Barack Obama!

[Doris]

It's out of his control.

He's a good motivator but that wont fix the problems they will have to take their course.

Did you hear the words of his speech or were you just listening to his music?

Did you read his speech?

Obama has brisk intelligence and his set-up of hand-picked advisors to make his informed decisions.
I suggest you find out what he said and try to decipher his words.

Please don't make empty statements without giving logical, supportive justification for them.

You would let a drowning child drown would you? ... rather than call the lifeguard?

 

[Ageo]

So exactly who would make a better American President right now?

Ron Paul

 

[nunthewiser]

YES WE CAN !

 

[Doris]

So exactly who would make a better American President right now?

Amercia and the world faces an immediate financial crisis with an imminent Peak Oil crisis as well as the real impacts of Global Warming to follow. We can't address these with a spendathon at the MALL.

If Barack Obama can recognise all of these issues and turn America from a consumption economy into a green, sustainable investment economy and somehow keep the population alive and non feral there is a (slim) chance.

I think we should just pray for him because if he goes down we follow.

Basilio you are so right that putting money into issues of future needs is paramount.
What a blow that the CO2 monitoring rocket failed to launch!

These are some of the issues Obama campaigned on for job creation that he set before Congress today:

BIPARTISAN APPLAUSE for the following:

On Economic Recovery:

I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders -- and I know you don't either. It is time for America to lead again.

On Corporate Greed:

I intend to hold these banks fully accountable for the assistance they receive, and this time, they will have to clearly demonstrate how taxpayer dollars result in more lending for the American taxpayer. This time, CEOs won't be able to use taxpayer money to pad their paychecks or buy fancy drapes or disappear on a private jet. Those days are over.

On Health Care:
(I enjoy the 'Lincolnian-trilogy' style that Obama uses...)

So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.

On Education:

And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country -- and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

On Terrorism:

And with our friends and allies, we will forge a new and comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat al Qaeda and combat extremism. Because I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world away.

On Tax Breaks:

But let me be perfectly clear, because I know you'll hear the same old claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people: if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime.

SUSTAINED APPLAUSE: On Supporting The Troops:

As we meet here tonight, our men and women in uniform stand watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To each and every one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet burden of their absence, Americans are united in sending one message: we honor your service, we are inspired by your sacrifice, and you have our unyielding support.

STRICTLY REPUBLICAN APPLAUSE... on The Deficit:

"There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children.
And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay".

FOLLOWED BY STRICTLY DEMOCRATIC APPLAUSE:

"With the deficit we inherited..."

I have asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort
-- because nobody messes with Joe.

 

[rhen]

Do you know whom Obama was addressing?

Did you know that he was interrupted 65 times by applause?

Did you know he had 37 standing ovations?

WHO applauded?
WHO gave standing ovations?

Sorry Doris.
I truly do not wish to be rude, and please don't read this as such, but as you have expressed your opinions, so too must I make some response.
My answers to Questions 1, 4 and 5 are...
Probably a truly representative sample of those who raced lemming-like into the great recession (or worse) of 2009 and failed to listen to the few politicians who understood and warned them (and so rejected those politicians together with their solutions). Ron Paul comes to mind.
I wish Barack good fortune. I believe we depend on his success (whether we like it or not.)

 

[Doris]

Sorry Doris.
I truly do not wish to be rude, and please don't read this as such, but as you have expressed your opinions, so too must I make some response.
My answers to Questions 1, 4 and 5 are...
Probably a truly representative sample of those who raced lemming-like into the great recession (or worse) of 2009 and failed to listen to the few politicians who understood and warned them (and so rejected those politicians together with their solutions). Ron Paul comes to mind.
I wish Barack good fortune. I believe we depend on his success (whether we like it or not.)

rhen, the speech was given 'before the Joint Session of Congress' today. (Thus IMPORTANT!)

- - to both houses of the United States Congress: the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Joint sessions are held on special occasions such as the State of the Union Address and presidential inaugurations.

A joint session of congress requires a concurrent resolution from both House and Senate to meet.

