AMERICAN CONSERVATISM IN 2008 AND BEYOND

...Dayen reported that the powerful California Democrat [Rep. Waxman]told constituents he would be coming back to Washington Tuesday to begin negotiations with Senate leaders and the White House about what a final healthcare bill will look like"even though the House doesn't come back into session until January 12.

According to Waxman, the process for moving will not include the standard House/Senate conference committee, because the motions to select and instruct conferees in the Senate "would need 60 votes all over again." Instead, whatever agreements made could be packaged in an amendment to the bills passed by the House and Senate.

By blocking out the Republicans"not to mention House Democrats who object to what the Senate passed"Pelosi and Reid are setting up a protracted game of "ping-pong," in which the legislation goes back and forth from the Senate to the House and back to the Senate again. They may be able to prevail as far as the legislation goes, ultimately, but at enormous cost to their majorities. And that may be the biggest secret of all as far as the healthcare debate is concerned, or at least the one Pelosi and Reid are most concerned about.

Defeating Bob Bennett is a no-brainer. There is little chance a Democrat could win the seat statewide in Utah. Likewise, the Bennett defeat would come in a convention, not a bloody and expensive primary. If 60% of Utah Republicans reject Bennett at their state convention, he’s toast without a primary. And that convention happens in just a few months " which is why I put a higher priority on this than the Rubio v. Crist race. The timeline is rapid and gives us time to get back to Florida.

"His first TV ad begins in black and white with John F. Kennedy describing his 1962 tax cut bill: "The billions of dollars this bill will place in the hands of the consumer and our businessmen will have both immediate and permanent benefits to our economy." The screen slowly morphs into an image of Mr. Brown as he calls for a new tax cut by finishing Kennedy's remarks: "Every dollar released from taxation that is spent or invested will help create a new job and a new salary. And these new jobs and new salaries can create other jobs and other salaries, and more customers and more growth for an expanding American economy."

Independent groups are mulling plans to drive down Ms. Coakley's [Brown's opponent]numbers by running ads that would point out that if she loses and Mr. Brown wins, Democrats would then be deprived of the 60th vote they need to pass a final health care bill. Candidate Brown is encouraging such thinking. "I could be the 41st senator that could stop the Obama proposal that's being pushed right now through Congress,'' he told reporters last week. Even holding Ms. Coakley to a narrow victory in uber-liberal Massachusetts would rattle Democratic cages and give members of Congress pause before a final health care vote.

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.cpseea1.txt
HISTORY OF TOTAL USA EMPLOYMENT 1980 - 2009

....Total USA Employed.....Change
Carter
1980…… 99,302,000………….. + 7,285,000
Reagan
1984….. 105,005,000…………...+ 5,703,000
Reagan
1988….. 114,968,000…………...+ 9,963,000
Bush I
1992….. 118,492,000…………...+ 3,524,000
Clinton
1996….. 126,708,000…………...+ 8,216,000
Clinton
2000….. 136,891,000…………...+ 10,183,000
Bush II
2004….. 139,252,000…………...+ 2,361,000
Bush II
2008….. 145,362,000…………...+ 6,110,000
Obama
As of October 2009 ....138,275,000.........- 7,087,000

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.cpseea1.txt
Total employment in the USA in:
December 2006 = 144,427,000
December 2007 = 146,047,000
December 2008 = 143,338,000
January 2009 = 142,099,000.
October 2009 = 138,275 ,000.
November 2009 = ?
December 2009 = ?
January 2010 = ?

Wall Street may cheer Fannie, Freddie bailout
Takeover may stabilize housing, but investors still seek market bottom


Most viewed on msnbc.com
updated 4:27 a.m. PT, Mon., Sept . 8, 2008

NEW YORK - Wall Street finally got what it's been angling for: a bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that could aid a recovery of the broken U.S. housing market and arrest a slide in stock and credit markets worldwide.

Overall, the move is a positive for banks around the world, including Citigroup Inc., Merrill Lynch & Co. and UBS AG that invested in U.S. mortgages, according to Daniel Alpert, managing director at the investment bank Westwood Capital. And in electronic trading Sunday evening, futures for the major U.S. stock indexes all rose about 2 percent.

"There's no doubt in my mind that this will stabilize the mortgage market," Alpert said.

The GOP isn't interested in negotiation; they want to completely delay or stop health care. You need to keep up with the news.

GOP lawmakers change tune on costly health plans

December 26, 2009 By The Associated Press CHARLES BABINGTON (Associated Press Writer)

WASHINGTON (AP) " Democrats are troubled by the inconsistency of Republican lawmakers who approved a major Medicare expansion six years ago that has added tens of billions of dollars to federal deficits, but oppose current health overhaul plans.

