As a consumer or business person, you may be more familiar with the work of the Federal Trade Commission than you think.
The FTC deals with issues that touch the economic life of every American. It is the only federal agency with both consumer protection and competition jurisdiction in broad sectors of the economy. The FTC pursues vigorous and effective law enforcement; advances consumers’ interests by sharing its expertise with federal and state legislatures and U.S. and international government agencies; develops policy and research tools through hearings, workshops, and conferences; and creates practical and plain-language educational programs for consumers and businesses in a global marketplace with constantly changing technologies.
When the FTC was created in 1914, its purpose was to prevent unfair methods of competition in commerce as part of the battle to “bust the trusts.” Over the years, Congress passed additional laws giving the agency greater authority to police anticompetitive practices. In 1938, Congress passed a broad prohibition against “unfair and deceptive acts or practices.” Since then, the Commission also has been directed to administer a wide variety of other consumer protection laws, including the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Pay-Per-Call Rule and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. In 1975, Congress gave the FTC the authority to adopt industry-wide trade regulation rules. The FTC’s work is performed by the Bureaus of Consumer Protection, Competition and Economics. That work is aided by the Office of General Counsel and seven regional offices.
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Tuesday, August 17 2010
All Times ET
12:00 pm
The President departs Los Angeles, California en route King County International Airport
Local Event Time:9:00 AM PDT
Los Angeles International Airport
Open Press
The Vice President has lunch with Elie Wiesel
Closed Press
1:00 pm
The Vice President meets with President of the AFL-CIO Richard Trumka
Closed Press
2:15 pm
The President arrives Seattle, Washington
Local Event Time:11:15 PM PDT
Seattle King County International Airport
Open Press
2:40 pm
The President holds a round table discussion with small business owners
Local Event Time:11:40 AM PDT
Pool Spray at the Top
3:20 pm
The President delivers a statement to press
Local Event Time:12:20 PM PDT
Travel Pool Coverage
3:45 pm
The President delivers remarks at a finance event
Local Event Time:12:45 PM PDT
Westin Seattle
Travel Pool Coverage
5:35 pm
The President delivers remarks at a finance event
Local Event Time:2:25 PM PDT
Travel Pool Coverage
6:35 pm
The President departs Seattle, Washington en route Columbus, OH
Local Event Time:3:35 PM PDT
Seattle King County International Airport
Open Press
Watch the President’s speech at the Westin Hotel live on http://www.KIROTV.com at 12:45 p.m. PDT.
Mortgage Relief Marketer Will Return $2.4 Million to Consumers to Settle FTC Charges
A company that deceived consumers with promises it could save their homes from foreclosure will pay $2.4 million to victims as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission. The case is part of the agency’s continuing crackdown on scams that prey on financially distressed homeowners.
According to the FTC’s complaint, Home Assure LLC conducted a nationwide marketing campaign designed to take advantage of struggling homeowners by offering so-called mortgage foreclosure rescue services. Home Assure typically charged consumers an up-front fee of $1,500 to $2,500. The company’s representatives falsely claimed that its special relationships with lenders would enable it to get favorable loan modifications or stop foreclosure, and that the company had helped thousands of consumers avoid foreclosure.
One of the claims on its website was, “If we are unable to negotiate a plan with your lender that improves your situation or gives you a viable strategy to avoid foreclosure, we will refund 100% of your money. . . No questions asked!”
According to the FTC, however, Home Assure did little or nothing to help consumers avoid foreclosure. In numerous instances the company refused to pay refunds, sometimes claiming that consumers did not meet the terms of the contract for a refund or that they had breached the contract by contacting their lender or filing for bankruptcy, and sometimes without giving a reason. (4/6/2009 release http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/04/hud.shtm; 11/24/2009 release http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/11/stolenhope.shtm)
The settlement order imposes a $2.4 million judgment on Home Assure and bans the company from selling mortgage loan modification and foreclosure relief services. The order also permanently prohibits Home Assure from misrepresenting any good or service, disclosing or benefitting from customers’ personal information, and failing to dispose of customer information properly.
The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the stipulated final order was 5-0. The order was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division.
