Tag Archives: Recession

Barack Obama’s Weekly Radio Address

February 7, 2009

Yesterday began with some devastating news with regard to our economic crisis.  But I’m pleased to say it ended on a more positive note.

This must be speech writing 101.  I think that you started out last week’s address exactly the same way.

In the morning, we received yet another round of alarming employment figures – the worst in more than 30 years.

Okay, okay; I’ll give this one to ya.  At least you didn’t bring up the whole “worst since the Great Depression” thang.  So, while this may be as bad as the 90’s, it’s close.  And yes, the last time we saw numbers this bad was in the early 80’s.  About 28 years; so, okay, let’s go with 30.

Another 600,000 jobs were lost in January.  We’ve now lost more than 3.6 million jobs since this recession began.

Right, and 3.6 million sounds like a lot, heck, it IS a lot.  But, let’s take a look.  Since 1981, the last BIG recession, the labor force has grown some 50%.  So, while 3.6 million remains a lot of people, lets put this into perspective.

But by the evening, Democrats and Republicans came together in the Senate and responded appropriately to the urgency this moment demands.

Let’s be honest here sparky.  Every single Democrat – ALL of them– and just THREE Republicans came together.  This is not the partisan promise you sold me.  Actually, I personally didn’t buy ANY of your snake oil, but you know what I mean.

In the midst of our greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression,

I knew it.  I JUST KNEW you couldn’t make it through one of these infomercials with out a worst since the Great Depression reference.  You do know that this just makes you sound stupid.  I guess now I understand how the left felt about listening to Dubya.  Change……

the American people were hoping that Congress would begin to confront the great challenges we face.  That was, after all, what last November’s election was all about.

Legislation of such magnitude deserves the scrutiny that it’s received over the last month, and it will receive more in the days to come.  But we can’t afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely necessary.

Month?  What’choo talkin ‘about Willis?  This ain’t been no month!  You have been in office shy three week.  You know and I know that you are pushing this through before the American people support it less than they supported Dubya!

The scale and scope of this plan is right.  And the time for action is now.

If by right you mean horribly horribly wrong, then yeah, I’m with ya.  Action schmaction.  If you do nothing, just NOTHING, we are out of this in less than 6 months.

Because if we don’t move swiftly to put this plan in motion, our economic crisis could become a national catastrophe.  Millions of Americans will lose their jobs,

Pssst, over here.  Check it out….when Americans bring down debt -and they should bring down debt-it’s a recessionary action.  We knew this going in.  Okay, back to you.

their homes,

Pssst, over here.  Check it out…..[wait wait wait–do I really have to be the guy to tell you this?] It was those poepl GETTING their homes that caused this whole freaking mess to begin with?  What are doin?  Hey man, don’t walk away from me…..

and their health care.  Millions more will have to put their dreams on hold.

Let’s be clear:

Okay, okay.  Being clear time!  Let’s go.

We can’t expect relief from the tired old theories that, in eight short years,

Clear–being clear.  This is all George W. Bush’s fault.  Got it.  Not even three weeks in and I am tired of you!  Clear my ass.

doubled the national debt, threw our economy into a tailspin, and led us into this mess in the first place.

Whoo sparky.  “into this mess in the first place.”  Do you read or study?  I mean, you must have, right?  Double Ivy?  I mean, how in the HELL did you make it through?  Let’s review:

1. Democrats initiated a program that sold people homes they couldn’t afford.  Bad bad bad.
2. Democrats allowed Fannie and Freddie to go unchecked.  This not only perpetuated the lending money to people who couldn’t afford it, but in fact, accelerated it by creating a market for OTHER banks to do the same thing.
3. Democrats came in and INCREASED regulation changing basic as well as tried and true accounting principals.
   1. Google Mark to Market

We can’t rely on a losing formula that offers only tax cuts as the answer to all our problems while ignoring our fundamental economic challenges

Things like borrowing and printing money to spend our way out of debt.  Anyone know the rat race that is cash advance from VISA to pay Mastercard?  Would you consul your daughters to do that?  No, then why are you telling me to do that?

– the crushing cost of health care or the inadequate state of so many schools; our addiction to foreign oil or our crumbling roads, bridges, and levees.

