Look for optimism now in the press. If you pay attention it will be like night and day. The glass was half empty and we were doomed to the glass is half full and better times ahead. After a while once the media has been on board for a while they will float some test baloon polls and if the numbers are looking right they will release poll results to inform you that you are optimistic about the future.
Headline today by Obama Who has preached economic doom and gloom for about a year and a half. Obama says US economy sound, reassures investors Mar 14, 5:18 PM (ET) By DARLENE SUPERVILLE WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Saturday downplayed divisions between the U.S. and Europe over how to tackle the world's financial crisis and said China should have "absolute confidence" that its sizable investments in the United States are safe. In a conversation focused heavily on the economy, Obama met in the Oval Office with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. It was the latest in a series of talks the president has had with his counterparts around the world before a pair of international meetings where the economic crisis will dominate. Both leaders will attend the Group of 20 countries summit in London on April 2, and the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad in mid-April. Obama said the notion that the U.S. and Europe are already taking sides, with America pushing for more stimulus spending and European nations favoring tighter regulation of the financial industry, is a "phony debate." "I can't be clearer in saying that there are no sides," Obama told reporters after the meeting. He said a full range of approaches, including stimulus spending such as his own recently enacted $787 billion package, and financial regulation, are needed to help revive the global economy. Financial regulation "is front and center" among the issues he wants to deal with, he said. "In my mind, at least, there is no conflict or contradiction between the positions of the G-20 countries and how we're going to be moving forward," Obama said, adding that differences in details were being worked out. "I expect to have a productive meeting." Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who had pushed for Europe to match Washington's $787 billion package of spending and tax cuts, said Saturday that there was "broad consensus globally on the need to act aggressively to restore growth to the global economy. Geithner spoke in London at a prepratory meeting of finance officials from the rich and developing G-20 countries. At home, Obama also sought to assure China that its investments in the U.S. are safe. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had said Friday he was concerned about the safety of the estimated $1 trillion his country has invested in U.S. government debt. China is Washington's biggest foreign creditor, and Obama's administration is counting on the Chinese to help pay for the $787 billion economic stimulus package by buying U.S. bonds. "Of course we are concerned about the safety of our assets. To be honest, I'm a little bit worried," Wen said. "I would like to call on the United States to honor its words, stay a credible nation and ensure the safety of Chinese assets." Wen - and other investors - needn't worry, Obama said. "There's a reason why even in the midst of this economic crisis you've seen actual increases in investment flows here into the United States," Obama said. "I think it's a recognition that the stability not only of our economic system, but also our political system, is extraordinary. "I think that not just the Chinese government, but every investor, can have absolute confidence in the soundness of investments in the United States," he added. Silva said the crisis gives world leaders an "extraordinary opportunity" to demonstrate to their people that they are capable of handling major issues. He said it was critically important to create jobs, create incomes and boost consumption. "We are in a large ship and water is leaking," Silva said, speaking through a translator. "Now is the time to fix the leaking and make the economy go back to the tracks." Obama discussed the global economic crisis on Friday during telephone calls to his counterparts in Argentina, Indonesia, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia. He also has discussed the issue during recent Oval Office meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
Remember I called it before it happened http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090315/obama_economy.html Obama aides change their rhetoric on economy Sunday March 15, 12:48 pm ET By Philip Elliott, Associated Press Writer Obama aides reverse campaign rhetoric, call general economic conditions fundamentally sound WASHINGTON (AP) -- One of President Barack Obama's economic advisers said Sunday that the economy is fundamentally sound, a striking reversal from the Democrat's campaign rhetoric as his administration now guides the nation's financial health amid dire conditions. Obama's Democratic allies pleaded for patience for an administration hitting the two-month mark this week, while Republicans said the White House's plans ignore small business and the immediate need to fix what ails the economy. During the fall campaign, Obama mercilessly mocked his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, for declaring, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong." Obama's team painted the veteran senator as out of touch and failing to grasp the challenges facing the country. On Sunday, economic adviser Christina Romer was asked during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" if the fundamentals of the economy were sound. "Of course they are sound," she replied. "The fundamentals are sound in the sense that the American workers are sound, we have a good capital stock, we have good technology," she said. "We know that -- that temporarily we're in a mess, right? We've seen huge job loss, we've seen very large falls in GDP. So certainly in the short run we're in a -- in a bad situation." Just a week ago, White House Office of Management and Budget director Peter Orszag declared that "fundamentally, the economy is weak." The seesaw message from the new administration drew sharp criticism from Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who said Obama's team was exploiting the economic situation for political gain. "They're taking advantage of a crisis in order to do things that had nothing to do with getting us into the crisis in the first place," McConnell said. Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, promoted a potential plan to help move so-called toxic assets off bank ledgers. "And I think, as I said, they are well along in this," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. "If they wait a week or two more, no one ought to get all in a twitter about that. It's very important to do it right." The president's team largely rejected suggestions that officials were considering taxing employees' health benefits. As a candidate Obama had called such a proposal a "multitrillion-dollar tax hike." "I'm not leaving the door open," said Austan Goolsbee, staff director of the Council of Economic Advisers, responding to a report in Sunday's New York Times. "The president has laid out a series of clear principles on the health plan that we will do whatever it takes to get affordable quality coverage to all Americans." Romer said she wouldn't take the idea off the table, but she added that Obama hasn't supported it. Larry Summers, the president's chief economic adviser, said it wasn't part of Obama's principles but left open the possibility of such a move from Congress, where Democrats control both chambers. Republicans were not resigned to accept Democrats' plans. Rep. Eric Cantor, the GOP's No. 2 leader in the House, promised an alternative budget, in part to counter Democratic attacks that his party provided only "no" but not other ideas. Cantor said Obama's plan ignored the needs of small businesses and the middle class and would pass along an extra $800 in taxes to each American. Members of both parties, however, joined in the criticism of troubled insurance giant American International Group, who paid out tens of millions in bonuses despite posting the largest corporate loss in history during the fourth quarter of last year. Summers called the payout "outrageous," given AIG has received more than $170 billion in a public bailout and reported a loss of $61.7 billion. Frank said AIG's leaders who approved the bonuses shouldn't stay in power. And McConnell said the payments do little to boost public confidence. "This is an outrage," McConnell said. "And for them to simply sit there and blame it on the previous administration or claim contract -- we all know that contracts are valid in this country, but they need to be looked at." McConnell appeared on ABC's "This Week." Summers appeared on ABC and on CBS's "Face the Nation." Romer and Cantor appeared on NBC. Goolsbee and Frank appeared on "Fox News Sunday."
White House says economy is sound despite 'mess' http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090315/D96ULF580.html Mar 15, 3:31 PM (ET) By PHILIP ELLIOTT WASHINGTON (AP) - The economy is fundamentally sound despite the temporary "mess" it's in, the White House said Sunday in the kind of upbeat assessment that Barack Obama had mocked as a presidential candidate. Obama's Democratic allies pleaded for patience with an administration hitting the two-month mark this week, while Republicans said the White House's plans ignore small business and the immediate need to fix what ails the economy. After weeks projecting a dismal outlook on the economy, administration officials - led by the president himself in recent days - swung their rhetoric toward optimism in what became Wall Street's best stretch since November. During the fall campaign, Obama relentlessly criticized his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain, for declaring, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong." Obama's team painted the veteran senator as out of touch and failing to grasp the challenges facing the country. But on Sunday, that optimistic message came from economic adviser Christina Romer. When asked during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" if the fundamentals of the economy were sound, she replied: "Of course they are sound." "The fundamentals are sound in the sense that the American workers are sound, we have a good capital stock, we have good technology," she said. "We know that - that temporarily we're in a mess, right? We've seen huge job loss, we've seen very large falls in GDP. So certainly in the short run we're in a - in a bad situation." Just a week ago, White House Office of Management and Budget director Peter Orszag declared that "fundamentally, the economy is weak." Days later, Obama told reporters he was confident in the economy. "If we are keeping focused on all the fundamentally sound aspects of our economy, all the outstanding companies, workers, all the innovation and dynamism in this economy, then we're going to get through this," Obama said, striking a tone that his top aides mimicked. Despite the new enthusiasm at the White House and on Wall Street, there was little solid evidence to suggest an end was in sight to the severe recession that has already cost 4 million American jobs, driven down home values and sent foreclosures soaring. Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said he was concerned about the safety of the estimated $1 trillion his country has invested in U.S. government debt. Obama sought to downplay the worries. "There's a reason why even in the midst of this economic crisis you've seen actual increases in investment flows here into the United States," Obama said Saturday in the Oval Office. "I think it's a recognition that the stability not only of our economic system, but also our political system, is extraordinary." The seesaw message from the new administration drew sharp criticism from Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who said Obama's team was exploiting the economic situation for political gain. "They're taking advantage of a crisis in order to do things that had nothing to do with getting us into the crisis in the first place," McConnell said. Democratic lawmakers promoted a potential plan to help move so-called toxic assets off bank ledgers. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., said discussions were under way, but would not be rushed. "If they wait a week or two more, no one ought to get all in a twitter about that. It's very important to do it right," he said. Also Sunday, the president's team largely rejected suggestions that officials were considering taxing employees' health benefits. As a candidate Obama had called such a proposal a "multitrillion-dollar tax hike." "I'm not leaving the door open," said Austan Goolsbee, a senior White House economist with a broad portfolio and a personal friendship with Obama, responding to a report in Sunday's New York Times. "The president has laid out a series of clear principles on the health plan that we will do whatever it takes to get affordable quality coverage to all Americans." Romer said she wouldn't take the idea off the table, but she added that Obama hasn't supported it. Larry Summers, the president's chief economic adviser, said it wasn't part of Obama's principles but left open the possibility of such a move from Congress, where Democrats control both chambers. Republicans refused to accept Democrats' plans. McConnell said the GOP would work to amend the proposal in the Senate, but not put forward a wholesale plan. Rep. Eric Cantor, the GOP's No. 2 leader in the House, promised an alternative budget, in part to counter Democratic attacks that his party provided only "no" but not other ideas and in part to help small businesses, whom Cantor said Obama ignores. In contrast to Cantor's charge, Obama planned to provide billions of dollars in federal lending aid aimed at struggling small business owners. The broad package of measures to be announced Monday includes $730 million from the stimulus plan that will immediately reduce small-business lending fees and increase the government guarantee on some Small Business Administration loans to 90 percent, according to officials briefed on the plan who demanded anonymity because the announcement had not been made. McConnell appeared on ABC's "This Week." Summers appeared on ABC and on CBS's "Face the Nation." Romer and Cantor appeared on NBC. Goolsbee and Frank appeared on "Fox News Sunday."
Joe you need a hobby to get you away from all the political poison you've been ingesting lately. I will recommend a couple for you. 1) Start a gun and ammunition collection. Join a club to hone your skills with said collection. 2) Take up archery (buy a good equipment) and learn to shoot well at 50 yards or better. Sometimes killing quietly is good. 3) Buy some good camo clothes and accessories and practice stealth in the woods so that you can get within shooting range of whatever you may find lurking in the woods. How's that for optimism?
What collecting skills? How about collecting bones? Nah that's just keeping evidence around. Maybe we will meet one day and you can find out about my marksmanship skills. But me I got no gun makes or models you could indite me for any rumor you may have heard was just hearsay.
Always good to keep in practice with the gun collection you have if you prefer not to get more modern firepower. Unless you plan move to northen NH when our "commander in chief" calls for marshall law you probably won't get a chance to show me your prowess with firearms.
Joe likes the way his musket shoots smoke out, not to mention most soldiers hit by one died of infection, not of the actual bullet....
I watched a special on those things, they were bad. Especially with the enemy all standing in row. They did a ballistics test and showed that a single musket ball could penetrate up to 10 soldiers. Not only is it a dirty musket ball, its covered with bodily fluids from the other infantry it went through before it got to you. That would be a sucky way to go out. As long as they make hair spray and potato's I'll have a gun....
Death by spud gun! :biggrin: That's gotta hurt. Yeah I understand the most dreaded way to go was a gut shot with a slow painful death by infection and blood poisoning.
For fuck's sake, the supplies of ammo have been so dry here lately, about the only thing you can find on the shelves are the Ramset powder-actuated tool section at Home Depot. The're these little .22, .25, .27, etc, rimfire blanks designed to be fed into a power nailing device, and they're actually made by Winchester (they have the "Super X" logo on the rim.) Seriously, though - it's getting bad, people hoarding ammo... I've even got guns now that I don't even have ammo for. :frown: ***Nothing important, though - show pcs, or "curios and relics" - got my main bases covered.
Look up H.R. 45 H.R. 45, Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009. Sponsored by Illinois Democrat Rep. Bobby Rush http://www.opencongress.o rg/bill/111-h45/show You know they keep wedging in ever closer often times never enforcing the regulations they impose so as to argue that more regulation is needed. After a while it does not matter that you never registered your weapons and they do not have to know you have them they only need to regulate the ammunition. "Sir why are you wanting to purchase those rounds? Do you have a license for a fire arm?" You can stock up all you want and hand down old outdated ammunition to the next generation in your family but the snare just gets tighter. Eventually you cannot get reload supplies and you have precious little ammo on the shelf and it matters not that you were able to own a bunch of pieces of metal fully capable of shooting bullets. You cannot get bullets.
