The Violence Worker!

Jobs And Jobs. How To Destroy America

Obama is trying to capitalize on our frustrations with the economy.  Supposedly, the Banks, Corporations and Wall Street are the bogeymen responsible for our present economic morass.  You have the occupy [Name Your] Street crowd out demanding the demise of our financial system as we know it because they aren't getting free college...or something.  Now we have President Zero weighing in on the issue and yep, he's blaming those evil Wall Street Bankers.  In other words, he's biting the hands that fed him last election, but that's for another time, perhaps.  Here is a praphrase (according to the LA TIMES) of what President Disconnect said:

Obama said he used "a lot of political capital" to prevent a financial meltdown and ensure banks remained solvent after he took office. He also touted the financial reform legislation he and Democrats in Congress moved through in 2010.

It was that very law that forced, not just the Bank of America, but others (soon to be following suit) as well to start charging a fee.  Why, because they capped what the banks could charge the merchants for a debit transaction.  So, instead of you paying a few pennies more for something at the store, the banks will charge you 60 dollars a years to use your card.

Don't get me wrong.  We need to keep a reasonable rein on the financial sector.  We need to keep them as honest as we can.  No one disagrees.  What we disagree on is how it should be done.  Since I'm no banking expert, I'm not even going to pretend I know.

What I will say is this:  If you think destroying banks, Wall Street and Corporations will get you a job, you just might be too stupid to even have a job.  If it wasn't for all of those entities, you would not have a computer, an internet or any one a myriad of modern conveniences that you enjoy today.  If it wasn't for the profit motive, the idea that you can better yourself and make yourself a millionaire, there would be little in the way of comfort and mobility.  Profit powers innovation.  Innovation powers the world.  There are bad banks, corporations and rogue Wall Street Traders.  There will always be a conman, a thief and a power hungry crook willing to take what isn't theirs.  These are the ones that we must always be watching.

Let's take the late Steve Jobs for an example.  The entire world is mourning the loss of this larger than life guy who literally changed how we think and interact with our world.  He was one of those "corporate" guys.  He bought and sold different companies, developing products and made more money than he could ever spend in two lifetimes.  Good for him.  He created a ton of jobs by providing us with goods and services that we decided we needed to have.  That is is legacy.  But he could not have done that on his own as a 20 something kid with his buddy Wozniak.  If it wasn't for the banks, other corporations and the stock market, we would have never even heard of this guy.  You wouldn't be reading this. 

Oh, and just like every other corporation in America, no one forced you to give him and his companies your money.  No one got poorer to make Steve Jobs richer.

Jobs created jobs and got rich by making things we wanted to buy.  Take away the ability of others to do the same and you will destroy America.

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More Proof Obama Is Inept

So the Dear Leader demanded a joint session of Congress so that he can give another "Jobs" speech.  And that's fine.  Theoretically, I suppose anyone could demand to speak before a joint session of Congress.  The trick is getting it approved by the leadership of the House and the Senate, specifically the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader.

Since the President is only a wannabe dictator and not a real one, he can only ask that the Congress set a little time aside for his speech.  Since the Speaker of the House is a Republican, it becomes a bit trickier in that he needs the Speaker's permission.  A little diplomacy is in order - or at least one would think so. 

Usually what happens is the President decides he wants to address a Joint Session of the Congress.  This is usually not done for mundane reasons.  These sessions are usually reserved for more significant speeches by Presidents and other dignataries.  State of the Union speeches are the more common speeches given by Presidents in a Joint Session.  Once the President decides he has some really significant things to say, he has his Congressional Liaison staff contact the appropriate staffers in Congress who pass on the request to their respective Chamber leaders.  They negotiate upon a date and time, arrange it with the media covering the speech, then make the public announcement.  Nobody gets their toes stepped on and we, the public, are not privy to any spats over scheduling.  Nobody looks like an idiot.  It's how professionals do it.

