"We are here to nominate a president," said former president Bill Clinton, opening his prime time address on the second night of the Democratic National Convention. "And I've got one in mind." For the better part of the next hour, he delivered a detailed, animated endorsement of President Barack Obama and a firm denunciation of the modern Republican Party. It was, said MSNBC contributor and Republican strategist Steve Schmidt, an "extraordinary, virtuoso political performance."
In a wide-ranging speech that often strayed from the prepared remarks, Clinton dug deep into Obama's record, citing statistics and explaining specific provisions in the current president's health care policy, student loan policy, auto bailout, welfare waiver system, tax policy, approach to the national debt, and more.
Here, from the New York Times transcription of his remarks as they were delivered, is a representative passage:
So the president’s student loan is more important than ever. Here’s what it does — (cheers, applause) — here’s what it does. You need to tell every voter where you live about this. It lowers the cost of federal student loans. And even more important, it give students the right to repay those loans as a clear, fixed, low percentage of their income for up to 20 years. (Cheers, applause.)
Now what does this mean? What does this mean? Think of it. It means no one will ever have to drop out of college again for fear they can’t repay their debt.
And it means — (cheers, applause) — it means that if someone wants to take a job with a modest income, a teacher, a police officer, if they want to be a small-town doctor in a little rural area, they won’t have to turn those jobs down because they don’t pay enough to repay they debt. Their debt obligation will be determined by their salary. This will change the future for young America. (Cheers, applause.)
It wasn't all wonky detail, however. Clinton also brought a fair amount of acid to his description of the Republican Party's response. "It takes some brass to attack a guy for doing what you did," he said, after saying the Romney campaign was hypocritical in its attacks on Obama's Medicare policy. He also blamed Republican obstruction for America's persistent unemployment problem.
"Though I often disagree with Republicans, I actually never learned to hate them the way the far right that now controls their party seems to hate our president and a lot of other Democrats," he said. The Republicans' "number one priority" for Obama's first term, he went on, "was not to put America back to work; it was to put the president out of work."
"We’re going to keep President Obama on the job," he added, to roaring applause.
One of the newer line of attacks Clinton deployed in his speech was that the Romney would bankrupt Medicare by 2016. "He wants to go back to the old system, which means we’ll reopen the doughnut hole and force seniors to pay more for drugs, and we’ll reduce the life of the Medicare trust fund by eight full years," he said, adding: " That means, after all, we won’t have to wait until their voucher program kicks in 2023 to see the end of Medicare as we know it."
Though Clinton was there to present a unified Democratic front, he did allude to the famously acrimonious 2008 primary between his wife and Barack Obama. Noting that Obama appointed Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State, Bill Clinton said, "I’m grateful for the relationship of respect and partnership she and the president have enjoyed and the signal that sends to the rest of the world, that democracy does not have to be a blood sport, it can be an honorable enterprise that advances the public interest." The "blood sport" line was not in his prepared remarks.
The Obama campaign reportedly did not know the contents of Clinton's speech before he delivered it, but based on the punditocracy's reaction, they must have been pleased with the response. "I'm sitting here, I'm giddy!" enthused MSNBC's Ed Schultz. "I mean, this is exactly what Barack Obama needed." MSNBC's Chris Matthews said Clinton "brought the center home."
Barack Obama appeared on stage shortly after Clinton's speech concluded, and the two embraced, before walking off together.
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He hit it out of the park I hope everyone listen to his speech and you will know the real facts.
You GO President Clinton - That Was Straight-Up and To The Points - You Covered Most All Of The Bases - You Are STILL OUR PRESIDENT --- Keep Going And Helping AMERICA ..............That's RITE America Has NOT - NOR WILL NOT Ever Forget You - SIR.......
He is so amazing. A grand slam! Clinton is the Babe Ruth of politicians. I could easily have listened to him for hours!
He shined the light of truth on the GOP's lies and showed the people what Obama has REALLY done! (Not what the GOP has SAID he has done!)
Every time I hear a major speech by President Clinton, I am sure it is the best. It was no different at this convention: This was his best speech ever.
Yes I like his speeches as well especially when he is not running for anything because he gets right to the 'meat and potatoes' of the speech.
I am thinking that this speech tonight by President Clinton means that Democrats will get inspired to help President Obama get reelected. The facts about how extreme the Republican party has swung to the right are very scary. Many of President Obama's policies are from traditional Republican ideas that would have been easy to pass even during the 1990's. The Affordable Care Act is essentially a Republican idea. Many of President Obama's jobs bills like the American Jobs Act, the Small business tax credit bill are essentially bills that received widespread bipartisan support in decades past especially during recessions. We need a Democratic House because the radical right wingers are going to drive America into a ditch by their ceaseless obstructionism. We have to get our country back to work or other wise the budget deficit will just get worse not better.
