Obama at new low for handling economy

[chevysoldier]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38750414/ns/politics/

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama earned his lowest marks ever on his handling of the economy in a new Associated Press-GfK poll, which also found that an overwhelming majority of Americans now describe the nation's financial outlook as poor.

Eleven weeks before the Nov. 2 balloting, just 41 percent of those surveyed approve of the president's performance on the economy, down from 44 percent in April, while 56 percent disapprove. And 61 percent say the economy has gotten worse or stayed the same on Obama's watch.

It's all Bush's fault anyways.

[fazer1sniper]

I beleive the Commander in Cheif is doing a fine job & should keep it up. Maybe people will see it for what it is. You need another Carter before you can have another Reagan. And this cat makes Carter look like a genius. De Oppesso Liber..

[Disclaimer]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/41200

[serpentracer]

unfortunately it's going to take a lot longer than a year or two or probably even 4 years for the dust to settle on this one. it's going to be more like 10 years, that's what the economist are predicting.

your boy elroy and the republican ideology of unregulated greed let it get fucked up that badly. the republican's response was to sit on their hands watch the economy tank.

Edited August 19, 2010 by serpentracer

[SAMBUSA]

[CattaniAFJ]

Fuck Obama. /thread

[dorifto240]

It's all Bush's fault anyways.

Funny you should mention that. The Senate votes on the budget, and for the last two years of Bush' presidency it was a Democrat controlled senate, of which President Obama was a voting member.

So in reality. Obama inherited his own mess...

I wonder how it feels to sleep in the bed you made?

[jporter12]

Funny you should mention that. The Senate votes on the budget, and for the last two years of Bush' presidency it was a Democrat controlled senate, of which President Obama was a voting member.

So in reality. Obama inherited his own mess...

I wonder how it feels to sleep in the bed you made?

Win!

[CattaniAFJ]

I'll go w/ that one FTW as well.

[Disclaimer]

Funny you should mention that. The Senate votes on the budget, and for the last two years of Bush' presidency it was a Democrat controlled senate, of which President Obama was a voting member.

So in reality. Obama inherited his own mess...

I wonder how it feels to sleep in the bed you made?

Or... you can realize that the Democrats were stonewalled by the remaining Republicans in a show of the highest levels of political obstructionism in history.

Here's what the Dems did get done though...

Democrats Passed First Minimum Wage Increase in a Decade. “The nation's lowest-paid workers will soon find extra money in their pockets as the minimum wage rises 70 cents to $5.85 an hour today, the first increase in a decade. It ends the longest span without a federal minimum wage increase since it was enacted in 1938. The previous increase came in September 1997, when a bill signed by President Bill Clinton raised the minimum 40 cents, to $5.15 an hour. Legislation signed by President Bush in May increases the wage 70 cents each summer until 2009, when all minimum-wage jobs will pay no less than $7.25 an hour.” [Associated Press, 7/24/07]

Democrats Passed War Spending Bill that Included $6 Billion for Hurricane Relief. “The war spending bill provides about $95 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through Sept. 30 and billions in domestic projects, including more than $6 billion for hurricane relief.” [Associated Press, 5/25/07]

Democrats Passed Wounded Warriors Bill to Upgrade Military Health Care and Provide a 3.5% Pay Raise for Our Troops. “Senate Democrats scored a crucial pre-recess legislative win Wednesday, as a veterans’ healthcare measure and military pay raise previously attached to the stalled defense authorization bill passed unanimously. Republicans sought to add the 3.5 percent pay increase to the healthcare bill, dubbed the Wounded Warriors Act, before allowing immediate passage of the package.” [The Hill, 7/26/07]

Democrats Passed Legislation Out of Committee Providing the Largest Increase for Veterans Affairs Funding in History. “House and Senate appropriators are both confidently moving forward with their proposals to give the Veterans Affairs Department its largest-ever budget increase to address the increasing health care needs of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House passed its version of the fiscal 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill (HR 2642) June 15 by a vote of 409-2. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved, 28-1, its draft version on June 14.” [CQ Today, 6/15/07]

Iraq Supplemental Appropriations Bill Included Additional $1.8 Billion for Veterans’ Health Care. “The House and Senate approved the $120 billion package yesterday. The president had requested $103 billion, but Congress added additional spending requirements to increase veterans’ health care programs by $1.8 billion, military construction and realignment by almost $5 billion, and homeland security by more than $1 billion.” [VFW Press Release, 5/25/07]

Democrats Passed Bill to Implement 9/11 Commission Recommendations. “The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation yesterday to implement many of the remaining reforms suggested by the Sept. 11 commission, answering its three-year-old call for better emergency communications; more money for cities at high risk of terrorist attacks; and tighter security for air cargo, ports, chemical plants and rail systems.” [Washington Post, 3/14/07]

