Positive Obama supporter thread take 4

NoH8

When the moderators made the political corner, they called for respecting different opinions and civility between people who disagreed with each others' opinions. Although I have a lot of people on ignore, it was easy for me to see the spirit of this section and that thread had been violated, so I figured why not start another thread.

I hope the stimulus package gets passed today, even though it's not perfect, we need to move on to solving other problems in the country.

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. I think he'd be thrilled that Obama is president, but also wonder why we didn't have a black president sooner.

Today is  alos the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. We are so fortunate to have a president who believes in science and bringing that back into governmental decision making. http://www.gallup.com/poll/114544/Darwin-Birthday-Believe-Evolution.aspx this poll is frightening to me. How can we expect to continue to be prosperous and inventive as a nation if we deny basic science? On a completely unrelated note, are you guys familiar with the Darwin awards http://www.darwinawards.com/ or as my friend calls them, people too stupid to live.

Anonymous

_

AnnaM

"Not wanting to stir up trouble?"

NoH8

Here's one of my favorite Darwin, too stupid to live stories:

A One Track Mind
2008 Darwin Award Nominee
Confirmed True by Darwin

2008, Italy) Gerhard, 68, was queued at a traffic light in his Porsche Cayenne sportscar. Before one reaches the light, there is a railroad crossing, and Gerhard had not let the queue progress forward far enough before he drove onto the tracks. As you might imagine, given Murphy's Law, a train was coming.

The safety bars came down, leaving the Porsche trapped on the rails. According to witnesses, it took the driver awhile to realize he was stuck. Finally he jumped from the car and started to run--straight toward the oncoming train, waving his arms in an attempt to save his sportscar!

The attempt was partly successful. The car received less damage than its owner, who landed 30 meters away. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

The moral of the story? Momentum always wins

Anonymous

_ 

Anonymous

_

Anonymous

aloha obama ladies-

just bringing a little

woooooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

to the house!

LAphoenix

Since there seems to be a lot of misinformation on this board about what the newly passed stimulus bill does and doesn't do, I thought I would post a few nonpartisan summaries as I come across them.  I'll be happy to post actual text from the bill as well, or provide links so that people who are interested in getting accurate information can find it. 

The article below appeared in today's Los Angeles Times and is a simple summary of the overall package:

February 12, 2009

Reporting from Washington - First-time home-buyers would get a larger tax break. Laid-off workers would receive higher unemployment benefits and new subsidies for heath insurance.

And all but the wealthiest workers would soon get a tax credit worth as much as $800 per couple.

Bigger government checks -- long favored by lawmakers in an ailing economy -- could soon begin landing in mailboxes across the country, and new tax breaks would be available to many families, if the economic stimulus package clears Congress this week.

The $789-billion compromise worked out by House and Senate negotiators Wednesday contains a long list of new ways that Americans can get money from Washington as they struggle through the worsening recession.

Below are some provisions of the bill, which must still be approved by the House and Senate before being sent to President Obama for his signature.

Taxpayers

For most Americans, aid would show up most directly in a simple tax credit.

Workers making less than $75,000 a year would get a $400 credit for 2009 and 2010. Couples making up to $150,000 would get $800.

Higher-income taxpayers would see smaller credits. Individuals making more than $100,000 a year and couples making more than $200,000 would not get the credit.

In addition, 24 million middle-income Americans would be spared from paying higher income taxes under the alternative minimum tax.

The tax was originally designed to apply only to the wealthiest Americans, but it was never indexed for inflation, so larger numbers of taxpayers have been required to pay it.

Home-buyers and homeowners

First-time home-buyers could qualify for an $8,000 tax credit.

The credit is slightly larger than the $7,500 credit in existing law, but it is substantially less than a proposal in the Senate bill that would have boosted the credit to $15,000 and broadened the eligibility.

In addition, the compromise bill waives a requirement that the tax credit be repaid. The credit applies only to homes bought between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 of this year.

Homeowners who install new doors, windows or furnaces to make their home more energy efficient would be able to get as much as $1,500 back through new tax breaks.

College students

Many people paying for college would get a $2,500 tax credit for tuition and other education-related expenses, such as books and computers.

Eligible college students would also receive higher Pell Grants, thanks to a $400 boost in the maximum grant, to $5,250.

People affected by the downturn

Reflecting the priorities of the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress, the most direct aid in the package would go to low-income people and others struggling in the economic downturn.