No,
This President has become fat, dumb, and stupid because when he was elected, he held a majority in both the House and the Senate. Being from Minnesota, Rex, you know that Obama held a Supermajority in the Senate from the time Franken was sworn in until Scott Brown was elected in Massachusetts.
I love Bill Clinton. That is why I voted for him twice. He knew what it was to like compromise after he was handed a Republican Congress in 1996, unlike President Obama. Obama was elected a majority in the House and Senate and told Congress 'we were elected, deal with it' and continued to ram legislation down the throats of Republicans. That is why we are so divided in this country. That is why we had a Republican uprising in 2010. We need to get this divisive, hate mongering President out of office so that this country can begin to heal and start working together again.
I'll steal a line from Lloyd Benson in the Vice Presidential election, "President Obama, you are no Bill Clinton."
Stop haten, you are afraid of the truth. The truth is Obama is doing a wonderful job. People are looking for excuses and you are one of them.
Drill Baby...the only thing I see that is "divisive" and "hate mongering" is your post.
In case you missed this part of the speech, Pres. Clinton said: "Partnership...not partisanship" is Pres. Obama's goal. Sounds like "healing" and "working together" to me. Sounds like a mighty fine goal for the rest of us too.
Obama/Biden 2012!!
Drillbaby, if Democrats had truly decided to ram legislation down republican's throats during the super majority era you would have been looking at a far more left leaning healthcare reform. Go back and look at coverage from that time and you'll see deep blue liberals jumping up and down in anger over how little advantage was taken during that time. Then the window of opportunity for unilateral decisions closed (and if you think Republicans wouldn't have taken advantage of such a thing go back and listen to the insane comments made by President G.W.Bush about having "mandates" and "political capital" he intended to spend in 2004) and Republicans started filibustering EVERYTHING. They didn't just block things that could have been considered to left leaning, rejected 10/1 ratios ring a bell? Oh and "fat, dumb and stupid" is both quite odd and seemingly a bit redundant unless you're asserting he's both less than intelligent AND unable to hear or speak. A supposed supporter of Bill Clinton wouldn't be taking "fat" shots either, methinks you've tipped your faux hand.
@DrillBaby, President Obama did NOT have two years of majority in his term - he had only had 133 days. Here's an accurate timeline:
Drill:The GOP has an agenda of obstruction, obfuscation, and wanting to filibuster all bills in both chambers of the Congress. The American Jobs Act, the Small Business Tax Credit bill were all stalled by the GOP in Congress. These two bills alone would have created or saved about three million jobs. The GOP has an anti-worker, anti-middle class agenda, all so the richest one percent get more tax cuts while Medicare is "voucherized" by the Romney/Ryan plan of placating the rich upon the backs of middle and working class people.
The drillbabies of this blog are so quick to forget the word, filibuster!
Nobama has to accept the blame now, no more blaming it all on Bush. It had to be a blow to Nobama's ego to call on Slick Willie to rescue him. It's like Drillbabay says, Nobama you are no Bill Clinton. I'll give Slick Willie credit, he has "leadership"skills, Nobama has none. People are fact checking the 4.5 millions jobs he says he created, turns out that might be Bull S#%t. We are not better off today than we were when Nobama took office. All the Czars he hired apparantely are not doing their job, they need to go.
Sorry but you are just another one of them sore whiners who refuse to take responsibility for the people they elected and the 34 years of failed GOP policies now wants to play big man. Sorry but until you tea bagged republicans stfu and get out of the way you will get the credit your party of failure deserve and you can whine all you want no one will listen.
Over one hundred bills have been filibustered by the GOP Senate. The GOP House failed to take up the American Jobs Act. The Small Business Tax Credit bill was filibustered by the GOP in the Senate. These two bills would have saved or created 3 million jobs. So many of President Obama's other spending and infrastructure bills and other jobs bills have been obstructed by the radical Tea Party in the House. We have had over 30 years of failed GOP policies called supply side economics. Romney/Ryan seek to double down on trickle down. I think most Americans who are literate are sick and tired of the lies and obfuscation of the radical GOP extremists who are the puppets of the plutocrats.
All I can say is WTG BILL!!!!! This nite was as exciting as last night's convention and tomorrow will just put the democrats on the top and the republicans will never be able to reach them. Just wondering how they are going to respond to Bill!! I think that Romney and Lyin Ryan are with Boehner tonite with crying towels!!! You could just feel the excitement in that room and feel the feelings that everyone had. Would have been just spectacular to have been there!! Can't wait till Thursday nite--OBAMA---2012!!!!!
