Some Guy wrote on Apr 16^th, 2009 at 7:23am:


I dunno.

Some Guy wrote on Apr 16^th, 2009 at 8:24am:


There would have been a terror alert issued for "known al-qaeda sympathizers believed to be planning to hurl projectiles at the White House" and DC would have been put into lockdown.

fuman wrote on Apr 16^th, 2009 at 4:20pm:

It was brought to you by FOX News.

It'd be nice if the lower paid contributed something to the running of this country. Why is it always up to the successful among us? Ironically, I'm paying less this year than normally because the stock market tanked. I'm profiting from my losses. Even I've entered the Obalama Era!

Riffhard wrote on Apr 17^th, 2009 at 11:35am:



Ah come on, it ain't so bad.
Pelosi is safe in her district. She is not going away. Don't know about Reid or Schumer. I don't care for Reid either.
The tide is not turning, regardless of your wishes. It would be better for your party to make new intelligent policy arguments and hope some Dems pick up the ball and carry it forward.

Politics is like driving. Put it in D to move forward, R to go backwards (read that somewhere).

Funman, Pelosi is gone as Speaker in two years. Deal with that. And if politics is all about "moving forward" as you say, then perhaps you can tell me why the idiotic fuck that currently resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is constantly throwing the Bush Admin under the bus? Why is he constantly blaming the USA for the world's ills? Why is he doing it? Because he believes it! That's why! He was told repeatedly by his mother, his father, his pastor, his Marxist hero Saul Alinsky, his friends like William Ayers, and other Marxist/Communist friends that the USA sucks. Barry believes it too!


Can you explain why he feels it's a good idea to release our interrogation techniques to the world? Why? Because he wants to shine a light on what he perceives as the evilness of the USA. He's a goddamned ideologue! Have you not figured that out yet? He wants to make the Bush Administration the poster children of America's wicked ways! I mean how dare we put Abu Zubida in a box with an insect! How dreadful of us! Never mind that Zubida personally sawed the head off of Daniel Pearl! That means nothing to this fucking hack Barry! He wants us to look bad so he can fix us! Well fuck him!


And yes funman, the tide is turning big time! You'd better start to look around yourself. Many liberals that I personally know are starting to have a very real dislike towards this Marxist fuckhead. Some other people are driven purely by partisan reasoning, you among them I'd wager. Some just hate Republicans because they are too goddamn stupid to see Democrat idiocy when it is staring them in the face! Some idiots actually believe that Barry Co. just gave everyone a tax break! ROTFLMMFAO!!!

This "wealth redistributer" just offered up a budget that is going to paid off by somebody! Who do you think that that will be funman? You think that the evil "rich people" are going to pay for this insane budget! No fucking way! My kids, your kids, their kids, and the next three to four generations of Americans are going to be paying this shit back! Yee haw! Barry just gave me a whole $13.00 back a month!! Yipdeefuckingdoo! Forget the fact that he is also going to impose "cap and trade" on the oil companies thus making all products made with any petroleum products go up in cost! It's a stupid fucking shell game, and only the Obamadrones haven't figured it out yet!


Mark my words. Barack Obama is going to go down as the worst president to ever occupy the White House. And it won't even be close! He has absolutely no idea of what he's doing! Because he's not doing anything out of any particular knowledge gained. He's doing it all out of his ideological mindset that he has been germinating his entire adult life. He has zero executive experience! None! Nada! Zip! So what does he do? He falls back on his Marxist upbringing. The damage that he is causing is of no consequence to him because he's a goddamned ideologue.


Quit being such a drone! Read the US Constitution, and understand that Barry is actively either blatantly ignoring it or flat out destroying it! You though won't acknowledge that fact because it doesn't jibe with your hero cult like worship of the Marxist fuck Barry.



Riffy

Riffhard wrote on Apr 17^th, 2009 at 12:38pm:



We'll see about Pelosi, I believe she's safe. What have you heard? San Francisco wants Pelosi to lean more left, that's their complaint. And I didn't hear his remarks as "blaming the USA". I heard him say we are complicit. I agree with that.
What information do you have that disputes the Obama tax cuts? And why does it bother you so much that the top earner rate will go up to 39%? Seems to me you just don't like Obama, so you're gonna hate everything he says.
In regards to wealth redistribution (even I don't like that term), what would you have preferred? Cut taxes? Eliminate taxes? Really? Wasn't that McCain's platform, to further reduce taxes? That was rejected by the citizens. It's over. Let's see how voters feel about it in the next cycle.

You don't care that the US tortured, I do. I hope you will evolve one day.

"Cult like worship" is as weak as your tea.

PS You wanna know who's a goner, Rick Perry.

Oh for god's sake! Now that fucking asshat has just had his EPA release a study that Carbon Dioxide is a "dangerous" greenhouse gas! Are you Obamadrones starting to figure it out yet?!?!?!?!


He wants to have government control on any and all US businesses that emit CO2!! As well as all of our cars and trucks! Holy fuck! This guy is a god damned menace! Now the gas that we exhale is going to be considered a "dangerous" greenhouse gas! The phony science behind this study is going to economically destroy this country, and you Obamadrones are just too fucking blind to see what this fucking clown is trying to maneuver!


Continue to pile praise and worship onto this asshole you goddamn drones! I'll just sit here and laugh my ass off at your complete ignorance!

When is this fucking cock sucker going to implement an "exhalation tax"?


Fuck him! And fuck anyone that dare defend this cocksucking madman! He wants the government to have all the power centralized in DC, and some of you just happily hand over your liberty to this fucking madman!

And look at what that cunt Pelosi has to say about it! Gee, I am just shocked that she is laying the blame on Bush! Shocked I say!

These people are as predictable as they are stupid. Are you Obamadrones even trying to see through this charade? Or are you just going to continue to stay on your knees and blow this fucking idealogue?

Meanwhile back in China they continue to expand their oil refining capabilities and completely ignore any of these idiotic warnings about the planet's impending doom. Wake the hell up drones! Barry Co. is out to deliberately destroy the free market system!


Wake up fools!!!!!! You're being lied to!



Riffy

From the "What Exactly Is Our Foreign Policy?" files:

CAN Israel still call the United States its best international friend? Apparently not, if you believe the tone of the local media.

Watching the drama unfold inside Israel, the increasingly tense dialogue between US President Barack Obama and new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is taking on all the trappings of a duel.

Almost every day brings news of another sore point between the two countries, a source of yet further inflammation of their once warm relations.

One could be forgiven for thinking that the more immediate threat to Israel's national security lay across the Atlantic rather than from closer to home.

It is bad enough that President Obama uses almost every opportunity he can to set the parameters of a final peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Now US officials are openly using Israeli anxiety over Iran's fledging nuclear program as a bargaining chip to force Israel's hand on giving up control of the West Bank Palestinian territory.

No less a figure than White House chief-of-staff Rahm Emanuel — whose father fought with the militant Zionist group the Irgun, and whose appointment had provided such reassurance to Israeli officials — was quoted this week laying down the law to Israel.

If Israel wants US help to defuse the Iranian threat, Mr Emanuel was reported to have told Jewish leaders in Washington, then get ready to start evacuating settlements in the West Bank.

Talkback radio blazed with fury across the country the same day, as Israelis protested that no US official had the right to tell them where to live.

Then on Thursday came the news that Mr Netanyahu's planned first meeting with President Obama in Washington next month had been called off.

------

"You and me, man... we ain't so different"


http://d.yimg.com/a/p/afp/20090417/capt.photo_1240008982147-1-0.jpgx=400&y=304&q...

OOOoooh that smell....


Long before he was named to head President Barack Obama's auto task force, Steven Rattner was a Wall Street investor who landed a $100 million deal with New York's pension fund.


Now Rattner is embroiled in a corruption investigation that has already ensnared several New York political figures and cast a spotlight on the murky practice of paying fees to win investments from the colossal fund.


Prosecutors said Rattner's private equity firm forked over a $1.1 million kickback to an aide to the former state comptroller during its bid for the pension deal. They also said the company invested in a low-budget, goofball comedy produced by a relative of a pension fund manager.


