of this mess, and then maybe we can listen to bright ideas again. That's where we are.

It is complex. But government does need to spend. And banks need to lend money instead of high fiving themselves for almost exploding the world's economic system with obscene bonuses.

And because the repubs broke everything doesn't mean that Dems shouldn't get to fix it... same as they always do.

The problem is the rant and rave from the rightwingnuts started the day he was elected.

Where were Chris Dodd and Barney Frank and even Barack Obama as a sitting U.S. Senator when this bubble was ballooning up?

To claim that "repubs" and "rightwingnuts" caused the problem is completely partisan and myopic. G.W. tried to reel in Fannie and Freddie four times, if memory serves. And no one listened. They were ALL too busy pandering for votes by loosening lending standards.

You know, Republicanism DOES recognize the need for some government regulation. We just ask that it not be a Sherman Tank when a flyswatter will do. Greed is as natural to human beings as compassion. Both most be regulated by logic. That's why we bother "regulating" at all... to curb our natural excesses. We can't be Constitutional Republicans without recognizing the validity of the enumerated power to regulate placed with Congress.

But at the bottom line, these people left the cookie jar out... all of them, Democrats and Republicans alike. And now they want to point the finger of blame.. like it wasn't their JOB to mind the cookie jar.

Your anger is misplaced if you only blame half of them. That means the other half go about their merry way, spreading more misery as they go, because the problem won't get solved until they recognize what they did wrong and then do what's necessary to correct it.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

The problem with guaranteeing insurance for preexisting conditions is that there in no incentive for ANYONE to buy insurance UNTIL then get sick.