NOTE: Stipulated court orders are for settlement purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation. Stipulated orders have the full force of law when signed by the judge.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2010/07/homeassure.shtm
FTCvideos | July 14, 2009 -
Real People, Real Stories: Avoid Foreclosure Rescue Scams
Scammers are targeting people having trouble paying their mortgages. These so-called foreclosure rescue companies promise to stop foreclosure. But theyre out to make a quick buck, and can turn a homeowner’s distress into disaster.
FTC’s ‘Do Not Call’ List Hits 200-Million Mark, but Telemarketers Still Call
by Caleb Johnson — Jul 30th 2010 at 6:30AM
FTC Do Not Call Back in 2003, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) put the clamps on the telemarketing industry by creating a nationwide Do Not Call registry. This list faced some stiff opposition at the time (from telemarketing companies, of course), but today the proof’s in the pudding. Seven years later, according to Ars Technica, the list now totals 200 million phone numbers. If a telemarketing company ignores this list and calls a registrant, the person can file a complaint with the FTC, which will then drop its regulatory hammer. The FTC has settled about 60 complaints since 2003, and the largest one cost the offending telemarketing company $5.3 million in penalties.
If you’re tired of having your dinner interrupted by calls about vinyl siding or credit card debt, you can place your name on the Do Not Call registry by visiting the FTC’s website. The list applies to land lines (for the few that still have them) and cell phones, too. While it’s great that the FTC has made such a concerted effort to protect our phone lines from scammers, we’re hesitant to give the agency too much credit. After all, telemarketers are still calling us. The companies that aren’t calling have probably just moved on to greener pastures anyway — like our e-mail inboxes. [From: Ars Technica and FTC]
https://www.donotcall.gov/
Consumer Protection and the Middle Class
FTC Shuts Down Domain Name Registration Scam
8/9/10 By: Chloe Albanesius- pcmag.com
A Canadian domain name registration scam has been shut down, and the accused will pay $10,000 in fines, the Federal Trade Commission announced Monday.
In June 2008, the FTC charged Toronto-based Internet Listing Service with sending domain name owners fake invoices that instructed them to pay an annual Web site listing fee or sign up for a search engine optimization service.
These invoices looked as if they had come from the domain name registrar with which the customer had registered their Web site, but Internet Listing Service had actually faked the paperwork. Users who purchased the search engine optimization service were promised a substantial increase in traffic, but those who paid saw no difference.
A Chicago district judge ordered the company to stop its practices and froze its assets pending trial, but Monday’s announcement closes the case.
The settlement issued a suspended judgment of $4.3 million, but since the defendants cannot pay up, they will turn over $10,000, the FTC said.
The deal also bans them from misrepresenting themselves in the future. They cannot pretend to have an existing business relationship with consumers, tell consumers that they owe them money, or that they can provide domain name registration or search engine optimization services.
The defendants include Isaac Benlolo, Kirk Mulveney, Pearl Keslassy, Steven E. Dale, and 1646153 Ontario Inc.
FTC Proposes Changes to Update and Improve Credit Reporting Notices
The Federal Trade Commission is proposing revisions to the notices that consumer reporting agencies provide to consumers, and to users and furnishers of credit report information under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FCRA requires the FTC to publish model notices for several forms that must be provided by consumer reporting agencies. The proposed changes are designed to reflect new rules that the FTC and other financial regulators have enacted under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003, and to make the notices more useful and easier to understand.
In addition to revising the general Summary of Rights notice, which informs consumers about their FCRA rights, such as how to obtain a free credit report and dispute inaccurate information in credit reports, the FTC also is proposing improvements to the notices that credit reporting agencies provide to users and furnishers of credit report information. The User Notice and Furnisher Notice inform users and furnishers of their obligation to provide certain protections to consumers. The model notices were originally issued in 1997 and revised in 2004. The FTC is accepting public comments on the proposed changes until September 21, 2010. The Commission vote authorizing the Federal Register notice was 5-0. (The staff contact is Pavneet Singh, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2252.)
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.