As details of Rattner's involvement emerged, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the administration was aware of the allegations but still supported Rattner.


"He's not accused of doing any wrongdoing, and he's not likely to face any criminal or civil charges as it relates to this," Gibbs said Friday. He added that Rattner had disclosed the investigation to the White House before his appointment.


Rattner was chosen by Obama to help rescue the American auto industry from its worst crisis in history. He reports to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. It was not immediately clear what kind of fallout the Rattner episode will have on Obama.

fuman wrote on Apr 18^th, 2009 at 10:20am:


With this administration, you have a better chance of seeing God.

Jack Welsh, the leader of the US "socialist" movement grades Obama thus far . . . .


Management in Action  >>  US Economy and Policy
Trends and Phenomena
Welches: How Obama Is Doing

"So…how's Obama doing?"

This was the question floated by our host at a recent dinner party. In response, two people said they were disappointed, seven claimed to be on the fence, four asserted it was too early to tell, and three said flat-out great. Where were we in the mix? Allow us to issue a preliminary "report card" on President Obama's leadership since taking office to explain.

But first, note that we just used the word leadership. This column isn't about policy. If it were, we'd probably be on the fence, too. We passionately oppose the President's position on doing away with secret ballots for unionization votes, and we're suspicious of his cap-and-trade proposal, a version of which has done little for Europe. We also find the new budget alarming—with its optimistic forecasts and staggering short-term deficits. On the other hand, we're generally positive about the Administration's reaction to the economic crisis. And we're strongly supportive of his foreign policy, which strikes us as sound and progressive.

But forget all that. Our grade for Obama is based on how he's doing on critical performance criteria as our country's CEO.

Vision and Team-Building

Let's start with vision, the "thing" without which a person simply cannot lead. And look, whether you like his politics or not, Obama's obviously got it. From the economy to the environment, education to health care, the President has articulated his goals to the nation.

Vision, though, is meaningless alone. To be an effective leader, you must communicate consistently, vividly, and so darn frequently that your throat gets soar. You can't, as we've said, communicate too much, especially when you're galvanizing change.

Who could disagree that Obama's nailing this challenge? Every time he speaks, which is often, he's thoughtful, expansive, and candid. And he has also worked assiduously to get heard outside of Washington, even showing up on Jay Leno's set to reach beyond the "usual suspects." Again, we wish that Obama's message was sometimes a different one, but when we heard his NATO press conference last Saturday—explaining America's "exceptionalism"—his lucidity and lack of arrogance rendered any criticism moot. He will surely be the next American President to carry the mantle of The Great Communicator.

Now to team-building, another strength of successful leaders. The potential for "palace intrigue" between Larry Summers and Tim Geithner, not to mention the White House staff and Hillary Clinton's complex, high-caliber State Dept. organization made us skeptical on this front.

We may have been overconcerned. The economic team seems to be working seamlessly, egos in check, despite all the pressure. And Hillary is refreshing in her new role, with the President clearly giving her the latitude to make a mark. (Her recent remarks about U.S.-Mexico relations were frank and overdue.) We give the President points, too, for Arne Duncan, who, with his bold support of merit pay and charter schools, looks to be a great choice as Education Secretary.

Speed and Authenticity

Speed is another key attribute, and again, Obama can't be faulted. Weeks back, we actually worried he was moving too fast on too many fronts, diverting attention from the economic crisis. Since then, he has tightened his focus, making great strides, for instance, with the auto industry task force, which took decisive action with GM.

And then there's authenticity, the hallmark of every effective leader.

Well, thank goodness for Michelle. Not that the President isn't "real," it's just that he remains somewhat cool in his affect. That's fine. But people crave humanity in their leaders. Luckily, his wife, with her warmth and broad appeal, is supplying it in buckets.

Before we begin to sound irrationally exuberant, remember that the President has yet to be tested on two key traits, resilience and the wherewithal to champion unpopular causes.

But 70 days is still plenty of time to get a sense of an executive's performance. And while we'd like to see his skills applied to different policies, when it comes to leadership, Barack Obama has certainly earned an A.


This question and answer originally appeared in Business Week magazine on April 10, 2009.