It’s actually 300 TRILLION. That’s an almost unimaginable amount of money. Many, many times the federal budget.

Give everyone one thousand dollars, and the total would be $300 billion. And the effect on the economy would be minimal (we tried a smaller version under Bush, and it did almost nothing to stimulate the economy).

I would urge some of the people here who have issues with the money part to read this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget

Good overview of the budget.

My take on Obama:

Basically what I expected. Very disappointed on HCR, but he will get something through.

The economy, I think he’s generally made good choices. I would hva eliked a bigger stimulus, but it wouldn’t get through Congress. The Bailout? My felling is, no bailout, we have a COMPLETE collapse of the world economy. Unemployment is 10%, would be upwards of 15% w/o some type of bailout. I worked in insurance, AIG had so many fingers in so many pies the domino effect would be un believable.

I never would have thought that GOP would actually be as bad as they are, they actually revel in ignorance. Can’t work with anyone in the party, and half the Dem senators are useless and/or stupid as hell.

Good luck on getting a hard-left progressive type ever elected. I suggest people here need a reality check.

I especially liked the one who said Obama has had everything handed to him, because we all know that being an African-American male gives you such a leg up in the US.

You gad a typeO thar. Should read LAME, not tame.

McCrysthal with Amanpour on CNN right now.

I know Taylor says the electorate has a short memory but I can’t see any Republican on the horizon who is strong. If this country would elect the likes of Sarah Palin then it is time for all of us to find another country to live in, pronto.On the other hand we could lose a number of congressional seats.

I am all out of positive answers…I thought a Democratic majority was the answer,sadly I was wrong.

Rahm wants to protect the likes of Lincoln, Nelson, Landrieu,Carper, Dorgan,etc. An lordy don’t upset Snowe or Collins – but especially Snowe.

No angels81, Obama is turning out to be exactly what I feared he was.

As for you point about getting better Dems in office,I couldn’t agree more.

That is the biggest error in analysis that plagues the Obama Pumas.

Obama is not only NOT an ideologue, let alone a “progressive,” he’s not a “small step” in any direction other than he’s not McCain-Palin. Obama’s non-ideological compass is something I warned people about over and over again, which no regular reader from the last two years has forgotten, angels81, so you’re missing the point. He doesn’t care at all about Democratic imperatives, with his whole notion of presidential power to get “wins” that represent compromise in order to keep his power base. His speech last week on Afghanistan, which was not only nonsensical, but a muddled mess, was more proof of this fact. His lack of passion on health care, other than to get a “win,” is another.

Again, you posit that we should simply be happy with Obama because he’s “a small step” towards some “progressive” goal, which Barack Obama does not embrace, represent or care about in the least.

This is not about Hillary Clinton for me, but since *you* invoked her name, I will say one thing. First, in Afghanistan, the escalation would have come earlier and been robust, with no mention of a July 2011 draw down, eliciting a cacophony from the left that would deafen the tea party activists. She would *not* have taken as firm a line on settlements as Obama, nor given a speech in Cairo. She would, however, have led on health care from the start, with there never being a doubt what she wanted and what she would have vetoed. You all can decide on what all that would have meant. I’m just giving you the reality, as few know HRC’s politics better than myself.

Saying that we are now “far better off” than we were with Bush is NOT what a Democratic majority was supposed to mean. Even worse, from PPP:

Perhaps the greatest measure of Obama’s declining support is that just 50% of voters now say they prefer having him as President to George W. Bush, with 44% saying they’d rather have his predecessor.

All leaders in Congress & from the White House have a choice to coerce members to follow, with ramifications if they don’t. Obama chose bipartisanship, which he did not get, which allowed his own majority to, forgive the words, go rogue.

It’s better to be feared than loved. But when things turn sour and you’re heading toward neither it’s even worse.

angels81, “Did you all buy the repug line…?” No, I didn’t. Nor did I buy the “cult of personality” lines which Taylor so nicely summarizes. We definitely need to change leadership, as you say. How to do that seems to be the question.

What did everyone expect when they voted a middle of the road democrat into the white house? Obama is not a left of center or progressive democrat, he’s right in the middle of the democratic party. Did you all buy the repug line that he was the most liberal democrat in the senate?