All current GOP senators, including the 24 who voted for the 2003 Medicare expansion, oppose the health care bill that's backed by President Barack Obama...

cicerone imposter wrote

Quote:

The GOP isn't interested in negotiation; they want to completely delay or stop health care. You need to keep up with the news.

Well of course they are...now, since the Dems ignored them and pushed this monster thru

The Homeland Security Department’s National Operations Center (NOC) is “unable” to do its job of ensuring coordination among the 22 federal agencies that make up the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and focuses too much on disaster management rather than terrorism prevention, according to its own inspector general.

ican, Your post is useless garbage; Fannie and Freddie did not cause the drop in employment. Fannie and Freddie were in trouble long before Obama became president.

2001
*4/...--Bush declares that the size of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is a potential large financial problem because financial trouble of a large "GSE (i.e., Government Sponsored Enterprise) could cause strong repercussions in financial markets."

2003
*01/22"Freddie Mac announces it must restate financial results for the previous 3 years due to earnings report errors.
*06/11"Freddie Mac is the subject of federal securities and criminal investigations.
*09/11"New York Times says, "Bush recommends the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry since the savings and loan crisis a decade ago."
*09/25--Barney Frank responds, "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do very good work, and they are not endangering the fiscal health of this country … I believe there has been more alarm raised about potential unsafety and unsoundness than, in fact, exists."
*10/29"Fannie Mae discloses $1.2 billion accounting error.

2004
*06/16"Samuel Bodman, Deputy Secretary of Treasury, repeats Bush Administration call "for a new, first class, regulatory supervisor for three housing GSEs: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banking System.
*10/06"Franklin Raines, Fannie Mae CEO, testifies before the House Financial Services Committee, "assets are so riskless that the capital for holding them should be under two percent. "

2006
*04/18"Freddie Mac pays a record $3.8 million Federal Election Commission fine.
*05/23"Fannie Mae’s regulator announces that Fannie Mae has for years overstated reported income and capital by $10.6 billion.
*05/25"Senator John McCain calls for GSE regulatory reform legislation, warning: "If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system and the economy as a whole.”
*11/07"Democrats win majorities in both houses of Congress. The U.S. economy is growing at about 3 percent, unemployment is at 4.5 percent, and inflation under 2 percent.

2007
*06/23"Two Bear Sterns hedge fund groups collapse due to their mortgage investments.
*08/09" President Bush requests Congress pass a reform package for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
*12/06" President Bush warns Congress of need to pass legislation reforming GSEs.

2008
*03/14"J.P. Morgan and the Federal Reserve recognize extent of Bear’s toxic assets, including sub-prime mortgages, and credit default swaps, and interconnection with other banks.
*03/14"At Economic Club of New York, President Bush requests Congress take action and reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
*04/14"President Bush issues a plea to Congress to pass legislation reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
*05/03"President Bush issues a plea to Congress to pass legislation reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
*05/19"President Bush issues a plea to Congress to pass legislation reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
*05/31"President Bush issues a plea to Congress to pass legislation reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
*06/06"President Bush issues a plea to Congress to pass legislation reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
*07/11"Senator Chris Dodd says: "There’s sort of a panic going on today, and that’s not what ought to be. The facts don’t warrant that reaction, in my opinion … Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were never bottom feeders in the residential mortgage market. People ought to feel comfortable about that. "
*07/13"Treasury Secretary Paulson asks Congress to grant him authority to take over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
*09/07"Paulson takes over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and offers them $200 billion, despite the fact their government credit line had been limited to $25 billion.
*09/15"Lehman Brothers officially collapses, the government does not intervene, and panic occurs, triggering a big Dow decline.
*09/16"Nancy Pelosi is asked if the Democrats bear some responsibility for the current crisis on Wall Street. Pelosi answers, "No. "
*09/17"Harry Reid regarding the economic collapse: "No one knows what to do."
*09/18"About 11:00 AM, the Federal Reserve noticed a tremendous drawdown of money market accounts in the United States within two hours, equal to about $550. Treasury puts $105 billion in the system, but quickly realizes it cannot correct the problem.
*09/18"Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke ask Congress for the required funds"and unprecedented authority to bail out the entire financial system. They say failure to act means "we may not have an economy on Monday."
*09/23" Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke in Senate Banking Committee testimony outline the $700 billion asset relief program (TARP).
*09/29"That TARP version doesn’t pass the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives.
*10/03"Three days later TARP is passed after about $112 billion is added.
*11/05"The day after Barack Obama’s election, stocks plunge 500 points.

Besides, what ever happened to job increases that were supposed to be created by Bush's tax cuts? We're still waiting....

