Jobless In America

New unemployment numbers from June were released today, and they were not good.  The national unemployment rate is now at a staggering 9.5%.  Many states have jobless rates even higher than that, into the double digits, and the national rate is at a 26 year high.

This, despite:

The $787 TRILLION economic "stimulus"

Over $80 billion and climbing for a bailout of the auto industry

The Half-TRILLION omnibus spending bill

Hundreds of billions for bailouts of the insurance industry

Tens of billions for bailouts of the banks

Tens of billions for bailouts of the mortgage industry

And yet:  here we are, with 9.5% unemployment and rising; home foreclosures at record highs; and industries still in collapse.

None of it has worked.  Not a single, massive spending initiative has worked.

A jobless recovery?  I don't even see much of a recovery---jobless or not---at all.

All of this government intervention was for nothing: except an excuse for a massive power grab for the Democrats.

Republicans: start your engines.

Comments

[xbjllb]

No matter what the "green shoots" folks say (who are SMOKING those "green shoots"), we are on the verge of the Greatest Depression in the history of the world, let alone the US.

Obama and his crew have no idea how to stop it, either. Too much paper shenanigans for far too long, and too many of those that created it are charged with suppposedly "fixing" it. Oh, they'll "fix" it all right.

Ron Paul comes off as a nutty Peter O'Toole, agreed, but he's right about one thing: the Gold Standard and why we need to be on it.

[Geoff]

787 billion

don't post

[Truther]

There is an internal chaos, sometimes called freedom or free trade, for which Bush is responsible. There is an external chaos, sometimes called globalism, for which Obama and the Clintons are responsible.

My jaw dropped a long time ago as I watched Congress and Obama pandering to special interests spent tremendous amounts of money, none of which re-regulated the banks, stopped the bleeding of jobs, or promoted the growth of new companies in the US.

What we are left with in this country is information, but this is really just an image, primped up by PR firms, pushed on the populace by the media, that covers up our realities which we would rather not acknowledge. Yesterday a lady from the State Dept. was talking about changing America's image as a centerpiece of our foreign policy. We need to shed the imagery and get down to reality.

[thorn66]

"Republicans: start your engines."

---------------------------------------------

Too bad they're all driving Yugos.

[thorn66]

I'm thinking Gov. Sanford will announce his resignation tomorrow, per RNC instructions, so that the story will eventually lose steam over the long holiday weekend and not interfere with next week's Obama-bashing news cycle.

[thorn66]

Here's why I think Palin is a weak candidate for 2012.
She will inevitably face the same "trustworthiness" issues that Hillary would have faced had she become the nominee. In fact, Republican strategists were well aware of Hillary's polling weakness in this area, and it is why the likes of Rush, Ann Coulter, etc. were urging their followers to vote for her in the primaries. Clever politics on their part. Below is an example of Palin's vulnerability in this area.

"Exclusive: Spat Over Todd Palin's Membership In Secessionist Party Was Major Distraction On Critical Day In '08 Campaign

(CBS)...Internal campaign e-mails exchanged three weeks before Election Day offer a rare look at just how frustrated then Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin had become with the manner in which top McCain campaign aides were handling her candidacy. The e-mails, obtained exclusively, also highlight the power struggle and thinly veiled acrimony that pervaded the relationship between Palin and the campaign's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt.

The episode in question began when an investigative report published on the left-leaning Web site Salon.com raised questions about Palin's relationship with members of the Alaska Independence Party (AIP) when she was mayor of Wasilla. The AIP's platform calls for a vote giving Alaskans the option to secede from the United States. It had already been widely known that Todd Palin was a registered member of the AIP from 1995 to 2002 and that Governor Palin had taped a recorded greeting at the party's 2008 convention.

On the morning of Oct. 15, Palin was aboard her campaign jet and en route to New Hampshire when she happened to catch a disparaging CNN segment that touted the Salon.com story, complete with a provocative graphic at the bottom of the screen reading, "THE PALINS AND THE FRINGE."

While shaking hands after a rally later that afternoon, someone on the rope line shouted a remark at Palin about the AIP.