THUS: Both houses had wanted the 'joint session' (NOT a mere 'joint meeting' of Congress).

Ignorance is not an excuse for an empty whine when this speech was waited on by the nation and the world to turn the tide of helplessness and hopelessness people were floundering in. It was not a state of the union address but was essential (as Bill Clinton, had urged) to give all Americans some semblance of hope and how for the future.

It is purported by 'experts' that the rest of the world will begin their economic recovery 6-12 months after the US.

If you click on the arrow beside MrBurns' name you will be taken to the source of his quote, although I put the relevant parts in my post. He was talking as an authoritative critic and yet had no idea of the audience nor of the purpose of the speech which has already gone down, by academics, as one of the best speeches before a Joint Session IN HISTORY.


The TEXT of the speech:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/02/obamas_speech_before_joint_ses.html

- many fine oratory and rhetorically talented excerpts can be found. (the English teacher in me)

 

[MrBurns]

Ignorance is not an excuse for an empty whine when this speech was waited on by the nation and the world to turn the tide of helplessness and hopelessness people were floundering in. It was not a state of the union address but was essential (as Bill Clinton, had urged) to give all Americans some semblance of hope and how for the future.

It is purported by 'experts' that the rest of the world will begin their economic recovery 6-12 months after the US.

If you click on the arrow beside MrBurns' name you will be taken to the source of his quote, although I put the relevant parts in my post. He was talking as an authoritative critic and yet had no idea of the audience nor of the purpose of the speech which has already gone down, by academics, as one of the best speeches before a Joint Session IN HISTORY.
(

Doris don't mistake your own bias for fact, it was a great speech but all his speeches are great, so what ?

has already gone down, by academics, as one of the best speeches before a Joint Session IN HISTORY

Academics are a waste of space and public money, "academic" is a euphemism for "bludger" here Doris. so their opinion is of value only to other academics.

Please don't say i don't understand Doris I think you need to take a closer look and accept that opinions other than those of a teacher are relevant too and you're right

Ignorance is not an excuse for an empty whine

so don't do it.

 

[MrBurns]

Do you know whom Obama was addressing?

Did you know that he was interrupted 65 times by applause?

Did you know he had 37 standing ovations?

WHO applauded?
WHO gave standing ovations?

The guy behind him woke up when he heard his cue and stood to applaud, they all followed as they would.

Very well stage managed, the real experts opinions ?

I dont see US stocks going anywhere on that pep talk.

 

[Aussiejeff]

The guy behind him woke up when he heard his cue and stood to applaud, they all followed as they would.

Very well stage managed, the real experts opinions ?

I dont see US stocks going anywhere on that pep talk.

I do. DOWN.


IMO for BO to make unbelievably optimistic barefaced promises that may in all reality never have a chance to eventuate is a terrible gamble.

His speech PROMISING to end the World Financial Crisis courtesy of a miraculous and imminent US economic recovery within a few months flies totally in the face of what most World economists & analysts are agreed on. That is,

(1) US housing crisis is showing no signs of turning around either now or in the immediate future.

(2) That Japan is heading into (if not already technically in) an economic DEPRESSION.

(3) That many European economies are close to insolvency & also technical DEPRESSION.

(4) That the degree and time scale for China's recovery (IF and WHEN) is UNCERTAIN at best (given they like to fudge the scant gummint figures and economic stats they feel like releasing).

(5) That world trade has fallen off a cliff at the same time.


I would have preferred to see a much more sober, serious assessment of the current and future chances for the US economy rather than the expected pumped up rhetoric. The markets weren't impressed. When 600,000 extra unemployed Americans wake up in a months time and nothing much seems to have changed for the better, they might not be so impressed either.

Thanks to that speech, the rest of the world markets will now be on tenterhooks on a daily basis, terrified of the (in reality) many opportunities for "events" to cause BO to fail to deliver on his raft (more like a Supertanker) of PROMISES.

Good luck, World, is all I can say.....