A spokesmen for the Romney campaign said that Bill Clinton's speech showed how much Obama is different than Clinton. That is one response. I am sure the Repubs will spin the speech in a way to make Obama look bad in some warped way.
I love Bill Clinton. That is why I voted for him twice. He knew what it was to like compromise after he was handed a Republican Congress in 1996, unlike President Obama. Obama was elected a majority in the House and Senate and told Congress "we were elected, deal with it" and continued to ram legislation down the throats of Republicans. That is why we are so divided in this country. That is why we had a Republican uprising in 2010. We need to get this divisive, hate mongering President out of office so that this country can begin to heal and start working together again.
I'll steal a line from Lloyd Benson in the Vice Presidential election, "President Obama, you are no Bill Clinton."
If you want Republicans to call the shots in the federal government, you need to put someone out there who is not a right-wing hateful insane person. You want compromise? You first. All the compromise I'm seeing from you is you compromising the futures of Americans all over this country. And frankly, at times, Clinton did that too. But are you forgetting how he was willing to shut the government down to make the congressional GOP back down? Are you sure you were old enough to vote back then? That was pretty major and you haven't even mentioned it. How... odd.
Please take a look at yourself!!!
Your post wasn't worth stating once, let alone twice. You sound like a sour-mouth Republican spewing bile on a triumphant nite for Democrats. One look at the photo of those 2 presidents embracing shows real affection, respect and committment to the same cause. Take your dumb self back to a Romney/Ryan site and input your nonsence there. Go Dems! Obama/Biden 2012!
EGPhx: You are so right! That embrace was heartfelt! Not like the air-kiss or superficial back-pat you saw at the RNC. Obama and Clinton are good examples of REAL men.
And Drill Baby: allow me to reiterate...the only thing I see that is "divisive" and "hate mongering" is your post.
In case you missed this part of the speech, Pres. Clinton said: "Partnership...not partisanship" is Pres. Obama's goal. Sounds like "healing" and "working together" to me. Sounds like a mighty fine goal for the rest of us too.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!!
President Clinton said: "Though I often disagree with Republicans, I never learned to hate them the way the far right that now controls their party seems to hate President Obama and the Democrats"
"When times are tough, constant conflict may be good politics but in the real world, cooperation works better"
"Unfortunately, the faction that now dominates the Republican Party doesn’t see it that way. They think government is the enemy, and compromise is weakness"
The Rebup. decided, on inauguration day, they would not work with Pres. Obama. He may have been a bit naive to think that Repub's cared more for the country's economy, more than they hate him.
Posters say Obama would not work with Rebups.--they say this knowing that the president agreed to their ideas.
So, who is dividing the country??
Really you need to stop spamming your nonsense after you already got schooled that it was the GOP who divided the country with their bull@!$%# of pitting religion, race and war drum banging against those who knew the GOP was full of @!$%#.
Really? So it had nothing to do with Republicans deciding their only job was to throw Obama out of office in 2008?
I have seen what makes America great on that stage the whole of this week.I have seen American greatness,uniqueness,innovation,honesty,pride,bravity,tenacity,resilience.I love America.God bless America.God bless the democrats and thier leadership.Amen
I loved the speech but then he is the best president I can ever remember, But he really put down the lies of Mitt Roney and Paul Ryan. now I just pray it works to help get president Obama reelected. For this country can not go back to the days of Bush.
Lets do our part and make sure we help to motivate others to vote.
More Democratic LIES….FactCheck.org
Day 2: More Convention Canards
Posted on September 5, 2012
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On
the second night of their convention, Democrats misled viewers with claims
about Republican economic and social policies. Among the convention canards:
would "take away a woman's right to choose even if she is a rape victim." The
GOP platform strongly opposes abortion, but is silent on exceptions — leaving
that up to the states.
committed to ending insurance coverage for birth control." That's not true.
Both men have spoken against the government requiring employers to cover birth
control at no cost to employees.
toward his goal of doubling exports by 2015. Government figures show the
exports have increased by 29 percent since Obama announced his goal.
domestic spending 20 percent across the board, crippling (fill in your favorite
federally funded program). The Ryan plan doesn't say what programs would be
cut. And Romney has said he would not apply cuts evenly.
Note to Readers
Our managing editor,Lori Robertson, is on the scene in Charlotte at the convention center. This story was written with the help of the entire staff, based in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. We are vetting the major speeches at this convention for factual accuracy, holding Democrats to the same standards we applied in last week's coverage of the Republican convention.