The comment set her off. She worried that the campaign was not sufficiently mitigating the issue of her alleged connection to the party, which despite a platform that harkens more to the Civil War than the 21st century, continued to play a serious role in Alaska politics.

Palin blasted out an e-mail with the subject line "Todd" to Schmidt, campaign manager Rick Davis and senior advisor Nicolle Wallace, copying her husband on the message (all of the e-mails are reprinted below as written).

"Pls get in front of that ridiculous issue that's cropped up all day today - two reporters, a protestor's sign, and many shout-outs all claiming Todd's involvement in an anti-American political party," Palin wrote. "It's bull, and I don't want to have to keep reacting to it ... Pls have statement given on this so it's put to bed."

Her reference to a single protestor's sign and "many shout-outs" was indicative of Palin's occasional tendency to take anecdotal evidence of a minor problem and extrapolate it into something far more menacing. The final of the three presidential debates was just hours away, which would mark the unveiling of the soon-to-be canonized Joe The Plumber.

The Joe The Plumber narrative was the Republicans' secret weapon -- the last chance to put a chink in Obama's seemingly impervious armor. It was not a time for distractions, but the campaign was compelled to deal with the drama that seemed to follow Palin wherever she went.

Schmidt hit "reply to all" less than five minutes after Palin's e-mail was sent. "Ignore it," he wrote. "He was a member of the aip? My understanding is yes. That is part of their platform. Do not engage the protestors. If a reporter asks say it is ridiculous. Todd loves america."

This clear cut response from the campaign's top dog carried an air of finality, but it did not satisfy Palin. She responded with another e-mail, adding five more names to the "cc" box, all of whom traveled on her campaign plane. They included her senior political adviser Tucker Eskew, senior aide Jason Recher, the lone traveling aide from her Alaska office Kris Perry, press secretary Tracey Schmitt and personal assistant Bexie Nobles.

Palin's insertion of the five additional staffers in the e-mail chain was an apparent attempt to rally her own troops in the face of a decision from the commanding general with which she disagreed. Her inclusion of her personal assistant was particularly telling about her quest for affirmation and support in numbers, since the young staffer was not in a position to have any input on campaign strategy.

"That's not part of their platform and he was only a 'member' bc independent alaskans too often check that 'Alaska Independent' box on voter registrations thinking it just means non partisan," Palin wrote. "He caught his error when changing our address and checked the right box. I still want it fixed."

Palin was attempting to bend the facts ever so slightly to fit neatly into her version of events. In truth, the box that Alaskans have the option of checking when registering to vote states the full name of the party, "Alaskan Independence Party," not "Alaska Independent," which would make an error by uncommitted voters more plausible.

Clearly irritated by what he saw as Palin's attempt to mislead her own campaign and apparently determined to demonstrate that the ultimate authority rested with him, Schmidt put the matter to rest once and for all with a longer response to everyone in the e-mail chain.

"Secession," he wrote. "It is their entire reason for existence. A cursory examination of the website shows that the party exists for the purpose of seceding from the union. That is the stated goal on the front page of the web site. Our records indicate that todd was a member for seven years. If this is incorrect then we need to understand the discrepancy. The statement you are suggesting be released would be innaccurate. The innaccuracy would bring greater media attention to this matter and be a distraction. According to your staff there have been no media inquiries into this and you received no questions about it during your interviews. If you are asked about it you should smile and say many alaskans who love their country join the party because it speeks to a tradition of political independence. Todd loves his country

We will not put out a statement and inflame this and create a situation where john has to adress this."

Schmidt's rebuttal to Palin's suggestion that reporters had asked her about the issue was particularly blunt in that it implicitly questioned her truthfulness. Furthermore, his unwillingness to budge an inch on the matter was a remarkable assertion of his power to pull rank over the candidate herself.

Palin was silent after his second e-mail and the campaign did not issue the statement she demanded.

Reached on his cell phone on Wednesday, Schmidt declined to comment on the e-mail exchange. "I was proud to work for the McCain-Palin ticket," he said. "We did our best in an extraordinarily difficult year. I wish that all this stuff could all be left in the past where it belongs because Barack Obama won the election and he's President of the United States. It's all over, it's in the past."