Democrats Passed Ethics and Lobbying Reform Bill. “Senate Democrats and Republicans broke a difficult stalemate last night and approved 96 to 2 expansive legislation to curtail the influence of lobbyists, tighten congressional ethics rules and prevent the spouses of senators from lobbying senators and their staffs. The Senate legislation, hailed by proponents as the most significant ethics reform since Watergate, would ban gifts, meals and travel funded by lobbyists, and would force lawmakers to attach their names to special-interest provisions and pet projects that they slip into bills. Lawmakers would have to pay charter rates on corporate jets, not the far-cheaper first-class rates they pay now.” [Washington Post, 1/19/07]

Democrats Passed Bill to Cut Subsidies to Student Lenders and Provide $17 Billion in Grants and Other Student Aid. “The Senate overwhelmingly approved a wide-ranging overhaul of student loan programs early today that would pay for more than $17 billion in grants and other student aid by slashing subsidies to lending companies. Democrats and student advocates said the legislation, which passed in a 78 to 18 vote, would help millions of Americans pay for college in a time of steady and often steep tuition increases.” [Washington Post, 7/19/07]

Democrats Passed a Bill to Better Regulate the Student Loan Industry. “Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts made the comments shortly after senators passed legislation (S 1642) to reauthorize the primary law governing colleges, universities and federal aid by an overwhelming margin of 95-0…. The underlying bill would increase the amount of information that schools and lenders must provide to students — including up-front disclosure of loan rates and terms and data on total school costs — and would ban lenders from giving schools financial aid funds or any other perks to get on a preferred lender list…. The bill would require colleges and universities to draft codes of conduct governing relationships with lenders; shorten the application form for federal student aid; and authorize a pilot program to allow students to learn the total aid they can expect to receive up to two years in advance.” [CQ Today, 7/24/07]

Democrats Passed a Fiscally Responsible Budget. “Congress gave final approval on Thursday to a $2.9 trillion budget plan that promises big spending increases for education and health care and a federal surplus in five years… Democrats said their budget measure would put the government $41 billion in the black by 2012, after steady deficits since 2002. They said the measure also would reversing Bush's clampdown on domestic agencies' annual budgets passed by Congress… The budget plan would lock in a promise by Democrats to restore pay-as-you-go rules. Republicans abandoned these in 2001 to pass Bush's tax cuts.” [Associated Press, 5/17/07]

Democrats Passed Energy Bill That Increased Fuel-Efficiency Standards for First Time Since 1975. “The Senate passed a sweeping energy legislation package last night that would mandate the first substantial change in the nation's vehicle fuel-efficiency law since 1975 despite opposition from auto companies and their Senate supporters… The package, which still must pass the House, would also require that the use of biofuels climb to 36 billion gallons by 2022, would set penalties for gasoline price-gouging and would give the government new powers to investigate oil companies' pricing. It would provide federal grants and loan guarantees to promote research into fuel-efficient vehicles and would support test projects to capture carbon dioxide from coal-burning power plants to be stored underground.” [Washington Post, 6/22/07]

Meanwhile time after time the Senate Republicans have obstructed progress on America's priorities:

Democrats Pushed for A New Direction in Iraq; Republicans Obstructed. On July 17 and July 18, Democrats held an all night debate to force a change of course in Iraq. Republicans obstructed Democratic attempts to vote on the Levin-Reed Amendment 8 times. Republicans have obstructed progress on legislation calling for a change of course in Iraq 8 times earlier in the year. [senate Floor Proceedings, 7/17/07-7/18/07; Senate Vote #241, HR 1585, 7/11/07; Senate Vote #171, HR 2206, 5/17/07; Senate Vote #167, HR 1495, 5/16/07; Senate Vote #117, HR 1591, 3/28/07; Senate Vote #74, S.J.Res. 9, 3/14/07; Senate Vote #51, S. 574, 2/17/07; Senate Vote #44, S. 470, 2/5/07; Senate Vote #43, S. Con. Res. 2, 2/1/07]

Democrats Tried to Pass a Minimum Wage Increase; Republicans Obstructed. On January 24, Republicans blocked a bill that would have increased the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over two years. [senate Vote #23, HR 2, 1/24/07]

Democrats Tried to Pass Tax Incentives for Clean Energy; Republicans Obstructed. On June 21, Republicans blocked an amendment that would have established $32.1 billion of tax incentives for alternative energy sources while imposing taxes on the oil and gas industry. The amendment would have created $3.6 billion worth of renewable energy bonds, established $11 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy and authorize $2.5 billion for the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act. [senate Vote #223, HR 6, 6/21/07]

Democrats Tried Twice to Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform; Republicans Obstructed. On June 7 and June 28, Republicans blocked debate on comprehensive immigration reform. [senate Vote #206, S. 1348, 6/7/07; Senate Vote #235, S. 1639, 6/28/07]

Democrats Tried to Pass Intelligence Authorization; Republicans Obstructed. On April 16, Republicans blocked consideration of the Intelligence Authorization bill, which would have authorized classified amounts in fiscal 2007 for U.S. intelligence activities and agencies including the CIA, the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Defense Intelligence Agency. [senate Vote #130, S. 372, 4/16/07]

[Disclaimer]

Plus the rest...

