The first Rule of Holes: When you’re in one, STOP digging.

(2PM EST – promoted by Nightprowlkitty)

The first Rule of Holes: When you’re in one, STOP digging.

—  Molly Ivins

Stop Digging?   Check!

Heck, even Erin Burnett (of CNBC) admitted the Stimulus is working, today on MTP … that

“Without the stimulus we would be significantly worse off than we are now.

— any serious economist says so. …  She has the charts.

so do we.

Obama: ‘We Are Climbing Out’ of Economic Hole

FOXNews.com — Associated Press

Published February 05, 2010

WASHINGTON — The day after Congress raised America’s debt ceiling above $14 trillion — potentially adding another $6,000 in debt to every man, woman and child — a surprisingly upbeat January jobs report that showed unemployment dipping below 10 percent prompted President Obama to declare that “we are climbing out of the huge hole that we found ourselves in.”

“We are climbing out of the huge hole that we found ourselves in.” per our current Commander and Chief.   Check!

First Rule of Holes, followed.  Lead on, Sir.

Question: How long will it take to climb all the way out?

Well, exactly HOW DEEP was that “Economic Hole” that the Bush TARP Bail Out program left us in, in the first place?

Well on an Historic scale that Hole, measured in Job Losses, was mighty DEEP, as this chart from a year ago shows:



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G. W. Bush left us One Whopper of a deep hole of debt, to fill back in.

You might say, they left us a “Cratered Economy” of historic proportions.

Good thing we’ve “turned the corner” in recent months, and are finally starting to “see daylight” in that regard:



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and for that updated version of this chart, through May 2010.   (h/t to BobTrips)

Is that Daylight ahead?

The Democrats and the Obama Administration — have been trying to help Small Business to continue to rebound — to help them put the Unemployed back to work —

But the Republicans just continue to Block such effortspurely for political reasons:

Republicans BLOCK Bill that would HELP Small Businesses –by jamess — Sep 03, 2010

Apparently, Republicans would rather keep digging that Crater — that THEY created in the first place!

Vote for the GOP — and get More of the Same!



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Vote for Democrats, and get people back to work, and keep the Economy moving forward.  Check!  

The Dems will get us out of this GOP Hole.  We always do — when given the chance.

We know what the Republican Fiscal Plan leads to.  Don’t we?  

(that’s assuming they even have “a plan” — one that goes beyond their standard rhetoric?)

Now, for some more sage advice from the late Molly Ivins:

from her last column, January 11, 2007:

We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous. […]

Thankfully one of the Off-budget Bush Wars, has finally been wound down, as Obama pledged to do.

Molly Ivins must be pleased about that.

As far as the “Hole of Debt” that War left — well that just another one of “those craters” that the Republicans are quite skilled at digging:

Why is it “Deficits don’t matter” — whenever THEY are in Charge? – by jamess — Sep 01, 2010

What a bunch of fiscally responsible “operators” those Bushies were — HARDLY!

Paragons of Irresponsibility is more like it.

Never again.  Not if recent history, from the last decade, can be brought to bear on upcoming ping-pong debate.  

Backfilling THEIR Holes. Will. Take. Time.

and a willingness to “Stay the Course.”   to borrow a phrase.

Check.  We need to give this time to work.  Patience People.  

These Holes weren’t Dug in a DayNow were they?

5 comments

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    • jamess on September 5, 2010 at 20:37
      Author

    who’s running that Dept, anyways?

    Must be some of those Bush hold-overs, lol.

    We can do better.

    • jamess on September 5, 2010 at 21:18
      Author

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30

    Meet the Press, Sep 05, 2010

    This transcript is very close to the end of the Roundtable discussion, at the end of the linked clip.

    Erin Burnett:

    Well, I think it’s interesting, because by the way, I don’t think the stimulus has been a failure, and I think that you are correct that it is perceived that way.

    But I don’t think it’s actually true. Without the stimulus we would be significantly worse off than we are now. There, there’s really no question about it. You can ask any economist on Wall Street or an CEO. I see you shaking your head [to Rich Lowry], I know you disagree. But, but, but my reporting would show otherwise.

  1. protected the banks at the cost of higher unemployment.

    The “Swedish solution” would have restored confidence more quickly.  Instead, we got “extend and pretend” that will keep us floundering for years.

    On a more specific policy, here’s CR:

    The heavy government support for house prices has kept prices well above the baseline scenario. But is this good news?

    With prices higher than projected, banks have taken fewer write downs than originally expected – and many homeowners have been able to refinance into Fannie and Freddie (or FHA insured) loans putting the future risk on the taxpayer. This is good news for the banks.

    However, since prices are still too high in many areas, the market has not cleared and there is still too much inventory. Until the excess inventory is absorbed, there will be little new construction and few construction related jobs – and the recovery will remain sluggish.

  2. 60 years of technology suppression.