Jason Recher, who remains a staunch Palin supporter and recently accompanied the governor on a trip to New York, said he hoped people would focus more on positive memories from the campaign."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/01/politics/main5128672.shtml#comments

[Ummah Gummah]

.

More LIEberal follies: From the department of absolute MOONBATTERY.. here it comes.. you should have expected it..

drumroll please!!!

THE TOILET FOOTPRINT!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/03/us/parched-santa-fe-makes-rare-demand-on-builders.html

Can't make these things up, kids! They had a guy on "n"pr today talking up the next big thing: the water "crisis".

Maybe he should come visit New York. We got FLOODING here!!!! Wettest June in ages.. but NO, this egghead never seems to leave his lab..

If all the libs all over the world would kill themselves they could TRULY save the planet!

.

[gringoman]

>>Is there anyone who's reached the age of dissent who does not know that Vanity Fair is a viper's nest of liberals?
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Versus your worldnetdaily.com reality check?

Posted by: thorn66 | July 01, 2009 at 09:42 PM

Exactly. WND references here were fact-based and sourced, as opposed to VF's anonymous-sourced hit job on Sarah Palin. For some reason, Americans still prefer earnest Bible Man over the sleaze of pretentious Weasel Man.

At monicamemo we've never been able to make the trolling libs understand this. Maybe Ummah is right. It's Mission Impossible.

[gringoman]

GRINGOMAN>>The real question : Who fears Sarah Palin more--LibMan or RinoMan?

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I pray for her candidacy. From your mouth to g_d's ear.

Posted by: thorn66 | July 01, 2009 at 09:42 PM

If a prayer rug would help, we might chip in. Ummah, I believe, will join me in assuming you won't be facing Mecca.

[Ummah Gummah]

>>Is there anyone who's reached the age of dissent who does not know that Vanity Fair is a viper's nest of liberals?
-------------------------------

Versus your worldnetdaily.com reality check?

Posted by: thorn66 | July 01, 2009 at 09:42 PM

--

If the MSM were doing their job there would never have been an opening for WND and the like. They are following Free enterprise rules: See a market and serve it.

In this case they are serving the truth-starved masses from "flyover country" and those few of US who are still stuck on the coasts.

Until the newest tax hike dislodges a few more thousand.. and then more and so on.. until they need a bailout, like Kuh-ILL-Forniah!

And STILL they give all the free stuff to illegal aliens. stuff that WE can't even get!

Only LIEberals can see the logic in all this. AND when we are all gone they will follow us to the next place so they can tear down what we've built up.

.

[thorn66]

If a prayer rug would help, we might chip in. Ummah, I believe, will join me in assuming you won't be facing Mecca.

Posted by: gringoman | July 02, 2009 at 03:53 PM

touche...lol

[gringoman]

All of this government intervention was for nothing: except an excuse for a massive power grab for the Democrats.

Republicans: start your engines.

July 02, 2009 at 01:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Cara Mia, it remains to be seen whether the Reeps have any engines left to start. But still, you just hosted two consecutive nights for Bill O'Reilly at Fox. You just disclosed that your ratings were VERY HIGH. And Government Motors is tooling up to RADIO MONICA.

All this under the Bama Bolsheviki.

How bad can it be---especially as the Republican Wuss prays that Mondo Lib can derail the only real engine they have? (And you know who she is.)

[thorn66]

More LIEberal follies: From the department of absolute MOONBATTERY.. here it comes.. you should have expected it..
drumroll please!!!
THE TOILET FOOTPRINT!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/03/us/parched-santa-fe-makes-rare-demand-on-builders.html

Can't make these things up, kids! They had a guy on "n"pr today talking up the next big thing: the water "crisis".