The truth hurts!!!
The truth is the Republican Party went against the American people when they vowed to be destructive. If they were playing baseball and bet against their team they would be band forever and never voted into the hall of fame. This should be no different and every Republican should loose there job and band from participating in politics.
Ryan sponsored a federal personhood bill, how is that leaving a woman's right to choose up to the states? Romney said he would sign such a bill. Just because they say something today doesn't mean that is their position, we all know that by now, just as we all know will lie about anything that makes them sound better at any given moment. A personhood bill passing would also end many forms of birth control as it would make them illegal.
That is great to hear that Ryan's plan is not giving us any details about what domestic programs it would cut, makes me feel better, I just know he would cut only the ones that would not hurt the unemployed or the mentally ill or the elderly!
We know Romney/Ryan are going to voucherize Medicare and cut Medicaid, which if you need nursing home care or have a relative that is mentally impaired and needs help, you are going to be left without the help you need. Vote Obama
That 4.5 million new jobs that Obama supposedly has ushered in to our economy is a pretty good figure to vet...seems the Bureau of Labor Statitistics has the number of people employed in the US in Jan, 2009 at 142.029 million; Jul, 2012 - 142,220 for a net increase of 200,000 only, which is of course, not sufficient to cover the rise in population of working age adults in the 3&1/2 years.
And the news in yesterday that the US Economy has slipped another 2 levels in the past year, to rank 7th in the world, and that is the 4th straight year of decline in narional ranking for this once at the top of the world powerhouse. Obama redistribution of the wealth thru massive deficit social spending just ain't workin folks...we tried that, and doing more of it in the four years ahead is something we just can't afford as a nation. Our national debt of $16 Trillion is now 100% of our Gross Domestic product annually, which means we have officially become Greece!
Time for a change!
Thank you GOP and trickle down bull@!$%# as well as taking the US off the industrial economy and placing us on a service economy. To bad for you righties that the person who created the Fact Check left out how the democrats hit the 4.5 million jobs created in Obama's first term. Just how does one go about getting change from a party that hasn't changed policies in 34 years, the only thing the GOP offer is the same old trickle down tax cuts for the wealthy that has been such a miserable failure.
On point 1, the Federal Government's role is to protect rights. Leaving rape exceptions up to the states isn't protecting those rights, it's opening the door for deeply conservative states to take those rights away. By that logic it would be cool for the Democrats to have a platform plank repealing the 2nd Amendment and leaving it up to states to decide. Sound like a good plan?
On your final point around the mystery that is the cuts Romney/Ryan would make to balance the budget, I believe President Clinton drove that nail far harder then I possibly could. Go read his speech and find a better line of defense.
Are you better off today than four years ago? and the answer is a resounding NO!
US Slips Down Global Competitiveness Ranking
The United States has slipped further down a global ranking of the world's most competitive economies, according to a World Economic Forum (WEF) survey released on Wednesday.
The world's largest economy, which was placed 5th last year, fell two positions to the 7th spot - marking its fourth year of decline.
A lack of macroeconomic stability, the business community's continued mistrust of the government and concerns over its fiscal health were some of the reasons for the downgrade, according to the annual survey.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-slips-down-global-competitiveness-082328481.html
Right because the US would have been better off if all the banks and auto makers would have failed. To bad for you no one is as dumb as the tea bagged republican troll trying to convince themselves that Mitt don't give a @!$%# Romney is going to stand a chance of winning.
The GOP all across America have introduced at least one hundred antiabortion bills at the state level. Everywhere a woman's right to chose is under attack. The first thing that the GOP House under the "jobs, jobs, and more jobs" agenda was introduce the elimination for funding for Planned Parenthood. The GOP also has introduced a plank in their party's platform that would outlaw abortions even for cases of rape, incest, or the life or health risk to the mother. The GOP is has taken a radical extremist few that is not only insulting to all women but will not work in the global economy of the 21st century. President Obama's Affordable Care Act covers family planning, birth control, and other reproductive health screening such as cancer checks and preventive services for all women and girls in America. President Obama treats women with respect while the GOP treats women like farm animals or doormats. The GOP's attitude towards women is not only offensive but is totally unacceptable at a time of unparalleled competition from the BRIC's and Asian-Pacific rimmed countries of the 21st century. We do not have the luxury of treating 50% of our population who are women, like doormats because the Chinese and Indians will kick our ass if we allow the GOP to pull us back into the dark ages of the 19th century.
This was an exceptional speech by an exceptional man. Excellently delivered! Obama 2012!