 

[ZzzzDad]

Doris apparently does not know that this is a yearly event, and the President is ALWAYS interrupted after every paragraph or point with standing ovations, applause etc. Go back and look at GWB's addresses, and Clinton's, and on and on back - just as many standing ovations, applause etc.

He has promised the earth and the moon to everybody, and his only plan to pay for it is to TAX THE RICH. You could confiscate the entire net worth of the top 2 percent in America, and not have enough money to pay for all of these promises - Health care, free college, and on and on.

It is a joke, and everybody except for Obama fanatics know it.

We are witnessing the second term of James Earl Carter. Remember the late '70s?

Obama fanatics are in for a very rude awakening - their emperor has no clothes.

 

[sassa]

Obama Budget Taxes Richest to Help Pay for Health Care

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/us/politics/26budget.html?_r=1&hp

Could be a case of "For whom does the bell toll?"

 

[MrBurns]

He has promised the earth and the moon to everybody, and his only plan to pay for it is to TAX THE RICH.

There's a lot of people very worried about this over there, he wants to "redistribute the wealth" which means take it off those who made it and give it to those that didn't. Scary stuff, have to wait till he shows his hand more clearly.

 

[Calliope]

There's a lot of people very worried about this over there, he wants to "redistribute the wealth" which means take it off those who made it and give it to those that didn't. Scary stuff, have to wait till he shows his hand more clearly.

Karl Marx came up with that idea first. It's not a bad idea if you are running the show.

 

[basilio]

The health care issue is one of key factors that is destroying Americas chances of economic recovery. Why ?

1) The current costs of health insurance are crippling businesses and individuals
2) Because this insurance is so expensive many people can't afford it. When they fall sick in any way the cost bankrupots them. Not a good look for the economy.
3) The private health system is just way too expensive. For whatever reason - greed, over servicing, too expensive drugs America pays far too much money for too little health. The health system is a parasite which is killing its host.

One way or another Obama's administration will have to reform this system. And with the budget deficit so bad now is the time to kill the parasite.

 

[Doris]

Doris apparently does not know that this is a yearly event, and the President is ALWAYS interrupted after every paragraph or point with standing ovations, applause etc. Go back and look at GWB's addresses, and Clinton's, and on and on back - just as many standing ovations, applause etc.

He has promised the earth and the moon to everybody, and his only plan to pay for it is to TAX THE RICH. You could confiscate the entire net worth of the top 2 percent in America, and not have enough money to pay for all of these promises - Health care, free college, and on and on.

It is a joke, and everybody except for Obama fanatics know it.

You are so positively negative!

Sorry, wrong! - the speech was Obama's joint session speech of 2009. It was NOT a State of Union Address.

- as were Bill Clinton's 1993 Economic Address, George W. Bush's Budget Message of 2001.

Tomorrow Obama will present Congress with his budget blueprint - where the money is going.
Details will be in his WH summit next week.

Healthcare will be half funded by income tax increases (including Bush's 2010 lapses) and half from spending cuts in the Health care system.

But he does have a brilliant scheme being developed to abort the use of tax havens... e.g. Cayman Islands!

It's not how much money you have, but how it's spent. Don't you think accountability is overdue:

Biden:
* administration poised to take back unused stimulus money if governors refused to spend it.
* use television, radio and the media to embarrass them for not doing what they're supposed to do.
* the money "cannot be squandered" - - states will be held accountable for what they do with the money.

It also makes sense for job retention and new ones to be developed for more tax income!

Do you not see real efforts being made? Would you really prefer McCain were at the helm? Or Bush?

 

[MrBurns]

Do you not see real efforts being made? Would you really prefer McCain were at the helm? Or Bush?

McCain of course.

 

[Doris]

The health care issue is one of key factors that is destroying Americas chances of economic recovery. Why ?

1) The current costs of health insurance are crippling businesses and individuals
2) Because this insurance is so expensive many people can't afford it. When they fall sick in any way the cost bankrupts them. Not a good look for the economy.
3) The private health system is just way too expensive. For whatever reason - greed, over servicing, too expensive drugs America pays far too much money for too little health. The health system is a parasite which is killing its host.

One way or another Obama's administration will have to reform this system. And with the budget deficit so bad now is the time to kill the parasite.

Yes! The US is like a caste system for education and healthcare, especially compared to Australia.
Our system overworks doctors/nurses but at least they are paid for their overtime. Not so in the US!

A friend of mine's daughter had a sugar binging problem that spotted her face. Her mother took her to a doctor and got her $460 of creams, cleaners, ointments, pills - 100% refunded by her employer's healthcare scheme. All she had to do was stop the coke, ice-cream, cookies and sweets! Abuse? Try getting those items on our scripts!

It's not just increasing taxes to fund Healthcare but slashing spending:

Prescription-drug manufacturers will be 'consulted' on their costs.

Plan costs proposal:

Savings estimated at $177 billion over 10 years, from changing the pay structure for private managed-care plans that participate in Medicare.
Under current law, payments for Medicare Advantage plans are set by a formula, so private companies are paid, on average, 14% more to care for a Medicare patient than the government would normally spend through the traditional Medicare plan.

Private plans would bid to offer coverage in geographic areas; paid based on an average of the bids.

The changes being proposed for hospitals:

Create one bundled Medicare payment to cover both a hospital stay and care for the patient for 30 days after release, a change estimated to save $17 billion over 10 years.

Cut payments for hospitals that routinely readmit patients after they have been discharged, a sign that the original care was substandard. That change would save $8.4 billion over 10 years.

Obama's budget is looking at ten years to implement. This is a far cry from Bush's yearly one that didn't include Iraq!

 

[Doris]

Obama's joint session speech of 2009

To watch 9 minutes of highlights:

http://my.barackobama.com/presidentialaddress

... Yes the call of the wild can be felt by the listener!

To watch the whole address:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/address/

To read the transcript of the speech:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press...k-Obama-Address-to-Joint-Session-of-Congress/

From: President Barack Obama [mailto:info@barackobama.com]
Sent: Thursday, 26 February 2009 7:29 AM
To:
Subject: My address to Congress


Last night, I addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time.

To confront the serious economic challenges our nation faces, I called for a new era of responsibility and cooperation. We need to look beyond short term political calculations and make vital investments in health care, energy, and education that will make America stronger and more prosperous well into the future.

A little more than a month into my administration, we've already taken bold steps to address our urgent economic problems.

Through the Recovery Act, the Stability Plan, and the Housing Plan, we're taking the immediate necessary measures to halt our economic downturn and provide much-needed assistance to working people and their families.

But to set our country on a new course of stability and prosperity, we must reject the old ways of doing business in Washington. We can no longer tolerate fiscal deficits and runaway spending while deferring the consequences to future generations.

That's why I pledged last night to cut our deficit in half by the end of my term. Achieving that goal will require making sacrifices and hard decisions, as well as an honest budgeting process that is straight with taxpayers about where their dollars are going.

Watch some key moments from my address now:

http://my.barackobama.com/presidentialaddress

Central to this plan will be a renewed commitment to honesty and transparency in government. Restoring our country's economic health will only happen when ordinary citizens are given the opportunity to hold their representatives fully accountable for the decisions they make.

I look forward to continuing to work with you as we bring about the change you made possible.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

 

[2BAD4U]

Here's an extract from Obama's speech:

Today, we take a step forward
....all stand up and applaud....

and finally discover
....all stand up and applaud....

that congress is a joke
....all stand up and applaud....

because you all stand up and applaud
....all stand up and applaud....

everytime I say something
....all stand up and applaud....

even if it's crap
....all stand up and applaud....

 

[GumbyLearner]

Here's an extract from Obama's speech:

Today, we take a step forward
....all stand up and applaud....

and finally discover
....all stand up and applaud....

that congress is a joke
....all stand up and applaud....

because you all stand up and applaud
....all stand up and applaud....

everytime I say something
....all stand up and applaud....

even if it's crap
....all stand up and applaud....

LMAO! Funny Post 2Bad