The Obama Administration thread

[pilferk]

Ah, yes, the PUNK stupid tag,  that means I've gotten your attention.

Taxes normally do fund public works projects such as sidewalks, but what does that have to do with a bill to stimulate the economy? I can think of better things to do with all that money, maybe give it to us to spend, the people who paid for it in taxes in the first place.

SLC explained it.  The project likely creates or saves jobs.  Someone has to do the work, right?  That stimulates the economy AND has the added benefit that SLC mentioned, which can FURTHER stimulate the economy if the town then has more revenue (and thus  more means to create more jobs).  I'm not saying this should be anyone's favorite bit of the bill...but you have to actually closely analyze each project and look sorta deep at what it might accomplish.  Again, there are certainly some bad bits to the bill...and I'm not sure the pig research ISN'T one of them....but you CAN argue that is belongs.

Biggest bullshit line form last weeks State of the Union is when Obama said that the stimulus bill was free of earmarks. Is he fucking kidding?

If you HONESTLY expect there will never, ever be any political double talk out of the dems....I certainly expect you to hold BOTH sides accountable (including Rush, Hannity, O'Reilly, any member of the Republican party or leadership).  Part of his job is "marketing" the plan to the American people and...TECHNICALLY...there are no procedural earmarks on the bill.  That's a matter of record.  But "earmarks" have also inherited the double meaning of "pet projects" (because that's usually what they are)....in this case, he's using the more procedural definition.

[pilferk]

Im not denying the need for a stimulus in these economic times, but the last one failed miserably and this latest one has so much shit stacked in it calling it a true stimulus package is laughable.

It's 1% of the total bill.

1%.

That's what's being poo poo'd by the Repubs.  And, as I said, it smacks of political sour grapes, rather than any serious ideological difference.

You give me 99% gold and 1% shit and I'll happily dig through whatever shit is there to get to the gold. 

[pilferk]

No conditions is is one of the main reasons why it failed. But not the only reason.

On the latest one, only 1/3rd could be categorized as stimulus. The bill was over 1000 pages and senators only had a few hours to read it. I don't call that transparency.

According to who?

The Repubs?

Certainly not according to any independant economists who's analysis I'VE seen.

Maybe I'm missing something...do you have a link or two?

[Dr. Blutarsky]

Obama will sign spending bill despite earmarks




By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer ? Mon Mar 2, 4:20 am ET
Featured Topics:


WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama will break a campaign pledge against congressional earmarks and sign a budget bill laden with millions in lawmakers' pet projects, administration officials said.

Administration budget chief Peter Orszag and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel both downplayed the $410 billion spending bill and signaled Obama would hold his nose and sign it.

Orszag said: "We want to just move on. Let's get this bill done, get it into law and move forward."

Said Emanuel: "That's last year's business."

The House last week passed the measure that would keep the government running through Sept. 30, when the federal budget year ends. Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group, identified almost 8,600 earmarks totaling $7.7 billion; Democrats say the number is $3.8 billion. ( more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090302/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_spending

[freedom78]

Obama will sign spending bill despite earmarks




By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer ? Mon Mar 2, 4:20 am ET
Featured Topics:


WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama will break a campaign pledge against congressional earmarks and sign a budget bill laden with millions in lawmakers' pet projects, administration officials said.

Administration budget chief Peter Orszag and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel both downplayed the $410 billion spending bill and signaled Obama would hold his nose and sign it.

Orszag said: "We want to just move on. Let's get this bill done, get it into law and move forward."

Said Emanuel: "That's last year's business."

The House last week passed the measure that would keep the government running through Sept. 30, when the federal budget year ends. Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group, identified almost 8,600 earmarks totaling $7.7 billion; Democrats say the number is $3.8 billion. ( more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090302/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_spending

Gotta pick your battles, and he's clearly chosen healthcare over earmarks.  Can't say I blame him, really.  Earmarks/pork has an awful name, but it's really tiny in comparison to other problems and battling this (especially if it embarrasses individual politicians) could create the kind of atmosphere that kills Obama's agenda, big picture.

[Smoking Guns]

Obama will sign spending bill despite earmarks




By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer ? Mon Mar 2, 4:20 am ET
Featured Topics:


WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama will break a campaign pledge against congressional earmarks and sign a budget bill laden with millions in lawmakers' pet projects, administration officials said.