Look, we’re with ya on the whole schools, energy and infrastructure thing.  Really, we are.  But we are also not so fookin stupid as to think that they are the same thing as a stimulus bill.  If you want money for schools, get out your Abe Lincoln oil lamp and craft such a bill.  You should remember how to do it from your days in the Senate, right?  I mean, hell, you were responsible for huge and important legislation while you were—oh my, how embarrassing for you.  You weren’t were you?  Huh, well, maybe that explains why you don’t know how this whole thing works.

The American people know that our challenges are great.  They don’t expect Democratic solutions or Republican solutions – they expect American solutions.

From the beginning, this recovery plan has had at its core a simple idea:  Let’s put Americans to work doing the work America needs done.

Except it’s not the Government’s role to create jobs.  Just allow proper conditions to exist and we’ll take care of the rest.

It will save or create more than 3 million jobs over the next two years,

Umm, gosh, this is getting old, but you may wanna, you  know, research this.  Even your own peeps are not so much thinking 3 million…

all across the country – 16,000 in Maine, nearly 80,000 in Indiana – almost all of them in the private sector, and all of them jobs that help us recover today, and prosper tomorrow.

Jobs that upgrade classrooms and laboratories in 10,000 schools nationwide – at least 485 in Florida alone – and train an army of teachers in math and science.

Jobs that modernize our health care system, not only saving us billions of dollars, but countless lives.

Jobs that construct a smart electric grid, connect every corner of the country to the information superhighway, double our capacity to generate renewable energy, and grow the economy of tomorrow.

Jobs that rebuild our crumbling roads, bridges and levees and dams, so that the tragedies of New Orleans and Minneapolis never happen again.

It includes immediate tax relief for our struggling middle class in places like Ohio,

We’ve been over this before as well.  When you take steal money from me and GIVE it to someone else, that is neither a tax cut or a relief.  All it does is PISS me off without benefiting anyone.

where 4.5 million workers will receive a tax cut of up to $1,000.

Okay, okay, you win.  I agree, Uncle.  Let’s give these people that $1,000.  Just DO it already.  In fact, if you PROMISE to just not talk anymore, I’ll double it.  That’s 9 billion dollars.  Just saved ya about 850 billion.

It protects health insurance and provides unemployment insurance for those who’ve lost their jobs.  And it helps our states and communities avoid painful tax hikes or layoffs

Dude, DUDE!  You SAID you studied Constitutional Law.  It is not YOUR job to reduce State and City taxes.

for our teachers, nurses, and first responders.

Stop it!  Shameless emotional garbage!

That’s what is at stake with this plan:  putting Americans back to work, creating transformative economic change, and making a down payment

What?  Down payment?  A down payment is money that you ALREADY have placed down for money you are going to borrow.  This, THIS is a lot of things.  But isn’t most certainly NOT a down payment!

on the American Dream that serves our children and our children’s children for generations to come.

Americans across this country are struggling, and they are watching to see if we’re equal to the task before us.  Let’s show them that we are.  And let’s do whatever it takes to keep the promise of America alive in our time.

If only you would!

Thank you.

Barack Obama’s Weekly Radio Address

January 31, 2009

This morning I’d like to talk about some good news and some bad news as we confront our economic crisis.

Finally, some change I can believe in.  I am very very much in need of good news.  But, alas, I don’t believe you are capable of delivering it.

The bad news is well known to Americans across our country as we continue to struggle through unprecedented economic turmoil.

Are you talking to America?  Or, are you talking to your daughters?  Unprecedented economic turmoil…..that is just inexcusably irresponsible.

Yesterday we learned that our economy shrank by nearly 4 percent

Yo, Mr. “detail leaver outer”….the economy did not shrink by 4%, or even the 3.8% that was reported.  It shrank by .965% for the 4th quarter 2008.  Call it 1%, go ahead and round up to continue to scare us silly.  But really, really!, 4%?  Something about irresponsible comes to mind.  Though I suspect I am going to have to discipline myself to continue to avoid such references.

from October through December. That decline was the largest in over a quarter century, and it underscores the seriousness of the economic crisis that my administration found when we took office.