FTC Order Protects Consumers in U.S. Market for Eye Care Drug Used in Cataract Surgery
Novartis Must Sell Assets to Bausch & Lomb After Acquiring Alcon
Novartis AG will be required to sell an injectable eye care drug used in cataract surgery as part of a settlement which resolves Federal Trade Commission charges that Novartis’s proposed acquisition of Alcon, Inc., would be anticompetitive. Novartis and Alcon are the only two U.S. providers of the class of drugs known as injectable miotics, and the FTC alleges that the acquisition would have created a monopoly in injectable miotics. The settlement requires Novartis to sell its drug Miochol-E to Bausch & Lomb, Inc.
Injectable miotics are a class of prescription drugs used to induce miosis, or constriction of the pupil. Primarily surgeons use miotics during cataract surgery to shrink the pupil, which helps them determine whether a rupture has occurred in the eye. The only two miotics products in the market are Miochol-E, owned by Novartis, and Miostat, owned by Alcon. U.S. sales of injectable miotics totaled $12.4 million in 2009, and Novartis and Alcon have shares of 67 percent and 33 percent respectively.
According to the FTC’s complaint, Novartis’s acquisition of Alcon would harm consumers, who have in the past benefitted from the direct competition between Novartis and Alcon. If Novartis were allowed to purchase Miochol-E consumers of injectable miotics likely would face higher prices, according to the FTC.
To preserve competition, the settlement requires Novartis to sell the rights and assets related to Miochol-E to Bausch & Lomb (B&L) within 10 days of when the acquisition is consummated. The FTC believes B&L, which is a major international eye-health company, is well-positioned to manufacture and market Miochol-E and compete effectively against Novartis.
Also under the settlement order, Novartis must provide transitional services to ensure that the divestiture to B&L is successful and must transfer its third-party manufacturing arrangements for Miochol-E to B&L as part of the sale. Novartis also must provide technical assistance to help B&L implement procedures to other parts of the manufacturing process. The FTC has appointed Karl L. Hoffman of Rondaxe Pharma to oversee the transfer of the assets to B&L and ensure that Novartis complies with the terms of the order.
The FTC vote approving the complaint and proposed settlement order was 4-0-1, with Commissioner William E. Kovacic recused. The order will be subject to public comment for 30 days, until September 16, 2010, after which the Commission will decide whether to make it final. Comments should be sent to: FTC, Office of the Secretary, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. To submit a comment electronically, please click on: https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/novartis.
For the entire article: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/08/novartis.shtm
Obama: GOP party of ‘No, we can’t’
8/16/10 Carol Lee – POLITICO
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — President Obama, playing off the slogan of his 2008 campaign, mocked Republicans Monday as the party of “No, we can’t” and skewered Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for saying he wishes the GOP “had been able to obstruct more” of Democrats’ agenda.
“Obstruct more? Is that even possible?” Obama said with a laugh during a fundraiser for Tom Barrett, Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin. “So apparently that’s their plan for the future: ‘No, we can’t.’ Clean energy: ‘No, we can’t.’ Health care: ‘No, we can’t.’ Wall Street reform: ‘No, we can’t.’ ”
In an interview that The New York Times published Sunday, McConnell said he was “amused” by Democrats’ “comments about obstructionism.”
“I wish we had been able to obstruct more,” McConnell said. “They were able to get the health care bill through. They were able to get the stimulus through. They were able to get the financial reform through. These were all major pieces of legislation, and if I would have had enough votes to stop them, I would have.”
The White House has seized on the remarks as the comment of the week, much in the way the president and his aides held up Rep. Joe Barton’s apology to BP during congressional hearings on the Gulf oil spill, and House Minority Leader John Boehner viewed Democrats’ financial regulatory reform bill in response to the economic crisis as akin to using a nuclear weapon to kill an ant.
Much of Obama’s speech in Wisconsin was used to paint Republicans as hostile to change, as he continued to cast the November midterm elections as a choice between GOP policies of the past and Democrats’ policies of the future.
“The other side wants you to be afraid of the future,” Obama said. “They are offering the exact same policies that you rejected in 2006, that you rejected in 2008, because you knew they weren’t working.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0810/41128.html
—————
[GOP] SLOGAN “NO WE CAN’T”
http://www.krankyscartoons.com/images/No_We_Can%27t.jpg
Wow, Mitch McConnell certainly gives a ringing endorsement of the effectiveness of our Democratic President and Congress: “They were able to get the health care bill through. They were able to get the stimulus through. They were able to get the financial reform through. These were all major pieces of legislation…”
Good cartoon, too.