Until now.  Obama demanded in public a joint session to talk about jobs and Speaker Boehner shot him down, also in public.  It seems Obama's desired date and time would conflict with the GOP Presidential debate also scheduled for that evening.  The Obama camp said it was a coincidence, but most people with half a functioning brain cell don't believe it for a minute.  He was looking to steal some thunder and got struck by lightening instead.

Obama comes out of this looking more  inept and inexperienced  than presidential.  It's not even a rookie mistake.  It's arrogance, amateurish, and a sign that he has absolutely no idea what he's doing.

EPIC FAIL!

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Presidential Vacations

I don't get all "wee wee'd up" over Presidents and their vacations.  It's usually not much of a vacation, because really, is the president ever really off duty or on vacation like normal folks?  The answer is no.  He always has the "football" within shouting distance.  The affairs of state must be addressed at least for a few hours each day.

I think the main problem most of us have with Obama is not the amount of time he spends away from the oval office.  Frankly, the job of President has to be a crusher and I'd probably set up shop somewhere else where cool winds blow and the scenery is restful to the eyes if I was the Commander-in-Chief. The problem is where he vacations.  I don't even consider Camp David a vacation for what that is worth.

Reagan headed for his California ranch every chance he got.  Instead of dining in tony restaurants and sleeping in an ultra ritzy B&B or renting a mansion, he preferred to work splitting wood and fixing fences, doing the occasional horseback ride in between meetings and other work sessions.

HW Bush preferred the family compound at Kennebunkport up in Maine.  He was never shown repairing a fence or riding  a horse or a bike.  He probably didn't do those things, but at least it was family property.  He had some interest in it outside a rent payment.

Clinton did not go back to Arkansas.  He spent his summers in Martha's Vineyard and I think he did a couple trips to Jackson Hole.  Nice, pricey and elitist.

Dubya usually went to his Crawford ranch where he worked mending fences, cutting brush and rode his mountain bike around the back forty.  He even met foreign dignitaries there on several occasions.

Here we are back to a Democrat in office and where does he go?  He chooses palatial Hawaiian resorts and the elitist enclave of Martha's Vineyard.  These Democratic "men of the people" deign to get their hands dirty or break out in a sweat unless it's a round of golf in 85 degree weather or a quick pick-up Basketball game.

I do understand the need for security.  It's not like he can just take a road trip to see the countryside or camp out at the local state park.  I understand that they will not be eating at IHOP and Applebees as a normal course of their vacation.   Those things are just not going to happen. 

I suppose it's not the vacation, it's the type of vacation. It's more principle than anything.  Don't tell me you are understand my situation and then jet off to some rich man's playground.  Don't turn around from your gourmet luncheon at a restaurant where I couldn't afford a peek at the menu, then tell me you feel my pain. 

You don't!

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There Is Something Wrong!

Obama is out on the stump saying that "something is wrong with our country's politics."

"They look at what's happening in Washington and they think these folks are really from outer space because they don't seem to understand how critical it is for us all to work together, Republicans, Democrats, independents, in order to move this country forward," Obama said.

He added that the country is realizing the need to get involved.

"We're going to have to get engaged and we're going to have to speak out," Obama said. "We're going to have to register the fact that we expect more and we expect better."

And I agree.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I agree with Obama.  We expect more and deserve better.

We expect more from a President than just lip service to our problems.  The only thing he has to run on so far is one military victory.  And even that now has gone through a couple versions and it appears that Sony got the rights for a small cash donation.

On the economy, he has failed - epically!  Healthcare - another fail.  Foreign policy -  RESET fail!  The dollar is quickly fading.  The Stock Market is as jittery as an alcoholic pouring his first drink of the day. 

There IS something wrong and it is in the White House.  Obama has not led.  He has given us nothing but words.  He has no plan.  He has no idea what to do.  In a word he is incompetent.

He's over his head.  He's  surrounded himself with ideologues who are just as inept as he is.  His whole economics team has quit,  save the also incompetent Timothy Geithner.

The only budget he's submitted was laughed out of the Senate on a 97-0 vote.  Unprecedented, especially since the Senate is controlled by the Democrats.  Not ONE senator could be persuaded to support that miscarriage of economics.  Even Geithner called it unsustainable!