    Richard Hoagland

    Have “we” lost the war on drugs.

    http://www.naturalnews.com/029

    Is Powerpoint deliberately retarded.

    http://www.edwardtufte.com/tuf

    And does Big Bill really advocate eugenics as the ultimate “green” solution.

    http://www.google.com/#hl=en&s

  3. To prevent a bill to help Small Business owners maintain their businesses and to be able to employ more staff is unconscionable.  But that’s the Republicans!  And the goal of the Republicans since day one of the Obama Administration was one of obstruction, interference and killing every conceivable “good” measure that might be taken on behalf of the people, the economy, you name it.  

    Here’s another area, where Obama has appointed Judges and what utter lack of action has caused in those appointments:

    Posted by ianmillhiser at 1:13 pm

    September 6, 20102

    GOP Control Of Federal Trial Courts Has Increased Since Obama Took Office

    This post first appeared on Think Progress.

    The AP’s Mark Sherman reports that GOP obstruction in the Senate has allowed Republicans to further entrench their control over the federal bench, even though a Democratic president is now naming judges:

    A determined Republican stall campaign in the Senate has sidetracked so many of the men and women nominated by President Barack Obama for judgeships that he has put fewer people on the bench than any president since Richard Nixon at a similar point in his first term 40 years ago.

    The delaying tactics have proved so successful, despite the Democrats’ substantial Senate majority, that fewer than half of Obama’s nominees have been confirmed and 102 out of 854 judgeships are vacant. […]

    When Bush left office, Republicans had appointed just under 60 percent of all federal judges. Twenty months later, the number has dipped only slightly to a shade under 59 percent, according to statistics compiled by the liberal Alliance for Justice. Because of retirements, the percentage of Republican-nominated district judges actually has gone up.

    The data comparing Obama’s confirmation rates to those of recent past presidents is truly grim. In late July, a Center for American Progress issue brief analyzed the percent of each president’s nominees confirmed since Carter. For Obama to see the same percentage of his nominees confirmed as past presidents have seen, the Senate would need to more or less double its pace of confirmations:

    . . . .

    Yes, I have my issues with Obama, but much greater issues with Republicans (putting it mildly).  No honor, no rules, no laws, just whatever.  Two stolen elections, and since Obama, they have used every devious (unconstitutional) means possible to block any “progressive” measures, and most certainly, in terms of the good of the American people and their plight.

    What does it take to get people to understand that the Republicans don’t care that more than a trillion dollar debt was caused by them?  Involving us in wars that were uncalled for, had no bases, and are wars of aggressions, along with an attempt to establish “torture” as an O.K. thing — war crimes?  That our economy “tanked” because of their illegitimate Wall Street unharnessed business tactics?  That OUR jobs were lost because all the big corporations took their business elsewhere and we were cheated out of jobs and their taxes?  That homes were lost because Bush enacted an 1863 Banking law, which enabled the Feds to take banking control away from the States, and made sure there was no bargaining left to be had for homeowners?  That our environment has suffered devastating blows because of the Bush Adm. allowing a laxness of EPA standards, oil standards, all for the benefit of the wealthy?  That the Bush Adm. defunded each and every social funding, including that of veterans, education, health, infrastructure, etc. — you name it and they defunded it.  The list of detriment caused this nation, its people and our innocent soldiers is endless.

    While I have my own issues with Obama and his attempt to appease the Republicans, left and right, over time, I also appreciate the viciousness he’s been up against.  

    Oh, and it looks like the Repugs are trying to defeat the stem-cell bill, as well.

    Here’s where we are at:

    The Republicans lost bad and lost to a black man, by a majority.  They have never gotten over it.  

    From day one, they have fought Obama on every single “good” issue he has come forth with to a final “death.” They fought the healthcare plan from day one, until it became so “watered” down as to be basically nothing and the thinking is that the bill will be improved upon.  We can only hope and pray.

    Now, the latest, again with the nastiest of Repugs, leading the way, the planned attack on OUR FICA monies, Social Security and Medicare.  What?  To continue to the Bush tax cuts?  The wars?  Yeh, $3 trillion is REAL attractive to the immoral, greedy, and unconscionable bastards that they are!!!!

    Anyone who feels that the Republicans will be better:

    1) Just think about all they’ve done to tear down the structure of our so-called democracy!

    2) Think about the absolute assault to our Constitution!  

    3) Think about the plight we find ourselves in after the Bush Adm., when they started off with a surplus budget.

    4) Think about your losses, 401-k’s, IRA’s, etc., while tax benefits were afforded the wealthy!

    5) Think about loss of jobs, income, savings, homes, everything, for so many Americans.  There are over 4,000,000 million unemployed Americans and not short-term unemployment either.

    This is just a “short” list of the circumstances we find ourselves in because of the Bush Administration’s rule!  

    When you think about all of this, there is a huge message here.  Are people so mind-numb that they don’t care that these Republicans are the most corrupt, illegal, deficit spending “marketers, liars, thieves that we’ve ever encountered and that we find this country in the most indebted, citizen-impoverished citizen ever in our history?  

    And, dare anyone say, they want more?  

    Are people’s memories that GD short?

    Please forgive the length of this — never meant it to be!

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