Millions of Americans receiving unemployment benefits would see a $25 increase in their weekly checks, up from the average benefit of $200.

Unemployment benefits would last 46 weeks under the deal, up from 26 weeks. Some people in high-unemployment states, including California, could receive benefits for 59 weeks.

People who lose a job would receive help in retaining their employer-sponsored health insurance.

Under current COBRA law, jobless workers can keep their insurance if they pay the full cost of the premium, which can exceed $1,000 a month for a family.

Under the stimulus bill, the federal government would pay 60% of that premium for nine months. Individuals who earned more than $125,000 a year and couples with incomes greater than $250,000 would not be eligible.

Those eligible for food stamps would see a 13.6% boost in what they receive.

The compromise has benefits for other people who receive government income: Disabled veterans and millions of other low-income and elderly people who rely on Supplemental Security Income would get one extra check for $250.

Other programs

More indirectly, millions of the nation's poorest residents would get help as states use billions of dollars in new federal aid to maintain Medicaid, special education and Head Start programs.

State and local government employees, many of whom are facing layoffs as states slash budgets, may get to keep their jobs.

Doctors, nurses and hospitals that often wait months for the government to pick up the tab for Medicaid patients could see some relief.

LAphoenix

Here's another summary of the stimulus bill, published by AARP:  

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/politics/articles/the_economic_stimulus_plan_what_it_means_to_you.html

Below is a summary of the health care part: 

HEALTH CARE

The measure provides $19 billion for Health Information Technology investments. It also provides $87 billion to expand the federal share of Medicaid, the federal health care program for the poor, and it expands health care coverage for newly unemployed through the COBRA (Comprehensive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) program.

What it means to you:

The biggest impact may be from the Medicaid adjustments, which will minimize higher state and local tax increases that states would otherwise impose since they must balance their budgets each year. The Health IT program is a long-delayed investment in streamlining and coordinating information sharing among doctors, hospitals and pharmacies.

gpawelski

Conservatives have been misinforming the public about the health IT provisions of the stimulus package by falsely claiming that it would lead to the government telling the doctors what they can and cannot treat, and on whom they can and cannot treat. The Hudson Institute fellow, Betsy McCaughey, claimed that the legislation will have the government monitor treatments in order to guide your doctor's decisions.

The new language in the bill tasks the (already existing) National Coordinator of Health Information Technology (NCHIT) with providing appropriate information so that doctors can make better informed decisions. The NCHIT provides counsel to the Secretary of HHS and Departmental leadership for the development and nationwide implementation of health information technology.

Contrary to Ms. McCaughey's statements, the language in the House bill does not establish authority to monitor treatments or restrict what your doctor is doing with regard to patient care. It addresses establishing an electronic records system so that doctors can have complete, accurate information about their patients.

The funding for health information technology in the recovery package is projected to create over 200,000 jobs and a down-payment on broader health care reform. Converting an antiquated paper system to a computer system by making the health care system more efficient.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that one-third of $2 trillion spent annually on health care in America may be unnecessary due to inefficiencies in the old system such as exessive paperwork. Investing in infrastructure like health IT would help improve the quality of America's health care.

Currently, fewer than 25% of hospitals and fewer than 20% of doctor's offices employ health information technology systems. Researchers have found that implementing health IT would result in a mean annual savings of $40 billion over a 15-year period by improving health outcomes through care management, increasing efficiency and reducing medical errors.

Investing in health would also help primary care physicians who often bear the brunt of tech implementation without seeing immediate benefits, affording the infrastructure for expanison.

Anonymous

it is going to be interesting to see what president obama does with this torture situation, the doj investigation numbers are very interesting, wow!  

interesting new gallup poll out today:

While no more than 41% of Americans favor a criminal investigation into any of the matters, at least 6 in 10 say there should be either a criminal investigation or an independent probe into all three. This includes 62% who favor some type of investigation into the possible use of torture when interrogating terrorism suspects, 63% who do so with respect to the possible use of telephone wiretaps without obtaining a warrant, and 71% who support investigating possible attempts to use the Justice Department for political purposes.

heres the breakdown:

HopingforaCure

Hi Obama Supporters,

Ya'll moved the party location.  Speaking of parties, Happy Birthday, Lincoln!!!!