FTCvideos | August 11, 2010 -
Operation Health Care Hustle
The Federal Trade Commission wants you to know that although some medical discount plans provide legitimate discounts, others take people’s money and offer very little in return. Learn more at
http://ftc.gov/medicaldiscountscams
FTCvideos | July 02, 2010 -
Kids and Internet Safety
The internet offers a world of opportunity to socialize and communicate, but it comes with certain risks. The best way to protect your kids online: Talk to them, and start early.
KIROTV.com, AUgust 16, 2010:
Obama visits Seattle
President Obama will visit Seattle on Tuesday to help support Democrat candidates, including Senator Patty Murray.
KIRO 7 will have live coverage of the President’s arrival around 11 a.m.
The president’s motorcade will first stop at a local business where Obama will speak in a roundtable discussion with small business leaders about economic issues.
At 12:45 p.m. the President plans to make a speech from the Westin hotel in downtown Seattle.
Watch it live on KIRO 7 Eyewitness News or online at KIROTV.com.
The President will be leaving our state around 3:30 p.m.for Columbus, Ohio.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/24650144/detail.html
Patty Murray for Senate:
Never forgotten
Boeing
Best friends
StartLoving3 vid of C-SPAN coverage| August 16, 2010 -
President Obama’s remarks at ZBB Energy in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
President Obama today embarks on a three-day fundraising swing to support Democratic candidates in five states. Later today he’ll headline a fundraiser in Milwaukee for gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett (D). While in Wisconsin, the first state on the trip, the President included a tour of a battery and fuel cells company to promote new stimulus-funded projects. Read More »
Using ZBB Energy Corp in Menomonee Falls as an example, the president highlighted how the company applied some of the $2.4 billion set aside in the Recovery Act for advanced battery and electric vehicle projects nationwide. In his remarks, the president said that our commitment to clean energy will “lead to more than 800,000 jobs by 2012.”
Tonight, the president departs for Los Angeles and a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraising event there this evening. The trip continues though Washington, Ohio and Florida tomorrow and Wednesday.
The White House Blog, August 16, 2010:
New Battery Technology and New Jobs in Wisconsin
Posted by Katelyn Sabochik
Today, President Obama travelled to Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin to visit the ZBB Energy Corporation’s manufacturing facility. ZBB Energy Corporation manufactures advanced zinc bromide flow batteries and intelligent control platforms. These are crucial components of building a smart energy grid and expanding the commercialization electric vehicles because they allow users to cut costs by shifting energy use to off-peak hours and bank intermittent sources of energy like the sun and wind for future use.
ZBB Energy Corporation is using $1.3 million in Recovery Act State Energy Program loans to fund a $4.5 million factory renovation to triple their capacity to manufacture flow batteries and power systems. As a result, the company has already retained a dozen workers and will hire about 80 new workers over time….
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/16/new-battery-technology-and-new-jobs-wisconsin
Transcript of the President’s remarks here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/08/16/remarks-president-clean-energy-manufacturing-menomonee-falls-wisconsin
STLtoday.com, August 16, 2010:
Biden returns to St. Louis for Democratic Party gathering
By Jake Wagman
Vice President Joe Biden will be back in St. Louis this week, addressing members of the Democratic National Committee assembled downtown for the party’s summer meetings.
Party faithful will begin gathering Thursday at Union Station for the seasonal get-together, which will feature dozens of Democratic officials from around the country….
The vice president will speak Friday morning at the event’s general meeting. Among those also expected to address the crowd include DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, a Missouri native and Mizzou grad; Mayor Francis Slay; and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill and her friend, former Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, now the Health and Human Services Secretary.
This is Biden’s third visit to St. Louis since taking office last year. His last trip featured a fundraiser for Senate hopeful Robin Carnahan….
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_e93550da-a967-11df-8548-0017a4a78c22.html
VOAvideo | August 16, 2010 -
Clinton Urges US Aid Recipients to Step-up Efforts on Health
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday said the Obama administration intends to further increase US support for global health programs. But she said the United States has a right to expect commensurate efforts by recipient countries. She spoke at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC. VOA’s David Gollust reports from the State Department.