Posted by: Ummah Gummah | July 02, 2009 at 03:41 PM

-----------------------------------------------

lawdy Ummah, reading the NYTs and listening to NPR all on the same day...
then again I read worldnetdaily so wtf.

good luck to mets and stanks this long weekend

[gringoman]

FROM THE NEW DEAL TO THE NEW STEAL

HL Mencken's description in the Chrestomathy of how Harry Hopkins and three of his aides thought up the New Deal is priceless:

"Four preposterous nonentities, all of them professional uplifters, returning from a junket at the taxpayer's expense, sit in a smoking car munching peanuts and talking shop. Their sole business in life is spending other people's money. In the past they have always had to put in four-fifths of their time cadging it, but now the New Deal has admitted them to the vast vaults of the public treasury, and just beyond the public treasury, shackled in a gigantic lemon-squeezer worked by steam, groans the taxpayer."

Hopkins had a mere billion dollars to work with — equivalent to $16 billion in today's money. One wonders how Mencken would have summoned up enough scorn to cope with the multi-trillion-dollar "stimulus" and "bailout" extravaganzas that fill today's news stories, one after another.

http://www.johnderbyshire.com/Opinions/Straggler/074.html

[thorn66]

Exactly. WND references here were fact-based and sourced, as opposed to VF's anonymous-sourced hit job on Sarah Palin. For some reason, Americans still prefer earnest Bible Man over the sleaze of pretentious Weasel Man.

At monicamemo we've never been able to make the trolling libs understand this. Maybe Ummah is right. It's Mission Impossible.

Posted by: gringoman | July 02, 2009 at 03:47 PM

-----------------------------------------------

Since you are so concerned about the facts, vis-a-vis Princess Palin, perhaps you can explain away her e-mails posted above between herself and Schmidt. Please explain her obvious LIES regarding the first-dude's association with the secessionist Alaska Independence Party. ReTodd was a member for seven years and I believe she even pre-recorded a "welcoming" statement for one of their conventions.

Speaking of secessionist parties, I've noticed the recent wingnut trend towards equating "secession" with "patrioitism" Good luck with that tact this July 4th and beyond.

[thorn66]

"Better yet, why don't you post some remark of mine
> that you think shows my "anti-semitism" -- "
> Posted by: Niall | July 02, 2009 at 03:30 PM
>
> Here ya go:
> Niall: ... "firm belief in the whole Holocaust story
> seems to be largely a matter of faith."
> Posted by: thorn66 | July 02, 2009 at 04:17 PM

And how does that show "anti-semitism"?

Do you understand the question? Where exactly is the "anti-semitic" part?

Posted by: Niall | July 02, 2009 at 04:58 PM

Did you understand my response?

Again, tell us Niall, which elements of the Holocaust story, in your opinion, are largely a matter of faith?

[Ummah Gummah]

awdy Ummah, reading the NYTs and listening to NPR all on the same day...
then again I read worldnetdaily so wtf.

good luck to mets and stanks this long weekend

POSTED BY: THORN66 | JULY 02, 2009 AT 04:31 PM

--

Gotta know the enemy.. if ya wanna fight it and win.

.

[Ummah Gummah]

Speaking of secessionist parties, I've noticed the recent wingnut trend towards equating "secession" with "patrioitism" Good luck with that tact this July 4th and beyond.

POSTED BY: THORN66 | JULY 02, 2009 AT 04:58 PM

--

Secesssion IS Patriotims when it's no longer possible to have our Constitution enforced, when our borders have been rendered meaningless and liberals are doling out or tax monies to all sorts or "poor and needy" as well as illegal aliens to the point of bankruptcy. See Kuh-ILLY-forniah.

They also gave massive amounts to the unions which helped them win this election.

The Repulicans' pandering to the Big Corporations is at least against the expressed will of their constituency whereas the DemonRATS get most of their votes by taking money from US and giving it to their voters.

You can't dispute the FACTS.

.

[Ummah Gummah]

.

Niall is in denial of the wrong thing. The Holocaust is a matter of historical record. A lot of Western Holocaust deniers seem to harbor hidden sentiments more akin to those expressed by virtually all of the islamic word.

What can be very easily denied, because it is a THEORY, is warmology.

allahu-snackbar!

.