Is President Clinton running for 3rd term? His speech was an endorsement on himself and his accomplishments. Bubba where's the red meat? This was a set up for Hillary on 2016, that what it was. Even if some of the things he said was outright lie, however he was a GREAT PRESIDENT & I'm a big supporter of him. Thanks for the memories.
You seem in the minority opinion on the efficacy of his speech, there are even many conservative pundits saying it was a big win for the Obama candidacy. Also, making a claim like "Even if some of the things he said was outright lie" by all means please give at least a hint as to the outright lies you detected.
Yes we can, Yes we will, and Yes we did! Thank you President Clinton ♥
The way I last heard Obama state it is "Yes We Can, BUT..."
The last I heard the GOP only say never mind details trust us. Yea because its always better to not know what a persons policies or goals are until after you hire them.
I will vote for Obama. President Clinton did a wonderful job in setting the stage for Obama. He hit on many of the policies that Romney/Ryan and the Republican Party was lying about on a daily basis. His speech was fabulous. He captured my heart and soul. I could have listen to him all night long. This man is good in addressing the issues like no other person. The Republican commentators hardly had a negative word about the speech on CNN and MSNBC. The DNC convention so far is going great. They are hitting it out the park. I pray the American people make the right judgement and re-elect President Obama. Romney/Ryan are not ready for prime time or fit to take the title of being the United States President and Vice President.
We brought out Bill CLINT-on, they brought out CLINT-Eastwood. I think our "CLINT" did a much better job. As I see it, Barrack 2012, Hillary 2016! Romney should just concede. You're down 20 runs with two outs in the ninth inning! Not much chance of coming back.
Bill Clinton gave a brilliant speech and far exceeded my expectations. I knew it would be good but didn't think it was going to be this good. One of the best if not the best ever. As a lifelong Democrat, I have been waiting for the past couple of years to hear a prominent member of the party disect the Repubs. Clinton ripped the Repubs argument apart and explained things that even a T-bag living in their bubble could understand.
Bravo President Clinton!
Bubba has spoken. End of conversation. :)
Bill Clinton was a mistake. Putting him up their to crow about the achievements of his administration, which were obtained only due to his being dragged back to the center in politics from his initial extreme positions by the Republican Revolution in Congress in 1994, two years into his first term of office. If it wasn't for his decision to compromise, to negotiate, and to listen to the fiscal responsibility message of the Republicans and obtain a balanced budget, his administration would have gone the same route as this amateur President, the Great Divider, the Greatest Deficit Spender, the Greatest Deceiver. And the glaring failures of this President to his Clinton's success at least on the economic front (qualified by the recession that began in his last year of office, and persisted into George Bushs first two years, complicated by the 9/11 attack that hurled the nation into War against the forces of Terrorism). Even Clinton's crowning achievement of legislation, negotiated successfully after his first vetos of the Republican congressional led legislative efforts, of Welfare to Work reform is under attack by this new extreme President Obama, who has issued a fiat decision that will grant waivers to states to not press the regulation of the letter of the law as to requiring either education or job training or work or some combination of same to continued receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (the financial component of Federal Welfare) past the first two years of receipt; with only the nebulous "promise" to some miracle increase of 20% of TANF recepients going on to work within a year of receiving the additional financial aide. Which will be forgiven, of course, and re-forgiven, and so on, because it all depends on just some Health and Human Services Secretary's discretion. And Clinton now claims this is an improvement?
12,000,000 Unemployed, up from 10,000,000 in Jan 2009 now according to the Bureau of Labor Statitistics, but a more realistic 23 million Unemployed or Underemployed individuals, citizens and legal immigrans approved for work in this country. And by fiat, this President is ushering in another estimated 1.2 million to those ranks as he directs the issuing of green cards to under age 30 individuals who can fill out an application that states they have been in this country since before the age of 16, no proof required, no investigation planned. And this in a nation with a declining gross domestic product (goods and services measurement), and a declining manufacturing sector over the past four months. Redistribute a little more wealth, I guess...even though that redistribution is 40c borrowed for every dollar spent. And of course, the just reached $15 Trillion National Debt level has put us on the same level officially as Greeve, with out debt 100% if our Gross Domestic Product annually. And its crippling...as the nations consumers and business sector know that the taxes are coming to pay for all of this largesse, and they have retrenched, and so we spiral downward.
Time for a change, folks. We can't afford this path any longer. And if Clinton thinks this is progress, he is measuring it to his experience of his first two disasterous years in office, which he was kindly yanked back to reality from by a Republican control of congress, much to his historical benefit.
That is some seriously wicked spin you've got going there, Karl, is that you?