Nice pick.  Blame Dubya for all of this.  As if the Senate had noooothing to do with it.  Didn’t vote for TARP.  Golly, if ONLY we could get one two of those Senators and just YELL at them.

Already the slowdown has cost us tens of thousands of jobs in January alone. And the picture is likely to get worse before it gets better.

Make no mistake,

Umm, so far, it’s not me thats making the mistakes.

these are not just numbers. Behind every statistic there’s a story. Many Americans have seen their lives turned upside down. Families have been forced to make painful choices. Parents are struggling to pay the bills. Patients can’t afford care. Students can’t keep pace with tuition. And workers don’t know whether their retirement will be dignified and secure.

The good news

Oh good!  Good news…..

is that we are moving forward with a sense of urgency equal to the challenge.

Awesome.  Waiting for the goods.

This week the House passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan,

Wait wait wait….what is this?  You said, you PROMISED me good news.

which will save or create more than 3 million jobs over the next few years. It puts a tax cut into the pockets of working families,

No.  No it doesn’t.  What it DOES do is put MY money in their pockets.  But, you know–details, who needs ’em?.

and places a down payment on America’s future by investing in energy independence and education, affordable health care, and American infrastructure.

Good ideas all.  But, step over here Sparky……none of them have anything to do with, you know, the economy.  Much less stimulating it.

Now this recovery plan moves to the Senate. I will continue working with both parties so that the strongest possible bill gets to my desk.

I bet we have different definitions of “strong” in this case.

With the stakes so high we simply cannot afford the same old gridlock and partisan posturing in Washington. It’s time to move in a new direction.

gawd.

Americans know that our economic recovery will take years

As in, say….about…threeish?  Just right in time for your second run at the Office?

— not months. But they will have little patience if we allow politics to get in the way of action,

hahahahah, stop!  My belly hurts.  Really.

and our economy continues to slide. That’s why I am calling on the Senate to pass this plan, so that we can put people back to work and begin the long, hard work of lifting our economy out of this crisis. No one bill, no matter how comprehensive, can cure what ails our economy. So just as we jumpstart job creation, we must also ensure that markets are stable, credit is flowing, and families can stay in their homes.

Except that putting those families in their homes is the cause of all of this.  But, I’m sure you knew that, right?  Wait…why are shaking your head no?  Oh my, how embarrassing, you didn’t know that did you?

Last year Congress passed a plan to rescue the financial system.

Don’t make it sound like it was “they”.  YOU voted for it.  Don’t ever forget that; we won’t!

While the package helped avoid a financial collapse, many are frustrated by the results — and rightfully so. Too often taxpayer dollars have been spent without transparency or accountability. Banks have been extended a hand, but homeowners, students, and small businesses that need loans have been left to fend on their own.

And adding to this outrage, we learned this week that even as they petitioned for taxpayer assistance, Wall Street firms shamefully paid out nearly $20 billion in bonuses for 2008. While I’m committed to doing what it takes to maintain the flow of credit, the American people will not excuse or tolerate such arrogance and greed. The road to recovery demands that we all act responsibly, from Main Street to Washington to Wall Street.

Soon my Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, will announce a new strategy for reviving our financial system

Raise taxes and then not pay ’em.  Love it!

that gets credit flowing to businesses and families. We’ll help lower mortgage costs and extend loans to small businesses so they can create jobs. We’ll ensure that CEOs are not draining funds that should be advancing our recovery. And we will insist on unprecedented transparency, rigorous oversight, and clear accountability — so taxpayers know how their money is being spent and whether it is achieving results.

Rarely in history has our country faced economic problems as devastating as this crisis.

All right, stop.  Devastating.  Crisis.  How about this change?  Change the way in which you are painting this economic exercise.

But the strength of the American people compels us to come together. The road ahead will be long, but I promise you that every day that I go to work in the Oval Office I carry with me your stories, and my administration is dedicated to alleviating your struggles and advancing your dreams.

How about this?  If you stay out of the way, I’ll promise to work on my dream by myself.  Sheesh.

You are calling for action. Now is the time for those of us in Washington to live up to our responsibilities.

UPDATE:

I was in bed and it dawned on me; you kinda fooked me on that whole Good News thing.