White House Issues Jobs Report, Blames Bush

[red states rule]

The cry baby in chief whines again. The only thing Obama does well is play the blame game. No accomplishments, no good news, and continues to try and pass the buck to Pres Bush





WASHINGTON -- The White House issued a new report Thursday that shows the United States is likely to average 95,000 more jobs each month this year but won't lower the unemployment rate significantly before the end of President Obama's first term.

Christina Romer, head the Council of Economic Advisers, told Fox News that the report is "completely honest."

"I think it just simply tells the facts as they were," she said, blaming the Bush administration for a weak economic recovery.

Romer said the Bush administration's decision to add to the deficit with its tax cuts, the Medicare prescription drug benefit and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan left a deeper economic hole for the country to climb out of when the recession hit.

"To the degree that that's a source of the budget deficit, that's just true," she said. "It's not laying blame."
In a message to Congress, Obama pointed out that the economy he inherited was losing 700,000 jobs each month.

"I can report that over the past year, this work has begun. In the coming year, this work continues," Obama said in a letter he sent to the Capitol attached to his economic update to lawmakers. "But to understand where we must go in the next year and beyond, it is important to remember where we began one year ago."

House Republicans say the president's not only exaggerating the Bush administration's responsibility for the difficulty in getting out of the recession, he's also exaggerating the effectiveness of his own stimulus package.

Republicans dispute the administration's claim of 2 million jobs created or saved, and the administration's actually reduced the claim of how many jobs were created in the last three months of last year.

Republicans also describe the 462-page document as propaganda masquerading as governing.

"The Obama administration's report is full of blame for the policies of years past, praise for its own failed policies of the past year and promises about their ideological agenda to grow government," said Republican House Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.

"Instead of praising themselves and blaming others, a greater focus on small businesses and smart solutions to reduce uncertainty and create jobs would be welcomed and is long overdue," Cantor said.



http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/11/white-house-jobs-come-month/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+foxnews%252Fpolitics+%2528T ext+-+Politics%2529

[cat slave]

And is anyone buying that one....again????

[red states rule]

And is anyone buying that one....again????

I would say at least 1/3 of the people will and are buying it

[sgtdmski]

Hmmm, let's see, here have a President admitting that the previous President is still more powerful than he is to this day and will continue to be until his first term is over.

Reagan inherited a slumping economy from Jimmy Carter, and yet by the end of his first term he had turned it 180 degrees, no longer were people waiting in line for gasoline, nor did they think that the past was better than their future.

However, with all the talk of hope and change, not much of either is showing now is there. But then again, all liberals have to do is show that they care and share our pain, while taking their wives on dates on the taxpayer's dime.

Hey Obama, I am single, and new to an area, can I get some of those funds to take a few dates out to Hawaii, I mean what better way for me to get some than taking a hot looking woman to the beach from the ice cold of Bethel, Alaska.

Hell, I could probably manage about 10 dates for less than yours and Michelle's Broadway night out!!!!! So how about throwing some of that taxpayer money my way!!!!! Quit hoarding it all to yourself!!

dmk

[Kathianne]

Hmmm, let's see, here have a President admitting that the previous President is still more powerful than he is to this day and will continue to be until his first term is over.

Reagan inherited a slumping economy from Jimmy Carter, and yet by the end of his first term he had turned it 180 degrees, no longer were people waiting in line for gasoline, nor did they think that the past was better than their future.

However, with all the talk of hope and change, not much of either is showing now is there. But then again, all liberals have to do is show that they care and share our pain, while taking their wives on dates on the taxpayer's dime.

Hey Obama, I am single, and new to an area, can I get some of those funds to take a few dates out to Hawaii, I mean what better way for me to get some than taking a hot looking woman to the beach from the ice cold of Bethel, Alaska.

Hell, I could probably manage about 10 dates for less than yours and Michelle's Broadway night out!!!!! So how about throwing some of that taxpayer money my way!!!!! Quit hoarding it all to yourself!!

dmk

Sgt. I must agree. Obama's time of blaming Bush closed a couple months ago, I guess he failed to get the memo? He's got big problems looming with voters:

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/02/11/quinnipiac-obama-down-to-45/


Quinnipiac: Obama down to 45%
POSTED AT 5:35 PM ON FEBRUARY 11, 2010 BY ED MORRISSEY
SHARE ON FACEBOOK | PRINTER-FRIENDLY

A pair of polls released today show that the electorate continues to sour on Barack Obama and his agenda after the State of the Union address. Quinnipiac’s survey of over 2600 registered voters produces a 45% approval rating with a 46% disapproval, the highest yet from Quinnipiac. Trust in government has plunged as well:

American voters remain deeply divided about President Barack Obama’s job performance, giving him a 45 – 46 percent job approval, but disapproval of both Democrats and Republicans in Congress tops 2-1. This could explain why only 2 percent trust government to do what is right almost all of the time, and 16 percent trust government to do right most of the time, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

While
President Obama’s ratings on the economy and job creation remain low, voters strongly support the steps he has proposed to put Americans back to work, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey finds.

American voters still disapprove 54 – 35 percent of Obama’s health care reform plan, but they say 52 – 44 percent they want Congress and the President to keep trying on health care reform rather than giving up and moving on to other matters.

But how exactly do people want Obama and the GOP to continue working on health-care reform? Rasmussen’s survey of likely voters says a wide majority wants to shred the current ObamaCare proposals and start from scratch:...

[CSM]

Obama is an empty suit. He reminds of the dog that chases cars and finally catches one. Now that the "dog" has caught the car, he has no clue about what to do with it. Obama's lack of experience, leadership and common sense are becoming so glaringly obvious that no amount of spin is going to cover it up.