USdepartmentofenergy | August 16, 2010 -
Linac Coherent Light Source Overview
Take an animated tour of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). Follow the laser pulse from the injector gun all the way through to the Far Experimental Hall.
Thank you Kathleen for all your contributions!
Good Morning O’Team.
Please join me in lighting a candle as President Obama travels the nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=pbo
Good morning and thank you Donna!
Done!
President Barack Obama raised $1 million for House Democrats at a Monday night fundraiser backed by the Hollywood elite.
The cost to attend the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee event, hosted at the Los Angeles home of “West Wing” and “ER” producer John Wells, was $2,500 per person. But co-hosts including J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Barbra Streisand paid $30,400 per couple.
According to pool reports, Obama spoke to the crowd for about half an hour. He said that keeping Congress in Democratic hands will be “my focus over the next several months” and hailed Democratic lawmakers for helping to “deliver the most progressive legislative agenda.”
“I hope you understand why we’re here tonight. It’s not to take a picture with the president,” he said. “We’re here to make sure those who took the tough votes are rewarded.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) were among the lawmakers at the event. Others included California Reps. Howard Berman, Brad Sherman, Barbara Lee, Joe Baca, Laura Richardson, Judy Chu and John Garamendi.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, a former California Congresswoman, also attended.
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2010/08/obama-hollywood-elite-raise-1.html
Great Job Mr. President!
Yeah!!!
You tell ‘em, Mr. President!
By Eugene Robinson
Tuesday, August 17, 2010; A15
Lies, distortions, jingoism, xenophobia — another day, another campaign issue that Republicans can use to bash President Obama and the Democrats. First it was illegal immigration. Now it’s the so-called Ground Zero mosque, which is not at all what its opponents claim.
First, it’s not at Ground Zero. The site in question is two blocks north of the former World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan; an existing mosque is just a few hundred feet more distant from the site of the collapsed towers. Second, while the planned building would indeed house a place of worship, it is designed to be more of a community center along the lines of a YMCA. Plans include a fitness center, swimming pool, basketball court, bookstore, performing arts center and food court. Kebabs do not threaten our way of life.
Most important, organizers have made clear that the whole point of the project is to provide a high-profile platform for mainstream, moderate Islam — and to stridently reject the warped, radical, jihadist worldview that produced the atrocities of Sept. 11, 2001.
“It will have a real community feel, to celebrate the pluralism in the United States, as well as in the Islamic religion,” Daisy Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, said in May as she argued for permission to build the center. “It will also serve as a major platform for amplifying the silent voice of the majority of Muslims who have nothing to do with extremist ideologies. It will counter the extremist momentum.”
Actually, it will take much more than one community center to stop radical jihad in its tracks. But it’s hard to think of a better way to give extremist ideology a major boost than to demonstrate what far too many of the world’s 1 billion Muslims already believe is true: that the West rejects not just extremism but Islam itself.
Read the rest here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081603306_pf.html
Thank you for the article Donna!
Good column. I’m glad to read this.
Obama to talk economy, headline Murray fundraiser in Seattle next Tues.
8/13/10 KING5.com
SEATTLE — President Barack Obama will make his first presidential stop in Seattle next Tuesday to talk about the economy and to headline a fundraiser for Sen. Patty Murray.
Obama will be on a three-day, five-state swing to raise money for Democratic candidates on the ballot in November. Starting Monday, he’ll make stops in Wisconsin, California, Washington state, Ohio and Florida before returning to the White House on Wednesday.
Obama is scheduled to arrive in Seattle at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday. He’ll deliver a speech on jobs and the economy at 11:30 a.m. The location of his speech has not yet been disclosed.
Afterwards, Obama will headline a re-election fundraiser for Murray, who faces a challenge from Republican Dino Rossi. Obama will then leave Seattle at 3:30 p.m.
After the swing, Obama is scheduled to take his family to Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., for vacation.
Sigh!!!
News Corp., which owns Fox News and the New York Post, gave $1 million to Haley Barbour’s Republican Governors Association this year, according to the RGA’s most recent filing.
The company’s media outlets play politics more openly than most, but the huge contribution to a party committee is a new step toward an open identification between Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. and the GOP. The company’s highest-ranking Democratic executive, Peter Chernin, recently departed.