Democrats Passed War Supplemental Funding Bill With Measures to Change Direction in Iraq; President Bush Vetoed the Bill. “President Bush used his veto pen for only the second time Tuesday after Congress sent him a war spending bill that would impose timelines to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq, which he called a ‘prescription for chaos.’” [NBC News, 5/1/06]

Democrats Passed a Bill to Expand Stem Cell Research; President Bush Vetoed the Bill. “President Bush yesterday vetoed legislation to expand federally funded embryonic stem cell research, saying that scientific advances now allow researchers to pursue the potentially lifesaving work without destroying human embryos.” [Washington Post, 6/21/07]

[Tpoppa]

Long post. I'll summarize, dorifto240 is right JRMMiii is wrong

[CattaniAFJ]

Good summary.

[cg2112]

The economy was in the tank before President Obama won the election, and before there was a Democratic majority.

Personally, I DO blame Bush for the severity of our recession, but not because of the way he handled economic issues. I think the war in Iraq has been a huge factor in unemployment - there's a solid correlation between domestic spending and jobs.

That said, while I think the war in Iraq has been a huge factor, I think we'd be in a recession regardless, and no one is really to blame for that. The economy is cyclical, and it was time for a recession.

[serpentracer]

some people forget things really quickly and are easily persuaded into believing anything.

they are called republicans. do I think obama is a stand out great pres so far? not really.

but I hope the road he's paving is the high road.

only time will tell.

bush was a ultimate failure by all means. and honestly probably the worst pres our country has ever had. he was a puppet of a party that is out of touch with reality. if you do a little research of some of the crooked things he did you'd be singing a different tune. just for one example watch the documentary called "enron, the smartest guys in the room" you know who was in bed with those guys? bush was. and told california to deal with the blackouts on their own when it's the fed gov job to do so. why? because good ol bush and ken lay were good friends and business partners.

republican voters preference for emotional engagement over reasonable argument has allowed the Republican Party to blind them to their own real interests.

take health care for example. In Texas, where barely two-thirds of the population have full health insurance and over a fifth of all children have no cover at all, opposition to the legislation is currently running at 87%

the ones who think it is socialist, godless, a step on the road to a police state - are often the ones it seems designed to help.

it blows my mind that many of America's average citizens have a deep emotional attachment to a party that serves the interests of its richest.

Edited August 20, 2010 by serpentracer

[ReconRat]

I nominate JRM for O-R spin doctor. Very impressive.

[cg2112]

I love when people get all bent out of socialism in the health care debate.

This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

At the appropriate time, as regulated by the US congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads built by the local, state and federal departments of transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank. On the way out the door, I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the US Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.

After work, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads to my house, which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshall’s inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.

I then log on to the internet, which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on freerepublic.com and fox news forums about how socialism in medicine is bad because the government can’t do anything right.

[ReconRat]

Wait... we have an economy?...

[cg2112]

Not sure how I missed this earlier. Could be cuz I like to skim SR's posts' date=' rather than let the dumb try to creep into my cerebrum. Dunno... but how is California's blackout a FedGov responsibility?[/quote']

Much of California's power was traded and exploited by Enron. This is no secret. Enron gamed the system, admitted they gamed the system, and settled for hundreds of millions. They were, essentially, responsible for the blackouts.

Enron was based in Texas, doing business in California. That, and the fact that California imported and exported power, makes the issue federal, under the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

You'd think that President Bush and Kenneth Lay could have simply discussed this over a round of golf.

[kawi kid]

obama just played his 52nd round of golf the other day....... did someone say golf?

[cg2112]

obama just played his 52nd round of golf the other day....... did someone say golf?

That's less than once a week. Remember, Bush had taken 96 vacation days between January 20th, 2001 and September 11, 2001.

A golf game takes about 4 hours, so Obama has spent 208 hours playing golf in the last 21 months. Bush spent 2304 hours at his ranch in his first 8 months. We could do this all day.

[Disclaimer]

No, I think his predecessor GOT sucked.

Don't hate.

[kawi kid]

That's less than once a week. Remember, Bush had taken 96 vacation days between January 20th, 2001 and September 11, 2001.

A golf game takes about 4 hours, so Obama has spent 208 hours playing golf in the last 21 months. Bush spent 2304 hours at his ranch in his first 8 months. We could do this all day.

he went back to his rance..... he didnt fly off somewhere on our dime.......

my first comment was just as a funny and yes we could do this all night.

[Disclaimer]

he went back to his rance..... he didnt fly off somewhere on our dime.......

Ummm, so... how did Bush get to his ranch from WashDC? Obama "flys off somewhere on our dime", and Bush thought so much of America he leased Air Force One and filled it up with JP1 on his own dime when he was in office? :wtf:

Do you read what you type?

[kawi kid]

i meant like michelle's trip to spain with her friends and yes i read what it type after i type it and click post

usually im thinking damn thats gonna come back to bite me in the ass