We have one of the most challenging economic recessions in our history, and we have a President with no idea what to do other than blame others and call the Republicans names. 

Yeah, something is wrong - terribly wrong.

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How To Create Millions Of Jobs!

They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  It also might just mean that you are completely cluesless as to how to solve a problem.  It's what you learned, and what's been drummed into your skull for decades with the fervor of a traveling salvation show on opening night.

Their mantra is that the President creates jobs, Congress creates jobs.  The government creates jobs.  It's been said so much by so many that it must be true.  And it seems like it should be true.  After all, these are the ruling elite.  They are the brightest and the best we have to offer.  They say it like it's gospel and everyone says, "Amen!"

Ever since the the debt ceiling fiasco, the President has returned to the "Jobs" theme.  People are telling him to create jobs so he turns to the only weapon in his arsenal:  Spend more money that we don't have.

Some are suggesting another stimulus bill (and we all know how that last one turned out) and others are suggesting we need to extend unemployment benefits as that is a sure-fire way to create jobs.  When that was mentioned at a recent White House Press Briefing, the young looking Jay Carney was asked a simple question.

"I understand why extending unemployment insurance provides relief to people who need it, but how does that create jobs," Wall Street Journal's Laura Meckler asked Jay Carney at Wednesday's WH briefing.

Apparently, this is the simplest of questions not worthy of an answer.

Carney responded: "Oh, uh, it is by, uh, I would expect a reporter from the Wall Street Journal would know this as part of the entrance exam."

But wait!  After professor Carney slices the WSJ reporter with the White House Ginsu, he deigns to answer the question in order to enlighten the masses just in case Ms. Meckler reports it so that the readers of her paper will understand.

"There are few other ways that can directly put money into the economy than applying unemployment insurance," Carney said.

Carney answers the question: "It is one of the most direct ways to infuse money directly into the economy because people who are unemployed and obviously aren't running a paycheck are going to spend the money that they get. They're not going to save it, they're going to spend it. And with unemployment insurance, that way, the money goes directly back into the economy, dollar for dollar virtually."

"Every place that, that money is spent has added business and that creates growth and income for businesses that leads them to decisions about jobs, more hiring. So, there are few other ways that can directly put money into the economy than applying unemployment insurance, Carney said.

Brilliant!  Absolutely Brilliant!  That will get everyone back to work as soon as the checks are cashed!  Think of it!  Endless unemployment checks and we solve unemployment. 

Carney estimates that unemployment benefits could create up to one million jobs.

We could start giving everyone an unemployment check!  Think of the jobs that would be created!!!!  These guys that are running the country!  We are in good hands!  They smartest guys in the world!

Until the benefits run out again - which they will.

We are broke. Doing this would only have a marginal effect, if that, and it would only be temporary.  It's a brazen attempt to buy a few votes, that's it.

Oh, and Creating more and more debt is not going to fix this economy. 

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Team Obama

Imagine the White House as a team locker room.  It's game day and the Obama team is losing.  The score is 35 - 0 at the half and the coach calls the team together to give them a pep talk.  Let's listen in.

Coach Obama:  Let me be clear, this is a failure of the referees out there to call a fair game.  The other team is also not helping us win.  They are selfish and only interested in winning the game for themselves.

Quarterback Geithner:  But coach, we don't have a game plan.

Coach Obama:  Doesn't matter.  I'm the greatest coach in the history of the game.  I get to win.  Besides, they're all jealous and want to take my job so they aren't playing fair.

Towel Boy Biden:  Gee, boss, I know!  How about if we call them names?

Coach Obama:   Not bad for a towel boy, but it's not enough.  Calling them names might get some of the crowd fired up, but it may not be enough to make them let us win.  We need for them to just give up so we can declare victory.

Quarterback Geithner:  But coach, we don't have a game plan.

Coach Obama:   Look, I don't know how to make a game plan outside of name calling and temper tantrums.  It's always worked before.  We don't need a plan as long as we just demand that they play by our rules and let us win in the name of sportsmanship.

