AP analysis of Obama's Monday presser

Mike Gaskey

AP is being unusually objective.[^] While there's no question there are problems, BS and pork doesn't fix anything. The stimulus bill as it currently sits in the Senate is in excess of 750 pages. There's little or no chance that any of the fools voting for or against it have even read it. So here we go, plunging head long into a problem that isn't completely understood with a solution no one has even read. Sort of like going into production with code you haven't tested. Now that works, right?

Mike - typical white guy. The USA does have universal healthcare, but you have to pay for it. D'oh. Thomas Mann - "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." The NYT - my leftist brochure. Calling an illegal alien an “undocumented immigrant” is like calling a drug dealer an “unlicensed pharmacist”. God doesn't believe in atheists, therefore they don't exist.

realJSOP

Mike Gaskey wrote:

The stimulus bill as it currently sits in the Senate is in excess of 750 pages.

I wonder if they've started making electronic versions available. It would certainly be a cool thing to write a program called "BaconBuster", that would automatically search for pork in the specified document.

"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

David Crow

John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

...automatically search for pork in the specified document.

It looks as though a lot of that has already been done. See here. Other sites have taken it apart in much the same manner.

"Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw later in life what you have deposited along the way." - Unknown

"The brick walls are there for a reason...to stop the people who don't want it badly enough." - Randy Pausch

Oakman

Mike Gaskey wrote:

So here we go, plunging head long into a problem that isn't completely understood with a solution no one has even read.

It concerns me greatly that Obama's primary response to any criticism raised by Republicans is to blame them for the mess (they certainly helped) and to claim that he is the little Dutch boy, single-handedly holding back the incursion of the Seas of Destruction while anyone who opposes the bill is busy drilling more holes in the dike. Regardless of who won the election, the Republicans in both the House and the Senate may have some insight to share (With the possible exception of Pete Sessions who announced that the Republicans are studying the techniques of Al Qaeda :wtf: ) I keep trying to plow through the bill and read some commentary on it at the same time. I don't pretend that I can say that I understand it totally. But I keep wondering why, if some of this stuff will not have any impact on the US economy for the next two years, it can't be excised from this bill which has been labeled "super-urgent," and considered later, after we have had time to take a look at what the impact of those parts of the bill that can be started up immediately have had. A cut in payroll taxes could be implemented almost immediately and while it might not be as sexy as a new icebreaker for the Navy, it damn well would put more money in the hands of the people who need it, and if they put it in the bank rather than spending it, then the bankers can spend it by giving out loans to people who want to make big ticket purchases. There are shovel-ready infrastructure projects simply waiting for funding. And there are people who need to use the safety net, so let us make sure that states have the funding needed for unemployment benefits, even if they have to turn the airconditioning down and let the temps climb above 68F.

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Algoraphobia: An exaggerated fear of the outside world rooted in the belief that one might spontaneously combust due to global warming.

wolfbinary

I think "Beyond that, it's unlikely the nation will ever know how many jobs are saved as a result of the stimulus. While it's clear when jobs are abolished, there's no economic gauge that tracks job preservation." from the article said it best. Even if you don't agree with the stimulus, or any stimulus package for that matter, I don't think there is a way to directly correlate them with any stimulus package piece directly.

Mike Gaskey wrote:

solution no one has even read

I don't think they ever read the bills they vote for unless they author them, and even then I wonder.

Reagan Conservative

Well, when this "stimulus" package doesn't "stimulate" anything more than inflation, will Obama stand up and say "I messed up again?" Good luck to us all --- we're going to need it!

AF Pilot

wolfbinary

Oakman wrote:

Pete Sessions who announced that the Republicans are studying the techniques of Al Qaeda WTF )

WTF, guy's an a$$hat! Where did you hear about this at?