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.cpseea1.txt
HISTORY OF TOTAL USA EMPLOYMENT 1980 - 2009
.............Total USA Employed.....Change
Carter
1980…… 99,302,000………….. + 7,285,000
Reagan
1984….. 105,005,000…………...+ 5,703,000
Reagan
1988….. 114,968,000…………...+ 9,963,000
Bush I
1992….. 118,492,000…………...+ 3,524,000
Clinton
1996….. 126,708,000…………...+ 8,216,000
Clinton
2000….. 136,891,000…………...+ 10,183,000
Bush II
2004….. 139,252,000…………...+ 2,361,000
Bush II
2008….. 145,362,000…………...+ 6,110,000
Obama
As of October 2009 ....138,275,000.........- 7,087,000

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.cpseea1.txt
Total employment in the USA in:
December 2006 = 144,427,000
December 2007 = 146,047,000
December 2008 = 143,338,000
January 2009 = 142,099,000.
October 2009 = 138,275 ,000.
November 2009 = ?
December 2009 = ?

Abrupt Democratic retirements show tough landscape
By LIZ SIDOTI, AP National Political Writer Liz Sidoti, Ap National Political Writer 31 mins ago

WASHINGTON " Two longtime Senate Democrats suddenly abandoned re-election bids, and so did a Democratic swing-state governor, underscoring the perilous political environment for President Barack Obama's party as anti-incumbent sentiment ripples across the nation. But stunning as they were, the retirements weren't as bad as they might have seemed for the Democrats.

Embattled Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd was all but forced to quit, and North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan also ditched his re-election effort in the face of a difficult race. Dodd's announcement Wednesday may actually save the Democrats' hold on his seat " the party quickly recruited a stronger candidate " but Dorgan's retirement may cost the party a seat in his Republican-leaning state. And that would mean the loss of a critical 60th vote in the Senate.

Among governors, Democrats were heartened by two developments that cleared the way for stronger candidates not tainted by incumbency: Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, among the most vulnerable for re-election, chose not to seek a second term, and Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry, the Democratic front-runner to replace term-limited Gov. Jennifer Granholm, opted against running. Still, despite the moves, Republicans remain excited about the prospect of competitive races in those states.

Combined, the no-campaign decisions highlighted the challenges facing Obama's party. The Democrats are seeking to hang onto comfortable majorities in Congress and a slim edge among governors in a year when voters are angry at lawmakers of all political stripes and likely to punish the party in power.

The bottom line for Obama: Losing even one seat in the Senate would make it more difficult to block Republican filibusters. And if the GOP makes big gains in the House " a pickup of 30 or more seats is seeming ever more likely " that will make it much harder to pass administration proposals.

All told, the latest developments mean 2010 is sure to see a slew of competitive races, though it's unlikely " at this point " that Republicans will win enough seats to retake control of either the House or Senate. Democrats currently control the Senate 58-40, and the two independents also typically vote with the party. The House is now 256-178 for the Democrats with one vacancy.

ican, You're again ignoring my previous post on unemployment and job creation. You are one dumb bastard!

You fit my motto perfectly: there's no cure for stupid.

ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/suppl/empsit.cpseea1.txt
Year...................USA Population....USA Total Employed
1980..........................167,745...........99,302
1981........................ 170,130 .......100,397
1982..................... 172,271.............99,526
1983........................ 174,215.......100,834
1984........................ 176,383.......105,005
1985........................ 178,206 ......107,150
1986 .................... 180,587..........109,597
1987........................ 182,753........112,440
1988........................ 184,613.......114,968
1989........................ 186,393.......117,342
1990.................... 189,164..........118,793
1991........................ 190,925......117,718
1992........................ 192,805 .....118,492
1993........................ 194,838.....120,259
1994.................... 196,814.........123,060
1995........................ 198,584.....124,900
1996........................ 200,591.....126,708
1997........................ 203,133.....129,558
1998..................... 205,220 ........131,463
1999........................ 207,753.....133,488
2000....................... 212,577.....136,891
2001........................ 215,092....136,933
2002.................... 217,570........136,485
2003........................ 221,168.....137,736
2004....................... 223,357.....139,252
2005....................... 226,082 .....141,730
2006.................... 228,815 ........144,427
2007....................... 231,867......146,047
2008....................... 233,788......145,362

MONTHLY DATA

2008:
October....................... 234,612.....144,657
November................... 234,828.....144,144
December.................... 235,035.....143,338

2009:

January...................... 234,739......142,099
February.................... 234,913.......141,748
March........................ 235,086 ......140,887
April.......................... 235,271 .......141,007
May........................... 235,452.......140,570
June........................... 235,655.......140,196
July........................... 235,870........140,041
August....................... 236,087 .......139,649
September................. 236,322........138,864
October..................... 236,550........138,275