[Ummah Gummah]

.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/03/us/parched-santa-fe-makes-rare-demand-on-builders.html

Make sure you flush a few extra times folks!

.

[Ummah Gummah]

.

LEAVE your lights ON if you HATE liberals!

.

[SteveOk]

(Monica)A jobless recovery? I don't even see much of a recovery---jobless or not---at all.
----------------------------------------
There has been no recovery. It's amazing how the socialists never learn anything. They have such a total hatred of business that not even the reality of a deep recession or a depression (during the 1930s) will allow them to see that only growth in the business community will produce jobs and economic growth. They have this crazy view that if they somehow level the playing field and redistribute wealth through taxation and social spending that jobs will be created. Taking money from the rich and redistributing it to the poor may sound good in a Robin Hood movie, and there should be safety nets, but it has been proven over and over that is not the formula for economic growth and creation of wealth and jobs. There is only one formula for economic expansion: free market captialism, lower taxes, balanced budgets, rewards for hard work, free trade, less regulation from DC, and a strong work ethic from strong families. There is no other way that leads to an economic superpower. If we want to be a third world economy the path is more and more taxation and social welfare give away programs.

[Truther]

Survivor's Guide to the Obama Administration

To get you through, classes are now being held in how to speak and dress like a Mexican, in order to obtain freebees from the government. The orange skin coloring is selling like hotcakes.

This is ironic, when you consider Michael Jackson lost his skin color and went the other way, isn't it? Now his time is gone.

[Phil Wedeen]

Newspaper clipping (copy) - Saigon Post 4-7-75 with the headlines, "North Vietnam Can Be Defeated." Also included is an article about the death of Chiang Kai-shek...
http://hoover.archives.gov/exhibits/China/Political%20Evolution/1972-78/

Three weeks later on April 30, 1975 the tanks rolled into Saigon heralding the defeat of the US forces in its twelve year war against the people of Vietnam.

The Post piece reminds me of Goebbels on the radio telling the German people that victory is at hand while soviet tanks were rolling into Berlin.

I suppose that there is a certain pride associated with successful propaganda. In the case of Vietnam we now know that the generals and the politicos had abandoned any hope of 'peace with honor' after the Tet Offensive; and yet we have former writers for the Saigon Post trying to create a legacy by rewriting history. Do it forcefully and one may even succeed in self-delusion.
They say that journalism is a sword. I wonder how many Vietnamese and Americans perished in reliance on the lies fed to them by the Saigon Post.

[thorn66]

Again, tell us Niall, which elements of the
> Holocaust story, in your opinion, are largely a
> matter of faith?
> Posted by: thorn66 | July 02, 2009 at 05:01 PM

So you can't show ANY actual "anti-semitic" response of mine at all? What a surprise.

But to answer your question -- here's just one example: We have been told again and again and again, year after year, decade after decade, that the Germans "murdered six million Jews" in their "death camps," mostly by gassing. Six million would have been nearly 40% of all the Jews IN THE WORLD. Indeed, this has been the Holocaust promoters' claim more than once: that the Holocaust destroyed 40% of the world's Jews.

Now according to the World Almanac for 1938 there were 16.6 million Jews worldwide. (That means "in the whole world," Thorn.) According to the New York Times, in 1948 there were a MINIMUM of 15.6 million Jews worldwide and a maximum of 18.7 million. Unless the Jews bred like rabbits, such numbers would obviously be impossible if six million had been killed during that decade.

In fact, because millions of Jews fled to the east and elsewhere (to Britain, Canada and the U.S.) during the German advance, it has been estimated that there were never more than 3 to 4 million Jews in all German-occupied territory. And obviously very large numbers of those survived the Holocaust.

To believe, then, that "six million" could have been murdered -- or died by any combination of causes, including natural deaths -- demands an enormous amount of pure faith in the legend.

There's a lot more wrong with it than just the numbers, but that will do for a starter.

http://www.ihr.org/books/harwood/dsmrd02.html

Posted by: Niall | July 02, 2009 at 06:14 PM

Thank you Niall... I rest my case.