HopingforaCure

NoH8

Did anyone hear Obama's speech at the Springfield dinner honoring Lincoln. I swear he and I are on the same wave length sometimes. He talked about Darwin and bringing stronger science back to schools. Wooooooooooooohoooooooooooooo. 

One thing we aren't on the same wave length is about prosecuting the torturers from the previous administration. I truly get his point about moving on and I want to move on. The difference between his comparisons to the civil war and reconstruction is that the civil war was between Americans and Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld broke international law.  I guess that means the trials should be in international court, which is fine with me. Doing nothing, to me, is turning our back on the international rule of law and the inherent civil liberties for all human beings.  If some of our citizens were captured and taken to an international prison/hostage camp and denied due process, we would want the torturers to have to answer to that. The people held hostage and tortured at gitmo deserve no less.

Anonymous

I'm sooooooooooooo glad we won't have a Republican for our Commerce Secretary.  Obama's speech was fantastic.  Looking forward to all the positive health care changes too.

Whoooooooooooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooooo  Change is here and it sure feels good.

Achi

Anonymous

wow, love all the artwork around this place...:)

i am really looking forward to seeing the fruit of President Obama's hard labor implemented and start to work for the american people. there is so much sadness and fear out there these days, so many good people are really hurting, good people who have done nothing but work hard for their family trying to make a better life.

i am amazed at all of the mis-information that is being pumped out further exasperating the situation, it seems the republican party leaders have become little more than obstructionists, stone hearted ones at that.

it is sad that some people do not know the difference between; news reports, oped pieces, blog entries and twitter talk.

i do find it unconsionable that false statements of truth find their way to the message boards at bc.org. the posting of falsehoods denigrates what bc.org strives so hard to be, a resource of reliable factual information.

there is a difference between opinion and fact. if something is stated as proven fact, a source should not be hard to come by.

everyone has an opinion, we all get that.  

i sure hope things turn around sooner than later, i think people's opinions would be a lot better off.

these are trying times, for sure, i am so thankful we finally have some leadership in the white house to turn this mess around.

NoH8

Did any of you see Diane Sawyer's  special on Appalacian poverty? It was truly heart breaking.  I wish a chunk of the stimulus package was going  toward bettering that area and those like it. There was one mother who walked 8 miles each way to a welfare GED class in rain and sometimes snow and ice, hoping to get a job in the near future. There were families of  12 crammed into tiny 3 bedroom houses. One boy was the first in his family to graduate from HS and he got a football scholarship to college, where he was grossly underprepared by his school. he ended up being overwhelmed and dropping out after 8 weeks. Once hopeful and enthusiastic, he left depressed and defeated. Most of these people want to work, but either can't find or get to jobs.

I wish rather than giving tax breaks to people who can cope without the extra $13 a week, there was job training with transportation to help the "people in the mountains", better education and tutoring, better health education etc. It's embarassing that our country does so little for these people. We are generous people who can still afford all we do for other countries and still do more for our own. I wouldn't want to see one penny taken away from aid we give to the rest of the world, just more to those in extreme poverty, not necessarily money, but healthy food banks, housing and transportation. We could put money towards building better infrastructure for that area, training the able bodied citizens, educating the young.  When we live in a country, I think we owe our fellow citizens better than what they have now. Maybe we need a little less "my money" and a little more "our country", forget about creating wealth, what about creating opportunity for all that is not interdependent of being born into the right family or the right area of the country.

Anonymous

I'm so glad the stimulus package was passed.  No bill was going to be perfect, but at least we have taken a giant step in getting this country out of the mess it's in.  

Amy I have to agree with you.  I'm not interested in the tax cuts as much as stimulating the economy with more jobs.  What a mess Bush left us.  When I read your post about the Appalacian poverty it made me feel so sad.  This day and age in American and so many living in such poor conditions and somewhat hopeless situations. Makes me thankful for what I have.

Madalyn I enjoyed that article you posted listing the 25 people to blame.  Like I mentioned in a previous post, most people I know are very supportive of Obama.  There is such a positive feeling in the air and in our hearts.  Just like Obama, I was hopeful everyone in this country would come together in a time of need.  

I had to laugh at the way the Repbulican Senate and Congress acted.  They acted like big babies throwing the paperwork on the floor.  Something a 1st grader might do, but not someone who is supposed to be a leader and role model.  McCain had those beady eyes again too.  It's too bad they couldn't put their differences aside to help this country get out of the terrible situation we are in.