Mike Gaskey

Oakman wrote:

It concerns me greatly that Obama's

is as dishonest as the day is long. Here's something interesting buried in the mush of stimulating words. no big deal, just an underhanded way of taking control of the healthcare system - without debate.[^]

Mike - typical white guy. The USA does have universal healthcare, but you have to pay for it. D'oh. Thomas Mann - "Tolerance becomes a crime when applied to evil." The NYT - my leftist brochure. Calling an illegal alien an “undocumented immigrant” is like calling a drug dealer an “unlicensed pharmacist”. God doesn't believe in atheists, therefore they don't exist.

Oakman

Picked it up on Joe Scarborough's show. And like a lot of hearsay, I got it wrong. :-O It wasn't Senator Pete Sessions, it was Congressman Jeff Sessions and it wasn't Al Qaeda, it was the Taliban. However, the gentleman in question is a Republican. Source[^]

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Algoraphobia: An exaggerated fear of the outside world rooted in the belief that one might spontaneously combust due to global warming.

wolfbinary

Thanks. I always appreciate sources to go along with the information.

Oakman

Mike Gaskey wrote:

Here's something interesting buried in the mush of stimulating words. no big deal, just an underhanded way of taking control of the healthcare system - without debate.[

Wow. Good catch. I wonder if anyone at AARP has heard about this?

Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface Algoraphobia: An exaggerated fear of the outside world rooted in the belief that one might spontaneously combust due to global warming.

Rob Graham

That alone would explain the unseemly haste to push through this sausage of spending delights as rapidly as possible without time for debate or examination.

realJSOP

He's already starting to blame the republicans for delaying it. He certainly won't shoulder any of the when it fails. It will be the republicans' fault because they delayed its passage.

"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
-----
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001

Reagan Conservative

You may be right about that --- sadly, there will be many who can't see the writing on the wall, and agree with him.

AF Pilot

BoneSoft

Nope, he'll say those 3 dirty Republicans passed it. Or blame the Republicans who didn't vote for it for somehow breaking it. Or just blame Bush for "the last eight years", some more. Or he may be more subtle and point to the 40% of the bill dedicated to "tax cuts" which is code for "Republican's fault". Funny, he got elected by promising "tax cuts" and now it's a "failed economic philosophy".

Visit BoneSoft.com for code generation tools (XML & XSD -> C#, VB, etc...) and some free developer tools as well.

Reagan Conservative

Yeah, he's got the "doublespeak" portion down pat! '1984', here we come!

AF Pilot

BoneSoft

Oakman wrote:

But I keep wondering why, if some of this stuff will not have any impact on the US economy for the next two years, it can't be excised from this bill which has been labeled "super-urgent,"

Simple. Stimulus is not what he's interested in. Funding his 4 year agenda is.

Visit BoneSoft.com for code generation tools (XML & XSD -> C#, VB, etc...) and some free developer tools as well.

Reagan Conservative

I just sent off a scathing email to AARP (as I'm a member, and getting close to retirement). I'll be goddamned if any bureaucrat in Washington is going to tell MY doctor what he/she can/cannot do regarding my health! Christ, we thought Hillary was the problem in health care. Guess we were wrong --- it's F*CKING DASCHLE!!! Now I'm really mad! And sorry, Jon, I cannot wait another 6 months to not whine about this administration! In less than a month, this butthead is leading us to ruination! I hope this is "the change we can believe in" for all those who voted for Barry! This is dejavu all over again. The Carter years are soon going to be upon us once again. High inflation, higher interest rates for sure, prolonged recession, and we'll probably get our asses kicked around the world again. I hope we have enough cruise missiles to fire off to show that "we mean business".

AF Pilot

BoneSoft

Yep, I saw this last week in another article: How the stimulus bill could kill you[^]

Visit BoneSoft.com for code generation tools (XML & XSD -> C#, VB, etc...) and some free developer tools as well.

Rob Graham

The Senate just passed the "American Economic Recovery and re-investment act". Welcome to Medicare rationing UK style. You have been officially fucked.