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Helen Thomas: "Obama: A Better Day Is Coming" [STANDARD GRAPHIC IMAGE WARNING]
TheBostonChannel.com ^ | 25 Mar 09 | Helen "Hezbollah Point of View" Thomas

Posted on 03/25/2009 8:16:38 PM PDT by seanmerc

It takes a lot to motivate the American people but they are hopping mad over the bonus payments to Wall Streeters from their tax money.

I haven’t seen this much "people power" since the grass-roots protests against the Vietnam War riled the nation.

This anger is highly justified, but it hasn’t slowed the Obama administration’s peculiar drive to bailout Wall Street by buying banks’ toxic assets (bad loans and mortgage-related securities) to the tune of possibly up to $2 trillion dollars to stabilize the banks and to jump-start the credit industry.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner Monday unveiled the plan amid the continuing furor over $165 million in bonuses paid to executives of American International Group after the taxpayers put up $173 billion to bailout the company.

At a prime time news conference Tuesday night, President Barack Obama used his bully pulpit to strike an upbeat note about the economy, a dramatic change from his past practice of issuing scary predictions. Those past dire comments apparently were to put heat on Congress to pass his economic legislation. That gambit worked. So now he can sing a cheery tune that happy days are just around the corner.

"We’re beginning to see signs of progress," he said, and called for renewed hope that "a better day will come."

"We’ve put in place a comprehensive strategy designed to attack this crisis on all fronts," Obama said. "It’s a strategy to create jobs, to help responsible homeowners, to restart lending and to grow our economy over the long term."

He spoke of his own capacity for "persistence" and said the "road to prosperity is still long.

I’m as angry as anybody," he declared. "We’re all in this together."

The key to boosting the economy is more consumer confidence. Unemployment is skyrocketing and people who still have jobs are nervous that they may join the ranks of the jobless. Those consumers have scaled back their spending -- adding another downward spiral to the economy.

For Obama’s recovery plan to work, it is going to take plenty of lenders, borrowers, buyers and sellers. Obama may have to echo his predecessor, who right after the 2001 terrorist attacks gave this advice: "Go shopping."

And his new peppy go-get-‘em tone is designed to give confidence to those shoppers that the economy is on the mend.

What irks Americans is the fact that the outrageous payment of AIG bonuses was known months beforehand by Geithner.

In a rare show of anger, Obama defended his lack of action for several days after he learned about the AIG bonuses, saying coldly: "I like to know what I’m talking about before I speak."

He urged his audience "to look toward the future with a renewed sense of common purpose, a renewed determination."

Meanwhile, we shouldn’t forget the infamous Merrill Lynch bonuses worth $3.6 billion that were paid last year to executives of the faltering brokerage firm, right before it was bought by Bank of America in a government-arranged shotgun marriage and right after Merrill wracked up massive operating losses.

Anna Burger, head of the liberal advocacy group Change to Win, said: "American taxpayers are tired of repeatedly seeing corporate excess rewarded, but adding insult to injury they are now being asked to reward corporate failure. Enough is enough." Burger said, "It is absolutely obscene for those responsible for our nation’s financial crisis to walk away with millions in bonuses while America’s hard working families struggle to pay their mortgages, health insurance, and children’s education."

Proposals for a punitive surtax on bonuses do not seem to be going anywhere in Congress to retrieve the money for the taxpayers. Obama is decidedly cool toward that effort. Obama is in the dubious position of having to play cheerleader for the economy -- and for Wall Street, whose support he needs for his bailout programs.

If the unemployment rate doesn’t improve later this year, the president will be facing a depression in his political standing. And if that happens, he can kiss goodbye to his other agenda items.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: bailout; barackobama; bho2009; bho44; bhopress; democrats; dims; dumbocrats; economy; geithner; helenthomas; liberalmeathead; newsbabe; obama; obamarama; obamatruthfile; porkulus; rats; senileoldbat; socialism; taxes; teaparty
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To: 50mm

That first picture on the thread wasn’t NEARLY as scary as
this one! LOL!

BARF!