Arthritis in the fingers this AM, please excuse the typos. In that last sentence of the second paragraph, make that Debt Number $16 Trillion, instead of $15 Trillion, ($5.5 Trillion of it Obama's spending in 3&3/4ths years), and make "Greeve" Greece, the bankrupt European nation being kept afloat on the largesse of its Northern Neighbors in the European Union.
and 2 trillion of that 5.5 trillion you mentioned handed to him by Bush, God ur dumb
How so, Dean. Do you know what your are talking about?
Bush had 4.5 Trillion of deficit spending over 8 years, which included his limited $160 billion stimulus after the colapse of Lehman brothers and consolidation of other Big Investment banks at the outset of the 1995-2005 housing bubble burst, and another $800 billion for the TARP fund, that had been mostly spent to recapatilize the banks and stabilize the nations reeling financial system by the end of Dec, 2008. The $130 billion left over that Obama ploughed into the auto industry bailout, using $85 billion to purchase a 60% taxpayers ownership in GM and now worthless warrants to buy more stock in the years ahead (without Congressional authorization, mind you) far surpassed the $13 billion that Bush provided to GM and $4 billion to Chrysler in loans. George Biush had nothing to do with the wasted and inefficient $5.5 Trillion and going on $6 Trillion of social program deficit spending of the Obama Administration in the just the past 3&3/4ths years.
How is unemployment higher now then 2009?
Your comment keith. 12,000,000 Unemployed, up from 10,000,000 in Jan 2009 now according to the Bureau of Labor
so your saying we have less jobs now then in 2009? yet we can see some improvement. and where would we be if we let gm fall? blame Obamas downfall on republican filibusters.
I believe if they passed the bill for infustructior we would have even more people working. Paying taxes opening more jobs from more people haveing more to spend.
Its called walking around with your eyes closed, tea bagged republicans smack their heads on walls so much it has made them senseless.
There are only 200,00 new jobs now compared to Jan, 2009, Marco...not the 4.5 million that the Democrats are claiming. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employed in Jan, 2009 - 142.029 million, Employed in Jul, 2012 - 142.220 million. And of course, during that 3&1/2 years that this adminisitration has been in power, there has been considerable increase in the number of adults of working age in our country...avg of 160,000 each month, so that 200,000 jobs positive only over 3&1/2 years has actually resulted in more unemployment.
There are new signs of life according to this AMs ADP home surveys, but as this is a self reporting poll only, it often differs drastically from the Department of Labor satistics that will be out tomorrow AM. But the ADP survey did show promise of a possible 200,000 jobs added in August, but I'm afraid that they are counting temporary jobs primarily in the service sector for all those out of highschool and college youth holding down summer jobs, instead of the more trustworthy Department of Labor satistics compiled from people and employers reporting directly. Notably, new Unemployment claims for just the last week are at 366,000+, and have been averaging over 350,000 each week as the economy slumps for months now, and long term unemployment remains tremendously high. Over the past four months, the unemployment rate has been back on the rise, with it standing at 8.3% now on July's figures, from its low of 8.1%. And even that figure is nebulous, as many have just stopped looking for work (unemployed individuals are only picked up by the Dept of Labor if they are applying for biweekly unemployment insurance benefits and/or actively seeking work). We will see tomorrow if there is a hoped for improvement.
You know whats really telling, the tea bagged republican trolls showing their desperation and panic on left leaning blogs. Why they are pulling out every GOP lie uttered from GOP liars over the last 75 years and still failing at convincing anyone other then other ta bagged republican trolls.
Thanks Bill for a cure to my insomnia. Curiously no mention, not one, of any social issue that has become the focus of attacks in the past 6 months.
Some would say help for those most needing it is in fact a social issue, though I assume you mean certain politicians co-signing life begins at inception legislation and such things. I believe the other speakers hit on that hard enough, President Clinton wasn't the right voice for such things. He was brought in to hammer home economic policy and generally counter punch the weak attacks made in Tampa.
The Clintons are national treasures and Obama is cut from the same cloth.
Obama would do well to take some lessons from Bill Clinton, especially in the art of compromise. Obama had it his way for his first two years because he could ignore completely the Republicans in Congress (as his guy at the top in the White House Rahm Emanuel advised him: "F..k them, you have the votes". And when he no longer had the votes, he continued on the same path. Interesting that they are now mumbling about more bi-partisan overtures if there is a 2nd term.
