Friday, July 30, 2010

There Are Setbacks and There Are Setbacks

The lead from this story illuminates exactly what is wrong with the MSM:
Senate Republicans blocked a bill to increase small business lending Thursday, dealing a setback to President Barack Obama's jobs agenda.
President Obama didn't suffer a setback -- he'll get over it. Small businesses suffered the setback, and they're suffering it because the Republican party -- to hear them tell it, the champion of small businesses -- put party politics ahead of the retailers and manufacturers that do half of the hiring in this country. Just what do the Republicans have against them, anyway?...

A week's worth of lowlights from the looneytunes Republican right. The different and effortless ways that these people can locate new bottoms of the barrel are truly amazing...

Prudential steals a piece of the rock from Afghanistan widows...

9 comments:

Roy said...

Re: the Prudential story... Why is it taking so long for people to figure out that the insurance industry is a vast, and apparently legal, Ponzi scheme? After all, what do you call it when millions of people put money into it and get nothing but screwed while the originators of the scheme get rich, fat, and happy? The gullibility of the American public never ceases to amaze me.

K. said...

It would be one thing if they had to sell insurance to anyone who wanted it and if it were tightly regulated or nonprofit. But it's not like that. Once again, the scandal is what's legal.

Anonymous said...

K- kind of you to link my 'umble piece of writing. Thanks. Roy, my late brother in law a PhD in computer science said of life insurance to my sister at one point : why would we bet against ourselves ? Thankfully he saw all the way through the maze and did bet against himself which saved my sis her awesome yet unaffordable on one income house in Fla. re Prudential story an anonymous comment left on my blog attempted to defend their practice with wrong information and the condescending republican tone, as you said how many fat stupid happy americans can you fit on one policy anyway ? K it looks like it will all be legal when these corporations can buy the senator of their choice too

injaynesworld said...

Rachel Maddow is the only media person out there worth listening to these days.

Jerry Critter said...

It just shows you that people need to look at what republicans do (or don't do) rather than what they say. Their rhetoric and their actions are often opposite.

Foxessa said...

I cannot figure out why the media reporting on the economy here insists on characterizing the recessive-depression as 'lack of consumer confidence.' This AM I hear this:

"The economy cannot recover until people begin consuming again. But the consumer is still shy with his money, not wanting to buy. The consumer needs to open his purse strings."

Why won't they say the consumer doesn't have a job thus the consumer CANNOT buy stuff?

This, right after reporting on the rethubs killing the small business lending help bill.

Love, C.

K. said...

Jayne: Rachel rules! I like EJ Dionne and Leonard Pitts as well.

Jerry: They are able to fool a hell of a lot of people all of the time.

Foxessa: Has any bothered to analyze how much money consumers actually have? The math is simple to me: Home values get pounded, causing a loss in savings. "Consumers" compensate for that loss by cutting back on spending. We're not going to have much confidence unless the government stimulates the economy or housing prices rebound. Considering the number of foreclosures and empty homes, it will be a while before the latter happens.

Ima Wizer said...

Shameful (not you, K, the rest of this crazy, assbackward world)!!

Jerry Critter said...

Economic growth is driven by demand. Giving tax breaks to businesses and the wealthy does little to increase demand. You need to get money into the hands of the people who need it and thus will spend it. The spending will drive up demand, and only then will businesses start hiring to meet that increased demand.