Towel Boy Biden:  Gee, boss, I know!  How about if we call them names?

Coach Obama:  Shut up Joe and get me a clean towel. Now let's all get out there and mill around until they give up and let us win!  I'll see you all later, I have a tee time in 20 minutes.

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Leadership you can believe in.

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We Have No Leadership

So what should Obama do?  Rick Santelli has a suggestion:

There's a lot of yelling going on here, but the theme here is leadership.  We've seen none from Obama.  All he's done is blame everyone from the refs to the other team. 

Obama is not stepping up and taking charge.  I will grant that he can take some partisan swipes, but in the end, he has to turn to Congress and us and take charge.  He needs to get people working on solving this problem and get them to work together!

Obviously he can't and he won't.  Blaming others has worked well so far.  He is an incompetent fool and that is ultimately more dangerous than any Tea Party Congressman.

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H/T:  Gateway Pundit

Who Do We Blame For The Down Grade?

Liberals blame the Conservatives for not raising taxes enough and Conservatives blame the Liberals for spending too much.  It's kind of like a circular firing squad.  In some respects, they are both right, but they are all wrong.  The blame lies on you, and you and you.  I'm to blame as well.  We all are to blame.  The politicians only did what we told them to do.

We elected them because they promised us ice cream.  We didn't know where they were going to get it from, how much it would cost or who would even make it, but we wanted ice cream and they said they would deliver.  Pork flavored ice cream for all!  We've borrowed so heavily against our future to pay for all of this, our grandchildren are tens of thousands of dollars in debt the day they are born.

But we got ice cream - or sort of - after it's been filtered through layers of bureaucracy and fraud.  It's not that the ice cream is all bad.  We've done a lot great things. From our concrete super highway system to our electronic super highway system, we've done pretty well.

Now, however, we have come to a tipping point.  We are in a deep recession with decreasing supplies of revenues.  More people with no job, businesses making less money - the money just isn't there like it is in the good times,  We are borrowing 40 cents of every dollar we spend.  We can't keep it up. 

Imagine you credit rating if you spent $1000 a week, but only earned $600.  Frankly, I'm amazed that our credit rating is so high.  I'm surprised we aren't considered junk.

Until we stop demanding we be given ice cream and start making our own, we will not get out of this hole.  There isn't enough money anywhere to pay for all of this.  Every dollar the government spends to give us our ice cream is a dollar they had to take from you, or you, or you, or me.

In London last night, they rioted, turning some parts of the city into what looks like a scene from WWII.

The riots also come amid deepening gloom in Britain, with the economy struggling to grow amid deep public spending cuts and tax rises brought into help eliminate a budget deficit which peaked at more than 10 percent of GDP.

"We know we have been victimized by this government, we know we are being neglected by the government," said another middle-aged man who declined to give his name. "How can you make one million youths unemployed and expect us to sit down?"

Victimized and neglected by the government.  This is what happens when we decide that government solves all problems.  When the government runs out of money to give away, those who've relied on it will turn on it with rocks, bottles and Molotov cocktails.

It's probably just a matter of time that, instead of it being London, it will be in New York, or Los Angeles, or Detroit, or Seattle.

 I will also cast blame on our President. Obama has not led.  He has not offered any solutions.  He blames his predecessor, but has done nothing more than cast the blame.  He hasn't lifted one finger to change anything.  Even his crowning achievement (sort of like being crowned with a steaming pile) called "Obamacare" was not a product of his administration. It came out of the Democrat controlled Congress, not the White House.  He promised us hope and change, but hope is fading and he's not changed anything except make things worse.

Simply put, Obama is incompetent.  He hasn't a clue as to how to solve the problem.  He tried and failed to talk S&P out of downgrading us.  I'd suggest he resign, but that would leave Slow Joe Biden in charge.  Neither man has the ability, wisdom, depth or the balls to do anything but whine and blame Bush while America as we know it fades away.

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Jobs, Jobs, Who's Got The Jobs?