But take a look into Bob Woodward's new book on detailing the blunders and misunderstandings in and out of the White House that gutted the opportunity to obtain an historic Deal to cut spending, raise revenue through tax reform, and make entitlement reforms that he and Speaker of the House Boehner came so close to that was blown up by Obama trying to come back to the table with a demand for a 50% increase in revenues (another $400 billion in tax increases on top of the $800 billion from tax reform already agreed to), and less cuts in domestic discretionary spending on social programs. Either Obama wanted to blow it up, or nobody instructed the amateur President that raising the stakes is a cardinal sin that would in any formal negotiation in Management-LABOR get that digressing party a Not Bargaining in Good Faith charge, and penalty. Or both. Anyhow, that ended any hope of bi-partisan agreement in that Congress, except what the leaders of the Senate and the House were able to salvage the crumbs of the deal as to some spending cuts after they cut the White House out of their negotiations. Read it and weep, Lefties! And Bob Woodward is no right winger...he along with Carl Bernstein sunk Richared Nixon's Presidency. Very interesting that this book appears now, two months before this election, and he starts making the rounds of the talk shows this week.
What I got out of the article is that Ryan and Issa were a couple of spoiled rich kids...
BTW, don't believe Grandpa has read the book yet; he just snarfed up the talking points from some right wing spin sotrts....
And note how he never mentions Boehner's playing golf, only the President's...
Last I looked, John Boehner was Speaker of the House, not the President of the Untited States. And he surely isn't running for President, at least not in 2012.
Got anyrthing saliant to say on Woodwards laying the blame for the Great Deal of the 2011 year going up in smoke on Obama and the White House, Cab Driver?
Clinton grew up in hard times just as Obama did. This gives the child of a tough situation a resolve, clarity of purpose, and compassion that often a silver spoon child does not have. Both men reached the level they did because they determined to be there not only for themselves but to help others get there too. And this makes all the difference.
Obama grew up in hard times? HARDLY, his indulgent mother who conceived him out of wedlock as a student at the University of Hawaii took him when he was just a couple of months old to Seattle, Washington when she left her husband of less than 6 months, so she could attend the University of Washington. Much has been said of Obama's father abandoning him, but it was the mother that left her husband, who remained as a student at the University of Hawaii. I was Obama's mother who initiated divorce proceedings against her husband for incompatability (should have thought about that before she crawled into his bed), and no sooner was she free, she married a millionaire from Indonesia, Barracks stepfather, who moved the family to the swanky section of Dakarta where the pampered new wife of his could begin with anthropological hobby studies. Ths man who adopted Barrack, and sent him to private schools in Indonesia, was later divorced by Barracks mother after almost a 10 year period, while Barrack was attending a ritzy prep school in Hawaii, during his pot smoking, beer drinking, and basketball and golf game lazy beach days that he so proudly wrote about. Add in the pricey Occidental College in California, Columbia University in New York, and later Harvard Law School, and it the millions in royalties and book advances he received so young for his having written two memoirs of his early life, and you certainly can't make a case for having been brought up in poverty and social difficulties.
You were Obama's mother?
Now republicans have become the champions of Medicare, the destroyers and haters of that program are now the saviors... when it becomes popular they will claim they are the party to champion upping the MINIMUM WAGE.. also, champion women's rights, civil rights, union rights, voter rights, and that the GI bill was their idea and masterpiece, except for Eisenhower who championed the interstate highways, tell me what other idea or plan did the retard party ever have...oooopss, im wrong, they did have a few...ill trickle on you economic policy, supply side, supplied to the 1%, and now they have another, we are doubling down on supply side to the 1%, and those retard policies led America into 16trillion of debt..thats the retard party for you in the last 70 years, any retard want to dispute it, please do, i cant wait to hear from a million of you, telling me how wrong i am, and of course offer facts to prove it, right?
ooops 4got to add the biggest program that these retards champion
SOCIAL SECURITY, that was their idea also, how could i forget since im now on Social Security that, the greatest program on earth was the hard work and brain child of the republican party that fought soooo hard to to achieve and make it a reality for senior citizens
Well, Ronald Reagan went to schook on Jack kennedy's cutting of taxes to jumpt start an economic boom and used that to pull us out of the disaster of the misery index in the high 20s of the Jimmy Carter Administration, with its high unemployment, general maliase, stagflation economy (what we are experiencing now when you look at food and gasoline and home heating oil and electricity prices) to one of greatest economic runs of all times in the 80s. Seems that also doubled tax revenue during the 8 years of the Reagan/Bush Administration.
But Big Govrnment, and big taxes is the old Democrat game...and its hard to convince folks that there really is a better way. When Bill Clinton began his 2nd term of office, he stated unequivabily that the age of Big Government is over. Last night he announced its back, in spades, under Barrack Obama!
Reagan failed and Reagan was no JFK, in fact Bonzo the chimp knew more then Reagan.