[red states rule]

I am sure Obama is wondering why his approval numbers are falling, unemployment is rising, and Democrats are fleeing from him

All the money spent for "shovel ready jobs" has gone for pork, and political payoffs

Here is a recent example of how "stimulus" money has been spent




Your tax dollars at work, according to Bay News 9:

The Polk County school district is giving away iPods to some parents.

The school district is using the device to reward parents of children with disabilities who fill out a 10-minute online survey. The district wants to know how well it's connecting with the parents and how to get parents involved in their children's education.

The district is spending about $350,000 in federal stimulus money for the iPods.

We're wondering how many jobs this is saving and creating...

http://www.fiscalaccountability.org/stimulus-dollars-buying-ipods-parents-florida-a1156#

[CSM]

I am sure Obama is wondering why his approval numbers are falling, unemployment is rising, and Democrats are fleeing from him

All the money spent for "shovel ready jobs" has gone for pork, and political payoffs

Here is a recent example of how "stimulus" money has been spent

Thank heavens! I thought the stimulus money was going to be wasted on frivolous things.

[red states rule]

Thank heavens! I thought the stimulus money was going to be wasted on frivolous things.

Here are more examples, and yet we are to not say a word about the spending or the desire to pay more in taxes




snip

Stimulus money has been, or will be, spent on dinner cruises, golf courses, puppet shows and stimulus road signs. Many Americans will question whether investing $787 billion in these projects are the highest national priorities.

Spending $25,000 for a puppet show may not seem like a big deal in Washington, for most Americans it is a lot of money. Washington, D.C. politicians blithely spend billions of dollars a week, but every dollar wasted is also a dollar borrowed—and a dollar to be paid back with interest in the future.

snip

“Almost Empty” Mall Awarded Energy Grant ($5 million) If you build it, they will come. Or, at least that is what Tom Beehan, mayor of Oak Ridge, Tennessee is hoping. He has supported a local experiment to turn a struggling shopping mall into an economic engine by converting it into one of the ―greenest‖ malls in the area.5 Only, the problem is that the mall has few shoppers and fewer stores.

The Department of Energy has announced an award for up to $5 million6 to install a geothermal energy system capable of heating an ―almost empty‖ mall in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.7 The owners of Oak Ridge City Center are hoping the expected reductions in energy usage, and subsequent heating bills, will lure potential new tenants.8 Just last fall, Oak Ridge city councilwoman Ellen Smith, who despite supporting the project, noted that a new geothermal HVAC system is ―not much use at a shopping center unless the center has some commercial tenants.

Renovations for Federal Building as Expensive as New Building ($133 million)
Taxpayers in Oregon may be surprised to learn that the largest stimulus project in their state is not a new road or bridge, but a $133 million makeover for the federal building in downtown Portland.14 The money will go toward ―greening‖ the Edith Green/Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in the hope of making it a model for energy efficient government offices in the Northwest.15 That said, for $133 million some may wonder why they did not simply tear it down and start over.

It is not yet clear how all of the money will be spent—those decisions will largely be made by a contractor to be hired by the General Services Administration.16 For now, agency officials expect to construct a type of vegetative skin—made of plants—on the exterior of the building, to help with heating and cooling costs.17 Vegetative facades on buildings, however, are a little studied field according to some experts

for the complete report

http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=a28a4590-10ac-4dc1-bd97-df57b39ed872

[Mr. P]

DeKalb Schools Spending $382K On Hollywood Conference


DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- Channel 2 Action News has learned that nearly 200 DeKalb County school employees will be boarding flights to Los Angeles this week to attend an education conference that will cost taxpayers nearly $400,000. The money isn’t coming from local tax dollars but from federal dollars that came to the county as part of the Obama administration’s 2009 stimulus package.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/22420829/detail.html

[red states rule]

Look at the cost per job when jobs are "created" with stimulus money




The federal government doled out big contracts to well-known companies to make food for these pantries...quickly.

DelMonte received nearly nine million dollars to make canned peaches.

Jennie-O Turkey received seven million dollars to process turkey.

Wisconsin-based Lakeside Foods got the largest share of stimulus money, more than 21 million dollars. Most of it went to make nearly ten million pounds of canned pork. A smaller amount of the money was used to make canned beef.

In all, the 100 million dollars given to these food companies created 195 new jobs.

When asked why some stimulus money didn't go to struggling food companies, a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture told CNN that vendors must meet certain requirements to do business with the USDA.

"Contracts were generally awarded to the firm that met all of the requirements and provided the least cost to the taxpayer," a spokesman wrote to us in an e-mail.

Kitty Schaller, the executive director of MANNA FoodBank in Asheville, North Carolina, says the stimulus dollars were well spent, saying, "It is not a waste of taxpayer money. The economic stimulus package has helped us to provide for the most basic needs for people who are truly in need."

That may be true, says Robert Rector, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, but he has a different take on the money.

"This is clearly a type of welfare. It's a welfare expansion."

Rector is not opposed to using some stimulus money for emergency use such a helping food banks, but he says the entire $787 billion package is a foot in the door for Democrats to expand welfare.

"It does help support people who've lost their jobs. But it's not going to put more jobs back into the economy."

Not so, says Cornell University economist Steven Kyle.

"Sure this is stimulating the economy. I mean that food is produced here in the United States. That stimulates the economy." He added, "Those farmers then end up with more money and they turn around and buy more equipment, hire more laborers, buy more imports and maybe buy themselves a new caterpillar tractor. Who knows?"

As for Robert Carlucci, he took that canned pork given to him by his local food pantry, saying, "My kids have to eat. We all have to eat."

http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/26/stimulus-paying-for-pork/