Helping people get jobs, learn new skills, being able to afford Cobra, and limiting the salaries of those big banker CEO's is a good start.  I can't wait to see Obama's next move,  I think I will get chills when I want him sign the bill.

I watched AF1 land at Ohare airport on the news yesterday.  It was such a nice feeling to see Obama and his family step off the airplane. 

Whooooooooooooooo Hooooooooooooooo change is here and it sure feels good.

Achi 

NoH8

Maddy, thanks for posting the Maher interview. I'm sorry I missed him, he's one of my favorite entertainers and his humor helped me get through the ;last 8 horrible years. I read the Time article earlier this week. I'm watching SICKO and getting pissed off (again) right now.

achi- the republicans did act immaturely. They don't realize all the giving the dems gave and just wanted the take part of bipartisanship. The histrionics on the senate floor ,made me roll my eyes.  I do believe many hope the stimulus fails so they can hope to get more seats in 2010. Hah. The American people have woken up and smelled the coffee with the last election, they aren't going to be listen to more of the lies from certain republicans. Specter, Snow, and Collins are examples of the spirit of bipartisanship that the country can be proud of. Specter is up for reelection in 2010 and I hope the republicans don't leave him out to dry. He's a republican I've voted for before and I'd probably vote for him again, depending on who else is running etc.

LAphoenix

Happy Valentine's Day to all! 

Amy, I didn't see the Sawyer piece, but it sounds heartbreaking.  How could that area, which was profiled in a TV documentary back in the 60s, still be so poor?  A lot of politicians have let that area down.

Mad, thanks for Time article and the Maher interview.  I'm looking forward to the return of his HBO show next week.  What disturbed me the most about the Time list was how many of the people were unknown to most Americans.  That they had so much power but were not in the public spotlight more.     

This was my favorite quotation from the Maher interview:

"I think they're absolutely following Rush. And that's how clueless that party is. They looked to find the future, and they found radio."  I would extend that to include Hannity and company.  It's like their media machine has become the political equivalent of the National Enquirer.  I'm just waiting to hear that Michelle has given birth to an alien baby.  

I agree about the stimulus package.  I'm not happy with some of the cuts and some of the additions, but I accept that compromise was the best way to get the thing done.  There's a whole psychological aspect to this crisis, and when politicians put on their usual foot-stomping show I don't think it helps anyone.  They should argue their case from the facts, not hysteria and gross distortion.  The GOP seems to have forgotten how they shut out the Dems completely for 6 years and did their nuclear option and up-or-down vote thing.  But I think Obama will continue to try to be bipartisan--he's stubborn that way!

Loved Obama's Lincoln speech, including his joke about Lincoln waiting to hear if he'd been named Treasury Secy. 

NoH8

LAP- part of the show addressed how Bobby Kennedy came and pledged to devote resources to the Appalachian poverty. I keep wondering how this country would have been different had Kennedy lived to become president. I bet we would have won against Nixon hands down.

Here a some link to the story. I think you can watch some of it here.

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6845770&page=1

You made great points about the psychological component to the economy. I am encouraged that 60% of the country supports the stimulus package. The GOP doesn't seem to care about that aspect of the recovery today, it's more important to get their message out for 2010 I guess.

NoH8

Update on Rove testifying before congress: I don't get why everyone is still treating him with kid gloves.

Rove may be forced to testify as Obama's lawyers get involved

John Byrne Published: Saturday February 14, 2009

Bush proxies now negotiating with new administration

White House counsel Gregory Craig issued a statement late Friday encouraging former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove to cut a deal with Congress, an indication the new administration has begun to put pressure on President George W. Bush's former chief adviser.

"The president is very sympathetic to those who want to find out what happened," Obama's White House counsel Gregory Craig said in a statement yesterday to The Washington Post's Carrie Johnson. "But he is also mindful as president of the United States not to do anything that would undermine or weaken the institution of the presidency. So, for that reason, he is urging both sides of this to settle."

Moreover, the Obama White House is now trying to work out an agreement with former Bush administration staff -- seemingly going over the head of the man some once dubbed "Bush's brain."

Craig's statement does, however, seem to suggest that Bush's former adviser will be granted some leeway as to the form of his deposition to Congress in lieu of President George W. Bush's claim that Rove is protected by executive privilege.

President Bush's former White House counsel Fred Fielding told Rove last month not to testify to Congress in a letter issued to Rove's attorney, Robert Luskin.