21 posted on 03/25/2009 8:27:13 PM PDT by luvie (Zero is dumb as a rock)
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To: seanmerc
Understand people, Obama is a communist, they knew about the AIG bonuses, they put their blessing on them. And then to they create anger by appearing to be in the dark. All of this act is to get federal control of what people get paid, and if the Supremes go along with the 90% tax on the AIG people, then Obama will try and get a law passed where any thing you pay someone above $250,000.00 will be taxed no matter what industry.
The next thing I look for the communist SOB to go after is investment based pension funds like 401Ks and other stock type funds which have a deferred tax feature. He will announce that the federal government needs to protect all of the people who lost money in these accounts that were mismanaged and stolen by the greedy Wall Street crowd. To this end he will ask that a program, probably called the something like the retirement investment protection act be created and under this program the Feds will take control of your 401K and return will issue you so many Federal Issued shares. This money will then be returned to you when you retire based upon your age at retirement and prorated over 50 years. So for the dummies, you get an extra $200 a month on you social security and Obama pays for all his social programs and fixes social security.
22 posted on 03/25/2009 8:29:59 PM PDT by Wooly
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To: seanmerc

Obama bonus is the same strategy as:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/496432/Reichstag-fire


23 posted on 03/25/2009 8:31:50 PM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (I agree with Rick..)
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To: seanmerc

Holy CRAP! Makes this dog look beautiful next to the viper from HELL!!

24 posted on 03/25/2009 8:33:07 PM PDT by RoseofTexas
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To: HereInTheHeartland

Should have read “Obama bonus outrage is the same as:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/496432/Reichstag-fire


25 posted on 03/25/2009 8:33:40 PM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (I agree with Rick..)
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To: RoseofTexas

DANG!! It didn’t let me post the picture....SHOOT!!


26 posted on 03/25/2009 8:39:03 PM PDT by RoseofTexas
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To: LUV W

27 posted on 03/25/2009 8:41:06 PM PDT by 50mm (My respect for zero has reached zero)
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To: SMCC1

My nuts fell off on that one...My lawyer will be contacting you...


28 posted on 03/25/2009 8:41:21 PM PDT by odin2008 (EVIL TRIUMPHS WHEN GOOD MEN DO NOTHING)
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To: seanmerc

Sheesh! On what planet is that hair okay? It’s as dry, wispy, thin, and tousled as her thoughts!


29 posted on 03/25/2009 8:42:12 PM PDT by Melian ("Now, Y'all without sin can cast the first stone." ~H.I. McDunnough)
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To: seanmerc

30 posted on 03/25/2009 8:44:51 PM PDT by oldleft
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To: SMCC1

Aaaargh Matey! Draws me another ration o Rum!

That’s just how I think Helen should sound.


31 posted on 03/25/2009 8:46:25 PM PDT by FastCoyote (I am intolerant of the intolerable.)
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To: 50mm

Egad!

I thought her to be more of a chihuahua. :D


32 posted on 03/25/2009 8:49:37 PM PDT by luvie (Zero is dumb as a rock)
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To: 50mm

33 posted on 03/25/2009 8:50:11 PM PDT by 50mm (My respect for zero has reached zero)
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To: LUV W

34 posted on 03/25/2009 8:55:40 PM PDT by 50mm (My respect for zero has reached zero)
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To: seanmerc

yowza, that’s even bigger


35 posted on 03/25/2009 8:56:48 PM PDT by machogirl (not one of Rush's top-ten gal names)
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To: BRL

ping


36 posted on 03/25/2009 8:56:51 PM PDT by 50mm (My respect for zero has reached zero)
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To: Sender

zOMG! Is that what I think it is? How very ‘Georgia O’Keeffe’!!! LMAO!


37 posted on 03/25/2009 8:58:17 PM PDT by RushIsMyTeddyBear (Obama dozed.....people froze.)
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To: seanmerc

AAAAIIIIIEEEE, STOP, I’LL TALK! DON’T MAKE ME LOOK!


38 posted on 03/25/2009 8:59:28 PM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT, NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: seanmerc

darn it, i made the same mistake opening this thread with a mouth full of dr. pepper, which is now over my screen.

will i ever learn?


39 posted on 03/25/2009 9:00:13 PM PDT by machogirl (not one of Rush's top-ten gal names)
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To: 50mm

See?

Killer Chihuahua! ROFL!


40 posted on 03/25/2009 9:01:24 PM PDT by luvie (Zero is dumb as a rock)
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