The $1 million contribution this June 24 was first reported by Bloomberg and appears on the RGA’s July 15 filing with the Internal Revenue Service.
The group’s other seven-figure donor is the libertarian billionaire David Koch.
UPDATE: News Corp. Spokesman Jack Horner emails, “News Corporation believes in the power of free markets, and the RGA’s pro-business agenda supports our priorities at this most critical time for our economy.”
The giant check to the RGA dwarfs low four-figure checks from Fox’s PAC to Democrats including Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/
Matt Gertz at MediaMatters.org says:
Sixteen months ago, we drew attention to Fox News Senior Vice President Bill Shine’s characterization of his network as the “voice of the opposition.” Ever since, we’ve been demonstrating how the network has been living up to his words.
In September, we defined Fox News as a conservative political organization, noting that the network had been openly advocating against the Democratic Congress and White House through extreme promotion of anti-government rallies, witch hunts against administration officials, and by urging their audience to call Congress and the White House to protest Democratic policies.
In October, we revealed the revolving door between the Republican Party and Fox News Channel, with a number of former Bush administration officials, former and potentially future GOP presidential candidates, and Republican strategists on Fox’s payroll and airwaves.
In November, we chronicled Fox News’ promotion of Conservative Party congressional candidate Doug Hoffman, New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie, and Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell in the run-up to the November 3 election. We also noted how Fox News hosts and analysts spent Election Day promoting their candidacies.
In January, we documented Fox’s campaign for Scott Brown; in February, we pointed out the network’s advocacy for fellow Republican Senate candidates Marco Rubio and Mark Kirk.
In April, we showed how Fox News hosts and contributors have raised millions of dollars for Republican candidates and causes in the 2010 election cycle. We also pointed out that in recent years, at least twenty Fox News personalities have endorsed, raised money, or campaigned for Republican candidates or causes, or against Democratic candidates or causes, in more than 300 instances and in at least 49 states.
And now we have Fox’s parent company donating $1 million to elect Republican gubernatorial candidates. Are there still people who doubt that Fox is just an arm of the GOP?
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201008160046
About-Face: More States Accept Stimulus Funds
8/17/10 by Kathy Lohr – NPR
Remember all those governors who objected to taking $7 billion in stimulus money set aside to help the unemployed? Many of them changed their minds. Now, more than half the states are getting the federal stimulus.
As the down economy drags on, some of the most conservative states have updated their laws so they, too, could get their share. Others are still holding out.
Several southern states were among the first to say they did not want to take federal stimulus funds to help the unemployed. Republican governors from Georgia to Louisiana, Texas to South Carolina were outspoken opponents of expanding unemployment benefits.
Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina in 2009 said, “I was against the stimulus. I’ve consistently stood against the stimulus. If you take all this stimulus money and you spend it all, over the long run there will be less economic activity in South Carolina rather than more.”
But last week, without much fanfare, the Labor Department released $97 million to South Carolina after state legislators modernized the unemployment insurance program and Sanford signed the bill into law.
“When some of the states were talking about not taking the money, it was more political than anything else,” says Jon Shure of the Washington D.C.-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“People put aside some of their political distinctions and ideological considerations and said, ‘This is money we need. It’s bad for the economy if we don’t take it,’ ” Shure adds.
With the unemployment rate at 9.5 percent and more than 14 million Americans out of work, state officials are under pressure to take the federal help.
Maurice Emsellem with the National Employment Law Project says seven states and the District of Columbia are among those that made changes this year. They include allowing part-time, low-wage workers to qualify for unemployment benefits.
“The real beauty of this legislation is that it’s a win for workers, and it’s a win for employers in many states, and it’s a win for the state unemployment funds that are having a hard time right now,” Emsellem says. “Because when they qualify for this money, they get a big chunk of money all at once, right up front.”
On average, Emsellem says, states get enough money to pay their expanded benefits for seven years. But that’s the problem for some states.
Some southern governors, including Gov. Rick Perry in Texas, continue to oppose any changes. Perry has turned down more than a half-billion dollars for his state.