In the letter, Fielding told Rove that President George W. Bush would not allow Rove to testify about the firing of nine US Attorneys, a matter which has raised the hackles of Democrats, who contend the firings were political.

"Please advise Mr. Rove (i) that the President continues to direct him not to provide information (whether in the form of testimony or documents) to the Congress in this matter... and not to appear before Congress in this matter," then-White House Counsel Fielding wrote, citing "absolute" presidential immunity.

Rove himself recently told a California crowd that he would not honor a congressional subpoena.

The winds appear to be changing. Obama lawyers and Bush representatives are now "engaged in discussions that could clear a path for congressional testimony by onetime Bush aide Karl Rove, three sources familiar with the talks" told Johnson for Saturday's Post.

The negotiations surfaced on the same day House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) issued his third subpoena compelling to Rove to testify in less than two years. Seeing that Conyers is not backing down, Rove's attorney has hinted at a more conciliatory position, and Bush advisers seem to have all but conceded that they must allow Rove to testify in some form.

"Democrats say President Obama's view of the matter may open the door for Rove's eventual appearance on Capitol Hill," Johnson said.

After Bush blocked Rove and former Bush counsel Harriet Miers from testifying last year, Conyers sued the administration over its executive privilege claim.

Bush's Justice Department played defense, but lost the case in court. They subsequently appealed the decision and kept Rove from testifying during the interim. The case is now in the hands of Obama's Justice Department, which must file a briefing indicating their position by Feb. 18.

Rove's attorney Robert Luskin has offered his client's testimony regarding the alleged political prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman. Siegelman's case is the focus of the second half of Conyers' subpoena.

But Conyers said he would not accept testimony about Siegelman without testimony about the US Attorneys.

"I do not believe it is acceptable for the Committee to allow witnesses to unilaterally determine what they can and cannot testify concerning," he wrote yesterday.

In an email exchange with Raw Story last week, Luskin hinted that Rove's cooperation with Congressional investigators was all but inevitable.

"We're continuing to engage in constructive discussions with the committee to that end, and I'd hesitate to speculate about what form Rove's cooperation might ultimately take," he said.

sccruiser

I agree about putting some resources into Appalachia. The poverty has been going on there for generations. My FIL grew up in that area, and it was only because of a "wealthy" aunt that he was able to go to college, after which he entered the Air Force and from there was able to use his GI Bill to finish Business Masters Degree at Stanford University. Amazing how one person can make a difference in someone's life. It's that opportunity all those in poverty need!

Even though we have no draft in place, I believe that every HS graduate or college graduate should do 2 years of community service work in the US (Vista or others) and abroad (Peace Corp). I think if this were happening now, and particularly from years ago, our country would not be in the position it is today. There would be a lot less greed, and a larger community ideology! You must raise all of those around you for you to raise up also. Cliniton's it takes a Village is the message we (as a country) did not get very well. It doesn't mean a hand OUT, it means a hand UP!!

Bush tried, but his no child left behind, actually left behind the children he was supposedly going to "save." It's that idea that in every classroom children should sit in rows and learn in one way. We are each intrinsically (sp?) different. How long before we finally wake up and fix this educational disaster?

Happy Valentines' Day to all of you, my Obama sisters!

Sending out my Valentine 'Hugs' and hope you all have a wonderful day! 

Anonymous

                              happy valentines day obama sisters!

                   much love sprinkled with a few hugs and kisses

                                       and a big huge

              wooooooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

..................................................................................................................................................

         

       People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.

Anonymous

I have to learn that since I'm new, I am limited to 5 posts.  Guess I should stop posting elsewhere about sweet potato fries.  I wish that this country would stand together so we can get out of the mess we are in.  Last I heard Obama had a 73% approval rating, so it'c certainly not 50% of the country that disagrees with him.  It' a small handful of people who are doing well financially and could care less about the rest of us.

I'm sure there are some who abuse welfare, but not the majority like the Republican seem to be indicating.  The lesson I am learning is that this is all about $$$$$$$.  The rich get rich and the poor get poorer.   I'm thankful that for once there will be a chance to share the wealth.

As I am getting a better understanding of the bill that was passed, I am already seeing it will be helping me.  I'm waiting for my income tax return to use as a down payment for a car and was glad to see we will be able to wave the taxes on the purchase.  For me that's alot of money.

I'm also glad the first time home owners will be getting a break when purchasing a house. 