George Bush said that Reagan's policies was voodoo economics, Reagan's budget director said it was the biggest scam ever perpetuated on the american people and then Reagan went on his merry way and quadrupled the national debt, then the retards named airports, battleships and built statues of that bum, so Clinton comes along in his second term balanced the budget, for a few years had surpluses that trimmed Reagan deficit down a bit and handed George Walker a 246 billion surplus, the other Bush then ran with it and doubled Reagan quadruple deficit and sent the whole world into a death spiral... and here we are
Funny how the Reagan Tax Cuts and the cutting of the hamstring red tape of excessive regulation on businesses by Government agencies inleashed an economic revivial that doubled the tax revenues of the US Government from when he took office.
Also, the budget balancing under Clinton's 2nd term was brought about by the Republican revolution taking congrol of congress and their fiscal reforms, that forced him into a stabilization posture, and produced those surpluses, which were mostly the result of capital gains taxes as the shaky and popping fianancial asset bubble blown up by Alan Greenspan at the controls of the Fed had caused a lot of panicked stock and bond sales that generated that surplus. It was spent fighting the recession of 1999-2002 that was also complicated by the 9/11 terrorist attack in our financial system and transportation sytem that required an all out response from our federal, state, and local governments which is still a burden to us now today, and will be for some time to come. But at no time had any of the national debt been retired in the Clinton years...in fact, when he left office the national debt was at $5.5 Trillion It took 12 years of doubling that, most of that coming in the last four 3&3/4ths years, to get to $16 Trillion, and counting.
Right except you are lying all Reagan created was the Record Deficit until the Bushs out spent Reagan, Raised taxes 11 times, crashed the stock market and by 88 7.7 million more families went on the welfare rolls, the true Reagan legacy.
Hmmm...Reagan...Reagan...oh yeah...wasn't he that Republican president who tripled the deficit, with unfunded tax cuts being one of the major contributors thereof?
Why...YES, he was!
Do you mean that ol' GW simply took a page out of the Gipper's playbook about unfunded tax cuts?
Why...YES, he did!
And does Mitt Romney want to be president so he can do the same thing?
Why...YES, he does!
That should about do it...
Go Billy, you showed us last night what a buffoon Presidnet Obama is. You did the GOP proud. Please everyone remember that in 2008 some people voted for Obama to prove to themselves that they were not racists, in 2012 they will vote for Romney to prove that they are not idiots.
The DNC is going great, but I am still hoping that they will have William Shatner as a mystery guest who talks to an empty suit.
But, who will they use as the empty suit? Romney is in debate prep.
Hey CONS, let's do some ARITHMETIC...
Name the Obama policies that added trillions to the debt and the amounts.
Then deduct that amount from the current $16 TRILLION.
The rest is GOP spending.
Spending to fix the GOP F'ups is still GOP spending and NOT Obama's fault so do not count those.
All progressives should start asking that question and doing that ARITHMETIC.
The CONS will NEVER have those numbers because they DO NOT exist.
I bet all you will get is NOTHING but insults and ridicule.
Are you speaking of the Afhanistan War, and the wind down of the Iraq War (which was won and the terms of US troop withdrawal negotiated in the George Bush administration)? The Afghanistan War was the war that the Dems favored, especially Obama. You seem to forget that Bush had to go to a Democrat Party controlled Congress to get authorization and appropriations for the War on Terror, the War in Afghanistan, and even the War in Iraq, BO 2012. Our foreign policy is always a bi-partisan policy.
Democratic majorities hardly control anything with the GOP filibusters.
Iraq and Afganistan are a GOP Policies under a GOP President and voted in full by the GOP.
US economy now ranked 7th in the world, its fourth straight annual decline from its once top of the heap spot. Seems the mounting debt, the continued inability to get control of the deficit spending in the federal government (operating without a budget) and the distrust of the govenment by the nation's business sector went into the decision to take the US of A down another 2 ranks this year. But Clinton says this is progress, and we need more of the same? Give me a break!
Are you saying the U.S. still doesn't have the largest economy in the world?
Wouldn't surprise me if you did, you've made more dishonest claims.
I'm still wondering if FAUX stuck out a headline, "DNC Welcomes Castro!"
The largest still, but not the most stable and competitive economy in the world. Swizerland is ranked 1st now, and Singapore 2nd for example, not on size, but on stability of their economies and competitiveness, Cab Driver. And the national debt, its relationship to our slumping annual GDP (now 100% of our annual total output of goods and services, just like bankrupt and on life support Greece), and the continued distrust of this Obama Administration with its regulatory zeal and taxing zeal by the business sector are the prime measurements we failed in, Cab Driver.