Administration budget chief Peter Orszag and White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel both downplayed the $410 billion spending bill and signaled Obama would hold his nose and sign it.

Orszag said: "We want to just move on. Let's get this bill done, get it into law and move forward."

Said Emanuel: "That's last year's business."

The House last week passed the measure that would keep the government running through Sept. 30, when the federal budget year ends. Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group, identified almost 8,600 earmarks totaling $7.7 billion; Democrats say the number is $3.8 billion. ( more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090302/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_spending

Gotta pick your battles, and he's clearly chosen healthcare over earmarks.  Can't say I blame him, really.  Earmarks/pork has an awful name, but it's really tiny in comparison to other problems and battling this (especially if it embarrasses individual politicians) could create the kind of atmosphere that kills Obama's agenda, big picture.

I want a ball buster in the White House now.  The type of ball buster that puts the fear of God in some of these piece of this Congressmen and Women.  That attitude would get Obama dead, but its the attitude we need.  The "fuck you" attitude, Obama doesn't have the balls for that.  He has too many special favors to hand out from the election.  You are right Freedom, you must pick your battles, I wish it didn't come to this.  I know the "earmarks" are a small percentage, but Billions of dollars period is a huge amount.  Just thing, the Venitian and Belagio both cost around $2 billion each to build.  I think the Venetian was closer to 1.5 billion.  I don't think people get how much money a "Billion Dollars" is.  Its an insane amount of money.  So small or not, it doesn't matter.  A billion dollars is more than most state's budgets.

[The Dog]

I seriously think we are FUCKED as a country.  we might not get to a DEPRESSION!!!! - but we are going to hit a depression.  Fuck, we might be in one right now.  it's UGLY right now and only getting worse.  My guess is we see 6400 tomorrow and its just going to slide all week.

i wouldn't be surprised if the bottom just drops out and 30 years from now we're telling our grand kids about march 8th 2009 - the day the earth almost ended or something.

start building your bunkers.

[SLCPUNK]

I seriously think we are FUCKED as a country.  we might not get to a DEPRESSION!!!!

We won't get that bad, Senator already said that wouldn't happen remember?

This next few weeks I'm buying Citi, AIG, BOA, fuck it...If they all fail we're all fucked anyway, might as well up the ante.

[pilferk]

I seriously think we are FUCKED as a country.  we might not get to a DEPRESSION!!!! - but we are going to hit a depression.  Fuck, we might be in one right now.  it's UGLY right now and only getting worse.  My guess is we see 6400 tomorrow and its just going to slide all week.

i wouldn't be surprised if the bottom just drops out and 30 years from now we're telling our grand kids about march 8th 2009 - the day the earth almost ended or something.

start building your bunkers.

We'll see.

The "experts" I've heard are saying that today will stop the bleeding, and we'll likely see a modest uptick.

Of course, so far the "experts" have been about as reliable as the weatherman....especially in light of what's happened in the Asian markets.

[Dr. Blutarsky]

All you can do is work hard and try to get thru this. Live your life and we'll all see the other side when we come out of it. Things will get better, we just don't know when.

And yes, Punk, there are good deals to be had right now, investors who have made lots of money buy at bargain basement prices , we may be there right now. You never see the bottom unless you're looking back at it when things start going back up....as far as saying "We won't get that bad" it is not going to get like the 1930's. I'm not convinced what Obama is doing is actually going to help bring on an economic recovery though. 

[Dr. Blutarsky]

Is not paying your taxes a prerequisite for a cabinet position in the Obama administration? 

Trade Nominee Ron Kirk to Pay $10,000 in Back Taxes
Ron Kirk, nominated as U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama administration, owes an estimated $10,000 in back taxes from earlier in the decade.

WASHINGTON  -- Ron Kirk, nominated as U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama administration, owes an estimated $10,000 in back taxes from earlier in the decade and has agreed to make his payments, the Senate Finance Committee said Monday.

The committee said the taxes arise from Kirk's handling of speaking fees that he donated to his alma mater, and for his deduction of the full cost of season tickets to the Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team.