Many people will be able to get training for new jobs, something which is needed here when some jobs are becoming obsolete.  Just like typewriters and record albums.  Its a new day, a new age.

I wish people would stop all the racial remarks as it is hurtful to the many different cultures who come and reads these boards.  I see there is an attempt to dissect how white or black Obama is.  One ponders on that thought because most African Americans have a mixture from the days of slavery.  Unless someone has walked in the shoes of a black person, they have no idea what it's like.  With that being said, I'm glad I am an American at a time in our country where change is here.  Seems like the downfall of our financial system is directly related to Bush and what he didn't accomplish in the past 8 years. 

He watched his friends in the oil industry fill their pockets with big money, record profits while we were paying $4.00/gallon for gas and he did nothing to try and fix the problem.  When talking about honesty, well we all know how dishonest Bush was with the American people and as a result we have lost many lives in the war that should never have been started. 

So I personally will be blaming Bush for the rest of my life and still believe he will go down as the worst president in history. 

These are just my opinions and I'm glad that I can share them with all of you.  I wish we would unite together as a country .  Obama tried to reach out and he was ignored by the Republicans.  I hope now he see's they don't want change.  They want things just the way they are and keep their pockets filled with money while most of this country is suffering.

To be ignorant to the poor in this country and say it doesn't exist like the Appalacians or the stories of torture to those prisoners is like saying the holocost never happened.

Finally

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Change is here and it sure feels good.   

Achi

unique

Hiya all ~

I just emailed the summary of the Stimulus Package to a buddy who voted for McCain. She was fussing and worrying about it, so I just said I would send her the LA Times summary.

About blaming - I mean having lost half my retirement money, and I *might* have time to make it up as I am only 52 - I have had fond fantasies about the return of guillotine. But I think it is unhelpful to blame just 25 people. I mean, Reagan got in and Bush got in twice, and they opened the door to all this "greed is good" stuff. They got votes. So I think there is enough blame to go around.

Watched a really great interview with Jared Diamond (on Larry King? chemo brain again), the writer of "Guns, Germs and Steel" and "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed."

Diamond said elites make healthier decisions when they share the fate of the masses - but if they don't, and they can make decisions to benefit only themselves, they do, even if it tends to result in their own demise later.

We've been going this way for awhile, allowing an upper class to develop that doesn't share the same fate as the rest of us. You can see it in how the CEOs behave, the rules are just completely different and have been for awhile, since Gordon Gecko at least. I'd say the 80s - 

And again, who elected Reagan? Well, not me, I voted for the other guy.

Chemo brain - did someone on here post the chart of the debt under presidents from Truman on? Should I post the info again?

NoH8

you might as well post it again, unique.

 I agree that blaming just 25 people doesn't take into mind all the other folks who played a part, but I also liked seeing who had large impacts on the situation,.  No way did I vote for Reagan. I sure remember the whole "greed is good" from the 80s. I can still hear Michael Douglas pausing after the word greed.

I think republican on the hill have deluded themselves into believing trickle down economics, like Diamond suggests. I don't think most of them believe, "let's screw the poor and middle classes, as long as we do well". What I do believe is that many have no empathy or understanding for the "masses". They seem to think in an US and THEM when they call parts of the stimulus package welfare spending. I'd love to see some of those in congress/senate should spend a week in the shoes of someone who's unemployed or underemployed to see how "fun" it is.

NoH8

Achi- I bet if we compiled the money that is deemed  by the government to be welfare abuse (not just by people  looking from the outside and making judgments based on appearances) and compared that to the amount of money on wall street and in the banking industry being abused, welfare abuse would be a drop in the bucket. It seems to me that the people who claim there is welfare abuse aren't those working in the trenches, because they hear the stories, and see the faces of the individuals in need. I hate hearing all the scorn for poor people by people who have no idea what it's either like to be poor or to work with poor children and families.

HopingforaCure

Good article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Bitter Republicans Spurn Compromise - 2/14/2009

Before House and Senate negotiators could get to work on the compromise stimulus bill, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., rushed to denounce it as a "disgrace."

Meanwhile, some of his constituents were singing from a different hymn book. In Washington for a meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood last week, Alabama transportation officials were gleeful about federal funds in the package for infrastructure development, according to The Birmingham News.

"We welcome all of it, and we are absolutely giddy with excitement," said Alabama transportation director Joe McInnes.