In the last election we changed who sits in the white house, but we sent the same old crowd back to congress. The leadership in congress did not change, we have the same bought and paid for leaders in charge. I now hear people lamenting about Hillary, like she could have done any better. Hillary is also another middle of the road democrat.

Progressive’s made a small step when we elected Obama, but the sad truth is we do not control the democratic party yet. We are far better off then we have been for the last eight years, but until we change the leadership in the democratic party, this is the best we will get.

http://www.taylormarsh.com/2009/12/08/obamas-pumas/

Wow, thought that word (PUMA) was extinct …

By now , I could have guessed they all went under the species Palinites … !

I don’t often disagree with you hc4bo, but that is insulting. There is no comparison.

A good number of LGBT residence are not pleased, either.

And, yes, taking a Democratic majority for granted is a terrible thing, as is the accompanying taking voters for granted. A part of what’s happening now is voters trying to let the Democratic majority and President know they should be very careful about taking their votes for granted and depending on the “they have no where else to go” argument. What to do to geth their attention?

He’s smart enough and perhaps talented enough that he can likely get it together and realy make a difference to the people. It just depends on how deeply enmeshed he is wit the money from the REAL sources that brung him to the big dance. And it depends on what his real principles are and where his heart and soul truly are.

No problem! It’s been a long time since I opened comments on main page posts. Off topic comments will be deleted, however. In the News VERY important for you all, which I still hope grows.

Nothing stated above means I think we should have Republicans in power.

Another thing….It is a mistake to think all Puma sites are pro Palin. Many are sites of disaffected Democrats but their values are still liberal. They might defend attacks on Palin for feminist reasons but not because they would vote for her.

Isis …I know the Repubs are doing everything they can to obstuct any progress. I think they are demonstrating the height of irresponsibily to their constutuients and to this country. However, we have Democratic majorities and it is Democrats who are making hash of a UHC bill.

Obama also allowed the Sarah Palin contingent to hijack the health care debate, which was a sign of deplorable leadership from him.

The other reality is that the American people have VERY short memories, that includes re: Bush. However, they do remember the flight of Obama’s campaign and what was promised. Even though there is absolutely no doubt that Obama’s presidency began on circumstances not his making, like Jimmy Carter, he’s stuck with what he has inherited and is expected to deliver “change.” Many just aren’t seeing it, with what’s being accomplished not what was hoped from a Democratic majority.

Young people and women are not pleased right now; the former unlikely to come out next year, but that’s usual in an off year election, with the latter a serious question mark. A Democratic majority is a terrible thing to take for granted.

That statement scares me almost more then a repugnantklan return to power. Are memories in America REALLY that short? Almost makes me wish it would happen just to see the folks reactions.

——-

Agree.

It is very misleading to focus on the failings of the Dems “can they achieve anything good!?!” without mentioning that at the moment there is only one party that is attempting to really govern the US and tackle the issues we are facing, and it is the dems. That the work of the current administration is greatly hindered by the various procedural tricks GOPers are using to delay appointments to senior positions or delay the adoption of any reform. Despite that GOPers are complaining that the current legislative agenda imposed by the president and the dems is so dense that laws they would have opposed are passing without them being able to muster opposition. What about the work of Dems like Barney Frank who are working like mad to pass a bill that will restrict the power of banks and start tackling the too big to fail issue with some credibility.

It is a pity because at the moment we really need a strong opposition party with ideas as to how to tackle the challenges facing America.

This also includes titles like “Obama called me to tell me to stop demeaning him”. Somehow I just don’t see Obama calling all the congressmen who criticise or insult him asking them to stop. My guess is that he has some sort of relationship, maybe friendly relationship with the Rep. That the Rep does not disagree with him and says so is perfectly normal and healthy, but when I read the article on the HuffPo I was like what is the point? That Obama is now a whiner or that he expects all black congressmen to agree with him? What sort of discussion is that supposed to encourage. What about sweeping statements like everything Obama says is a lie, Or he doesn’t have a clue? No real dialogue can start with that. While I agree with the many of the criticisms voiced, misleading reporting and lack of balance is what kills dialogue for some of us rather than hero worship.