The disclosure made the former Dallas mayor the latest in a string of top-level Obama administration appointees found to have underpaid their taxes, following Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Tom Daschle, who withdrew as candidate for Health and Human Services secretary. Nancy Killefer, Obama's pick for chief performance officer, also bowed out amid tax problems.

There was no immediate reaction from the White House to the underpayments, which were uncovered by the committee's staff in a review of Kirk's nomination papers.

Despite the error, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued a statement calling Kirk "the right person for this job," and said he would attempt to have the nomination moved through the panel quickly.

Kirk routinely gave any speaking fees he earned to Austin College, the committee said, and did not list them on his tax returns.

Instead, the committee said he should have listed the fees as income, then claimed them as charitable donations. The estimated effect was to reduce Kirk's tax bill by an estimated $5,800, according to the report.

Kirk also deducted more than $17,000 as entertainment expenses for the cost of Mavericks' tickets. The committee said he substantiated about $9,900 of that amount, and will owe about $2,600 in taxes on the balance.

The committee said that last fall, Kirk amended his income tax return for 2006, paying an additional $2,188 in tax and $139 in interest after a notification from the Internal Revenue Service. The return was filed by a paid tax preparer, the panel added.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/02/trade-nominee-ron-kirk-pay-taxes/

[Smoking Guns]

Countdown won't even talk about Obama and his plans or policies anymore.  Tonight was an hour full of Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, McDonald's 911 Call, Sean Hannity, and Karl Rove again.  No comments on the Omnibus Bill.  Nothing.

Anderson 360 was objective and had a voice from each party on.  Anderson thought the Rush thing was a side show and the dems need to move on.  He also questioned pork/earmarks.

Greta had Rick Santorum  (sp) on, he said he likes ear marks, but the pres campaigned against them.  They noted the GOP has 40% of the earmarks in this bill.  They also noted the 2 Dem Congressman voting against the bill. 

Greta and Anderson were both Objective and looked at both sides.  All Keith wants to do is talk about Bush.

[freedom78]

^ Santorum is a nut.  100%.

[Bodhi]

Countdown won't even talk about Obama and his plans or policies anymore.  Tonight was an hour full of Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, McDonald's 911 Call, Sean Hannity, and Karl Rove again.  No comments on the Omnibus Bill.  Nothing.

and this surpises you how?

[Smoking Guns]

Countdown won't even talk about Obama and his plans or policies anymore.  Tonight was an hour full of Karl Rove, Rush Limbaugh, McDonald's 911 Call, Sean Hannity, and Karl Rove again.  No comments on the Omnibus Bill.  Nothing.

and this surpises you how?

It doesn't.  It just pathetic and I think Obama is finally realizing what its like to be president even if you have the full backing of your party.  I think our congress is the problem.  We need more representatives, we are under prepresented.  If we get more in there, it would be harder to pass a bill, which means if we did pass one, its probably one that represents america the most.  We actually need a few thousand because as a nation we are at 300 million people, but our number of congress persons would probably say we have about 100 million less people living in this country.  Maybe even more.  The Ratio is out of whack.

[JMack]

Greta had Rick Santorum  (sp) on, he said he likes ear marks, but the pres campaigned against them.

He actually said he likes ear marks?

[Smoking Guns]

Greta had Rick Santorum  (sp) on, he said he likes ear marks, but the pres campaigned against them.

He actually said he likes ear marks?

Yes, he said he has used them before and there are situations where they are good.

[SLCPUNK]

Greta had Rick Santorum  (sp) on, he said he likes ear marks, but the pres campaigned against them.

He actually said he likes ear marks?

Yes, he said he has used them before and there are situations where they are good.

I'd just like to add an improper quote to this thread as well.

[JMack]

Yes, I don't know how I did that.  Thanks for noticing SLCPIG.....

Anyway I guess earmarks work in moderation just like they were intended to?  I didn't think he loved all of them and thought all bills should be chock full of bullshit and spending, and education.   

[Smoking Guns]

Greta had Rick Santorum  (sp) on, he said he likes ear marks, but the pres campaigned against them.

He actually said he likes ear marks?

Yes, he said he has used them before and there are situations where they are good.

I'd just like to add an improper quote to this thread as well.
SLC, I like this way of posting much better too.  Its "earmark" free if you will....