A similar cognitive dissonance has enveloped the Georgia Capitol, where the Republicans who dominate state goverment have struggled to stay in tune with the party line -- government spending bad; tax cuts good. But Gov. Sonny Perdue and legislative leaders have a problem: Like state officials around the country, they are struggling to plug an ever-deepening multi-billion-dollar hole in the state budget, a shortfall that will require unpopular spending cuts. They badly need the billions in federal aid to states included in the stimulus package.

So while the Georgia Legislature has voted to slow down its session to wait for the money tap to open in Washington, its GOP leaders continue to voice opposition to the stimulus package.

"There are no Santa Clauses for grown folks," declared Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. "The reality is, Georgia does not need to be dependent upon the federal government for filling our budget deficit."

Such is the state of the Grand Old Party these days, trapped in an outmoded ideology, contemptuous of compromise, bitter about its loss of power. Indeed, congressional Republican leaders seem more interested in finding a cudgel to wield against President Obama and other Democrats in 2010 than in rescuing the nation from the worst economic calamity since the 1930s.

When Obama pledged to reach across the aisle to work with the GOP, he must have believed its members had the best interests of the nation at heart, that they would work toward practical solutions, that they would practice intellectual honesty. If the president believed all that, he was wrong. Instead, he found a Republican Party unwilling to take "yes" for an answer.

To lure Republican support, Obama made sure Democrats compromised on several key GOP demands, the most prominent of which was increased tax cuts. It's not even clear that was such a good idea, since most economists don't believe tax cuts will rescue an economy teetering on collapse.

Last month, Mark M. Zandi -- economic adviser to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign and chief economist for Moody's Economy.com, a forecasting firm -- told House Democrats that the greatest stimulus comes from increases in food and unemployment benefits. Each dollar appropriated for food stamps and unemployment benefits yields more than a $1.60 in additional economic activity, Zandi estimated, while tax cuts produce less than a dollar for each dollar of stimulus, according to The New York Times.

Still, the Senate approved tax cuts for middle-class Americans who might otherwise have had to pay the alternative minimum tax. Businesses also got steep tax cuts. In total, some economists say the bill may contain the largest tax cuts in U. S. history, about $282 billion over two years. (President George W. Bush's first two years of tax cuts amounted to $174 billion, while his second series of cuts amounted to $231 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.) Did any of that matter? Absolutely not. The GOP stuck to its old playbook, accusing Democrats of "socialism" and decrying the stimulus plan as wasteful "government spending." Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, went so far as to suggest that Republicans may need to launch a Taliban-like "insurgency" to disrupt Congress if they can't get their way.

These are serious times, and the country would be better off with two major parties seriously engaged in finding solutions to difficult problems. The Republican Party has instead resorted to behaving like bitter exes at a wedding party, trying to ruin things for everybody.

COPYRIGHT 2009 THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

HopingforaCure

President Obama and Michelle share romantic Valentine's Day dinner

The Associated Press

Updated Sunday, February 15th 2009, 10:46 AM

Lamarque/Reuters

Even the First Couple find time for some romance as President Obama escorts First Lady Michelle from Chicago restaurant Table 52 after their Valentine's Day dinner date Saturday night.

CHICAGO - The First Couple celebrated Valentine's Day having a romantic dinner at an upscale restaurant owned by Oprah's former chef.

President Obama and his wife, Michelle, left their Hyde Park home on the South Side to dine at Table 52, which is owned by chef Art Smith.

The menu features traditional Southern fare such as grits and sausage and catfish jambalaya.

The Obamas are spending a long weekend in Chicago for their first real break since he became President Jan. 20. Aides say they have no public events scheduled.

Earlier in the day, Obama began his weekend with a familiar trip to a gym in a friend's apartment building. Between his election and inauguration, Obama hit his friend's gym every day.

Anonymous

Amy, I believe there are some people who just walk around blind and ignorant when it comes to helping those in need. 

Hope what a nice picture of Obama with Michelle.  It's too bad that for once, just once the Republicans didn't do what is best for the country in this time of need.  I think that is what is so disappointing the many people in America right now.  We wanted change. We didn't want the same old, same old.  When all but 3 Republicans voted Nay they were making their point.  They only care about what will be good for the rich, the big corporations instead of the little guy.

I still have hope we they will work together and do what is good for the country instead of their pockets,

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Change is here and it sure feels good.

Achi