Obama Becomes Negative, Dumping on the Fed

Paul Krugman
Dana Milbank
Jacob Bernstein
Eric McMorris-Santoros

"By making what was in effect a multibillion-dollar gift to Wall Street, policy makers undermined their own credibility — and put the broader economy at risk." - Paul Krugman

"The GOP has returned to a familiar line on Obama and national security in the days since Holder's announcement. It's time to be afraid again, they say, hearkening back to the days of duct tape and Orange alerts even some Republicans thought they left behind on Election Day 2008." - Eric Santoros

President Barack Obama's poll ratings have slipped below 50% for the first time since he was elected. Until the major battles in Congress die down, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan become resolved, and small businesses make a comeback along with more available jobs, it won't get substantially better anytime soon. After the heady elation that surrounded his victory, there is bound to be a negative reaction as the realities of the job conflicts with promises made on the campaign trail. But most important, is the jobs.

Did anyone really expect more transparency? The reason for opaqueness in an administration is because they don't want the public to know every time they make a mistake and screw things up. If the public knew how much the Pentagon spent on developing weapons and planes based on ideas that are so plainly obvious they never will work, their budget would become a lot smaller and designs more intelligent. Every time information is labeled classified, you would be appalled at what it contains and they would be embarrassed and humiliated. National security is just a polite term for smoke and mirrors...

I'm beginning to think that there really is too much disinformation on the Internet. Then, if you gravitate to sites that always make stuff up and you believe in it, what does that say about one's critical abilities? A majority of college graduates never pick up a book after they matriculate, and years of getting your news and entertainment from television develops passive functioning instead of active behavior. That's why I yell at my tv so much.

But it gets worse for that dwindling number of our population, known collectively as the Republican Party: "A new Public Policy Polling survey found that a majority of Republican voters think that ACORN stole the presidential election for Barack Obama last year.


Fifty-two percent of national GOPers said ACORN stole Obama the presidency; only 27% think he won it legitimately." It's sad, really sad, and I'm beginning to wonder what constitutes reality? As the day of the ending of the Mayan calendar approaches, our political and social landscape more closely resembles a Phillip Dick novel, fueled by amphetamines and incipient paranoia...

And Sarah Palin responded to her critics by saying that they were a bunch of lonely, shallow people. I'm lonely, yes, my social life consists of this blog and hanging out with one cat and three small doggies, but the conversations we have together are anything but shallow. Do you even realize how under-rated Little Friskies are, or that a dog wearing a sweater is no laughing matter when it snows? In the words of Lady, an eight-year-old chihuahua, WOOF RUFF WOOF! Which, translates as: bring it on, bitch!

can't get no respect...
Even Fed Secretary Timothy Geithner is feeling the heat, especially from Republicans in Congress: "... at a session of the Joint Economic Committee, Republicans escalated their attacks on Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, including a call for his resignation.

"Conservatives agree that as point person, you failed. Liberals are growing in that consensus as well," said Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Tex.). "For the sake of our jobs, will you step down from your post?"


Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Tex.) took a different tack. "I don't think that you should be fired," he told Geithner. "I thought you should have never been hired."

Unfortunately for these Republican critics its felt that the economy is recovering, if a bit sluggishly. Mr Geithner wants to stop the bailout program and use the funds towards balancing the budget. On the other hand, Ron Paul's bill to oversee the Fed passed overwhelmingly through committee, with Barney Frank the lone dissenter.

Despite the bravado that the GOP is going to pick up a lot of seats during the next mid-term election in 2010, this display signals that many of the players are worried. Insert sports metaphor here. Of course they will win some, but the promise of in-fighting with the tea addled among themselves may prove to be as destructive as it will be entertaining. Many of the state GOP parties are trying to par down their candidates to one, so that there won't be any primary fights. Here in Colorado, they are trying to rally around Scott McInnis, but that old wacko campaigner, Tom Tancredo, is threatening to spoil things by throwing his hat into the ring for Governor.

And now, our New York moment of Zen: