One of the most frequent responses is the claim that President Obama is overseas to attend the G8 economic summit and to attend to other serious foreign policy business.
Well, here is how NBC's Today Show (not exactly known to be a bastion of conservative talk) has summarized the President's trip so far. You be the judge.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
This was supposed to be your big find? This piece was neither a hit job on Obama or a summary of his trip, just typical Main Stream Media reporting on ridiculous things like how much Kate Middleton's dress cost.
ReplyDeleteI truly do believe you either have zero work to do, or like FOX NEWS are doing your best to pander to your conservative audience.
Shame on you Meredith and Fred. You act like you care about the issues yet you make up blog posts regurgitating MSM fluff like the Today Show.
It's a beautiful day in Boston why don't you go outside and get some some, I'm afraid you've been spending the winter inside googling OBAMA SUX too much.
To Anonymous - Thanks for your comment. Here's some substance to consider (data taken from official US gov't Web sites):
ReplyDeleteThe unemployment rate when President Obama took office: 7.70%. The unemployment rate today: 9.0%. That's about 13.7 million Americans currently out of work, or roughly twice the population of Massachusetts.
The average price of gas when President Obama took office: $1.849. The average price this week: $3.849. For someone who fills up with 20 gallons a week, that's an increase of $2,080 a year in gas prices.
Armed conflicts the United States was involved in when President Obama was elected: two (Iraq and Afghanistan). Armed conflicts the United States is involved in today: three (add Libya).
The US national debt when President Obama took office: $10.626 trillion. The national debt today: $14.345 trillion.
For some perspective, we posted a 2:18 minute Reuters video the other day of the President at a pub in Ireland. During just that 2 minute and 18 second time span, the US national debt increased by about $6.44 million, or roughly one dollar for every Massachusetts resident. That's enough to make you choke on your Guinness. Each day of the President's trip, the national debt is increasing by $4 billion; if the President had that much money in $100 bills and he placed them end-to-end, he would have a trail long enough to walk from Washington, D.C. to London.
While the President was playing ping pong in Britain yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was addressing a joint session of Congress and laying out, in fine and eloquent detail, a litany of reasons why Obama's recent plan for Middle East peace is against Israel's best interests – and therefore contrary to America's best interests.
While the President was toasting the Queen at a state dinner last night, residents across the mid-section of the United States were dealing with devastating tornadoes that have killed several hundred Americans. The President might have time to address this issue sometime later this week.
We can point to only two accomplishments in the first three years of the Obama administration: killing Usama bin Laden (for which credit also should go to past administrations) and passing a national health care mandate (which we don't endorse).
On open invitation to our left-leaning friends – what specific accomplishments do you point to for the Obama administration? How have things improved since he was first elected?
so, credit for killing bin laden should go to past administrations, but unemployment, higher gas prices, armed conflicts (started by the previous administration) and national debt (caused mostly by the bloated military, to pay for said armed conflicts) have nothing to do with the previous admin.? what exactly should the president be doing? sitting in his office coming up with more for congress and the senate to disagree over? should be be searching for tornado survivors? at least he doesn't have a ranch in texas or family in kennebunkport, he'd probably be spending, oh maybe somewhere in the neighborhood of 69 days or so on vacation there. I'm not saying he's been the greatest president ever, but it seems like you guys are just trying to find stuff to whine about. how about some constructive criticism?
ReplyDeleteThe last comment shows the fallacy of the liberal side. According to the left, it's uncool to criticize the president or cite problems. And, to the extent there are problems, they're all the fault of previous administrations. Yet, when pressed to point to specific accomplishments, there is absolutely no comment. We cited numbers. Who's whining now? Thanks for proving our point. Back to work...
ReplyDeleteHere are two stats with links. Forget the unemployment rate. The point of your posts is that Obama is goofing off. I think it's fair to judge Obama in context. The Bush administration had the worst job growth of any post-War presidency. He accomplished that without the worst downturn since the Great Depression. http://bit.ly/jKFYTG
ReplyDeleteObama took office as the worst downturn since the Great Depression was underway, but unlike Roosevelt couldn't get his economic plan through Congress. He had to compromise. Jon Huntsman, for one, believes the stimulus wasn't large enough. Still, we're adding jobs at a steady pace. Not great but steady.
http://bit.ly/iqLfZm
The stock market was at 7,969 when Obama took office. It is now at 12,356, up 64 percent. Nearly all of the bail out bucks begun with Bush and continued under Obama have been returned. Wall Street seems to like what he's doing (although they don't like his tax policies, admittedly). But that's real money in folks' 401K's and pensions.
The national debt is a function, in part, of spending on previous wars and current stimulus. People voted for a Democrat, and Democrats stimulate a down economy. You get who you vote for.
The presumption with stimulus is people with jobs when the economy recovers pay taxes and the debt is paid down. People without jobs go on welfare and can't pay taxes. As my previous link shows, fewer people are without jobs so presumably they'll be paying taxes.
Finally, the president is traveling straight to Missouri after the G-8, and he made a statement on the tornado from Britain.
So there are a couple of thoughts.
The reason I linked, btw, to Politifact and Bush, is that if you're going to say what Obama is doing isn't working, it's fair to ask: What is the alternative? Republicans say tax cuts. The Bush tax cuts are pointed to as job creators, and their supporters warn that eliminating them would be catastrophic. Yet, under Bush there was anemic job growth.
ReplyDeleteUnder Obama, we have a hybrid. Tax cuts, Bush cuts kept in place, and some stimulus. And we're getting what economists would say is a hybrid result -- mixed.
I don't have time to list them all.
ReplyDeletehttp://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/
The previous poster did not say it isn't ok to criticize the president. All he said was no matter what Obama does you find a way to credit someone else if it is positive yet blame him if it is negative. Regardless of the actual cause. It is akin to a father saying that's your son to his mother when he does something bad yet he's my son when he does something good. You two are so transparently knee jerk I fear for your sanity. Like I said go outside and stop googling Obama sux.