So the President is going to take a campaign working bus tour through the Midwest at taxpayer expense to talk about jobs.  The economy is in the toilet and despite the very rosy (according to the White House) .1% drop in the jobless rate, we really didn't gain all that many jobs.  Many have just given up.

“He looks forward to talking to the folks about growing the economy, creating jobs,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney at Wednesday’s press briefing.

The White House was so tight-lipped about the details of the trip that it’s unclear how big of a spectacle the tour will be. There were no details as to whether the bus would bear the presidential seal or what kind of motorcade would accompany it on the highway, or whether local officials would be asked to help provide protection.

(As an aside, one can't help but remember the media's anger at Palin for not disclosing her tour details) 

So the Anointed One is going to tell the Rust Belt how he is going to create a gazillion new jobs that pay a zillion bucks an hour and we will all have ice cream.  Since Obama is the most brilliant man in the known and unknown universes and also whom the most interesting man in the world turns to for charm lessons, he undoubtedly has a magical plan to turn this economy around. 

He's out of options.  The main things he's tried have been busts.  We are still in a recession.  Most people believe we are still in a recession and despite Obama's attempt to say we ended the recession two years ago is delusional at best, and a lie at worst.  On the other hand, not much from this administration is familiar with truth.

Printing more money didn't help and his "shovel ready" stimulus was a bust.  Hundreds of billions down a rabbit hole and not even a set of ears to show for it.

So what is Obama proposing?

"So, when Congress gets back in September I want to move quickly on things that will help the economy create jobs right now. Extending the payroll tax credit to put a thousand dollars in the pocket of the average American worker. Extending unemployment insurance to help people get back on their feet. Putting construction workers back to work rebuilding America."

Does any of that fill you with any confidence?  Does any of that run a thrill up your leg?  Yeah, me neither.  Piss in the ocean, Barry, it'll have the same effect.

When asked about creating jobs, the Presidential spokesboy, Jay Carney, said this.

Well, the White House doesn’t create jobs. The government together -- White House, Congress -- creates policies that allow for greater job creation.

It's probably one of the most honest things ever said by this administration.  The irony is what the Democrats really mean by that is more regulation, more spending and more taxes which will miraculously translate into a robust economy.  It usually works as well as pouring jet fuel on to a fire.

Part of our problem is the massive borrowing the government must do just to run on a daily basis.  It tightens up the money available for corporations to expand.  They must compete for what's left.  Another problem is the EPA. They are tightening up energy regulations that will have a chilling effect on businesses seeking to expand.  The new coal restrictions will undoubtedly decrease the amount of power available.  Add Obamacare into that mix, taxes that will most likely raise and uncertainty in the markets, not many jobs are going to magically appear.

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It's Time To Step Up To The Plate

The first year of any presidency is really not your own.  It does, for the most part, belong to your predecessor.  The budget passed and the policies in place are like hangovers from the night before or, in this case, the the term.  At some point, you must take ownership of your term.  You cannot keep blaming your failures on the last guy.  You need to step up to the plate and start swinging. It's a new inning and you need to deal with the curve balls, sliders and fastballs coming your way

So far, Obama has stood at the plate and leaned on his bat.  Watching pitch after pitch waft by - except for the foulball he hit with his healthcare reform and the stimulous was a pop up fly to the infield.  It did nothing and went no where, but a lot of effort was expended in swinging at it.

And now, Obama is striking out with his demand that everyone do something about the debt and spending except him.

What kind of leadership is that?  He says he wants to fix it, but he's offered nothing.  Is that leadership?  Is that how it's done?  Just tell people to come up with a plan and then tell them whether it's acceptable or not.

I've seen leadership and I can tell you that what you are seeing with this empty suit in the White house is not anything close.

Unemployment continues its malaise.  Major CEO's who once supported Obama are now stepping out and saying he's killing business.  Whether by accident or design, Obama's policies and regulations are killing our country. 

Oh and as for those EPA regulations?  When you go to plug in your computer or recharge your phone in the next few years, good luck with that.  The power either won't be there, or you won't be able to afford it.

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