For the entire article and audio interview: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129246074
Camp Trains Future Cybersecurity Experts
8/16/ by Carolyn Beeler – NPR
In a classroom in Dover, Del., 20 university students — all men — are intently typing at long conference tables. The computer screens are below the table, under dark glass, so no one can see what they’re doing. Makeshift cardboard barriers separate five different teams. It’s a game of capture the flag, 21st century style.
Mike Ridenour, 24, and his team are hacking their way into a computer network to find so-called flags, or hidden pieces of data. Ridenour is using information he found on a social networking site to try to hijack the account of an IT administrator.
“We kind of got some information from the profile pages,” Ridenour says, “so we’re tying the admin account, and he’s a fan of Chuck Norris, so I’m trying Chuck Norris as a password.”
The game is the final exercise at a cybersecurity boot camp held at Wilmington University last week. The camp was designed to train the next generation of “cyberwarriors” to defend the country’s computer networks against attack. Ridenour’s teammate Aaron Hampton puts what’s going on a little more simply.
“We are looking for ways to break computers to find information we’re not supposed to find,” he says.
This is the kind of stuff you could get into serious trouble for if you did it alone in your basement. But training people to do this is the entire point of this camp, and others like it held this year in New York and California. The network they’re hacking into is fake and was created specifically for this exercise.
Huge Need for Cyberspecialists
According to the Government Accountability Office, cyberattacks on federal agencies jumped more than 400 percent from 2006 to 2009. And U.S. security officials say the country’s defenses aren’t keeping up. By one estimate, the United States needs up to 30,000 cybersecurity specialists to protect the government and large corporations. Now there are only about 1,000.
It’s the people skills that allow one nation to be able to protect its computers versus another nation.
- Alan Paller, SANS Institute
Alan Paller is the director of research at the SANS Institute, an organization that specializes in computer security training. He says the U.S. is way behind in finding and training talent, and that leaves the country’s power grid, defense industry and banks vulnerable.
“People used to think that it was all technology,” Paller says. “If you could buy some tools you could have great cybersecurity, but the attacks have changed so fast that the tools can’t keep up, so it’s the people skills that allow one nation to be able to protect its computers versus another nation.”
For the entire article and audio interview: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129236426
Industrial Production in U.S. Increased 1% in July
8/17/10 Shobhana Chandra – Businessweek.com
Aug. 17 (Bloomberg) — Production in the U.S. rose more than forecast in July, easing concern the industry that led the economy out of the recession is beginning to slow.
The report showed business investment in new equipment kept growing at the start of the second half of 2010 as American factories churned out more computers and electronics. At the same time, a slowdown in consumer spending will reduce the need to rebuild inventories, while cooling growth overseas may limit exports, meaning the pace of industrial expansion may moderate.
“The manufacturing recovery remains durable,” Sal Guatieri, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto, said before the report. “The U.S. economy is slowing rather than double dipping.”
U.S. Treasury securities remained lower after the report and stock-index futures rose. The 10-year Treasury note dropped, pushing up the yield to 2.61 percent at 9:19 a.m. in New York from 2.56 percent late yesterday. Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring next month rose 0.8 percent to 1,085.6.
Other reports today showed housing starts rose less than forecast last month and producer prices climbed for the first time since March.
Motor Vehicles Production
Manufacturing got a boost from automobile production as fewer factories were shut for mid-year retooling. Output of motor vehicles and parts surged 9.9 percent in July after falling 2.5 percent a month earlier. Excluding autos and parts, manufacturing increased 0.6 percent after declining 0.3 percent.
Capacity utilization, which measures the amount of a plant that is in use, increased to 74.8 percent last month from 74.1 percent. The gauge is still below the average of 80 percent over the past 20 years, signaling inflation remains low.
Utility output increased 0.1 percent, after a 2.3 percent jump the prior month. Mining production, which includes oil drilling, rose 0.9 percent.
For the entire article: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-17/industrial-production-in-u-s-increased-1-in-july.html
U.S. Stock Futures Remain Higher as Housing Data Trail Estimates
8/17/10 – Michael P. Regan- Businessweek.com
(Bloomberg) — U.S. stock futures maintained gains even after reports showed housing starts rose less than forecast in July and building permits fell to the lowest level in more than a year.
Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index expiring next month increased 0.7 percent to 1,085 at 8:34 a.m. in New York. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 48 points, or 0.5 percent, to 10,321.
Earlier gains in futures came after Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. rejected an unsolicited $39 billion takeover bid from BHP Billiton Ltd. as too low.
The S&P 500 closed little changed yesterday, ending a four- day slump, as gains in technology companies helped offset weaker-than-forecast reports on New York manufacturing and Japan’s economy. About $1.9 trillion has been wiped off the value of global equities since the Federal Reserve said Aug. 10 that the pace of recovery will probably be “more modest” than forecast.
The S&P 500 has slumped 4.3 percent since Aug. 9, threatening the index’s rebound from a 10-month low in July. Earnings have topped analysts’ estimates at three-quarters of the 443 companies in the gauge that have released earnings since July 12, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Happy Tuesday CR and Donna and all friends!
(Donna, my gravatar greets your gravatar in the “Like this post” section!)
Welcome to Washington, Mr. President!
>^..^<
Good morning Kathleen!
Building of new US homes edges up
8/17/10 AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Construction of new homes in the US edged up in July but permits issued for future housing construction plunged, the government said Tuesday, as the housing industry struggles to emerge from a slump.
Construction starts on privately owned homes rose by a less than expected 1.7 percent to 546,000 from a revised 537,000 projects, the Commerce Department said. Most economists had expected 555,000 projects for July.
Single-family housing starts however fell 4.2 percent to 432,000, below the revised June figure of 451,000.
Building permits, a forward-looking indicator on the housing construction sector, fell 3.1 percent to 565,000, below the revised June rate of 583,000.
The housing sector was at the epicenter of the financial crisis caused by a mortgage meltdown that plunged the world’s largest economy into recession in December 2007.
The US economy began growing again in the middle of last year but recovery has slowed lately, raising the prospect of a double-dip recession.
usdotgov | August 11, 2010 -
Voices of the Recovery Act: JohnTracey
John Tracey of Pan Am Railways knows the Recovery Act is working because he’s seen it firsthand; forty new employees have already joined the $35 million Recovery Act project he’s working on, laying track to extend Amtrak’s Downeaster service 30 miles north from Portland to Brunswick, Maine. According to John, these forty new Recovery Act jobs are “good paying jobs, jobs with good benefits and a living wage, jobs that will help support small business.”
USInterior | August 12, 2010 -
Fish and Wildlife Service Relocates Sea Turtle Nests
Fish and Wildlife Service relocated sea turtles nests in response to the Gulf oil spill. Loggerhead sea turtles lay about 700 nests every year in the Florida Panhandle. After the eggs are excavated and placed into nest boxes, they are transported by tractor trailer to the Kennedy Space Center where they are monitored until they hatch. They are then released on Atlantic Coast beaches.
This rescue effort is made possible by volunteers like the Friends of St. Joe Buffer Preserve. FedEx has donated the transportation of all the sea turtle nests from the West to East Coast of Florida. As of early August, we have relocated 176 nests from the Florida Panhandle. That’s over 20,000 eggs. The hatchlings from these eggs have a greater chance of survival than leaving them to swim out into potentially oiled waters.
TPM slideshow on the 3-block area around the site of the proposed Islamic cultural center, including other houses of worship, street food vendors and a “gentleman’s club”:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/gallery/2010/08/welcome-to-the-neighborhood-a-look-at-the-area-around-the-ground-zero-mosque.php?img=1&ref=fpb
Steve Benen writes at WashingtonMonthly.com:
….we’re constantly having debates over issues that exist only in the imagination of deceptive conservative hacks, who happen to excel at propaganda. There are, for example, no “death panels.” “Terror babies” don’t exist. There’s no such thing as a “death tax.”….
[The Islamic cultural center is] not at Ground Zero, it’s not a mosque, and even characterizing it as two blocks away is generous. The community won’t be “in the shadow” of Ground Zero; it won’t even be visible from Ground Zero….
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_08/025236.php
Good morning Kat. You are with us awfully early today
Take good care of “Our Guy” while he’s in your state today.
Hi Donna! We have a lot of love for our President in Washington! We’ll treat him right!
At least if my computer goes down again as it did yesterday I can watch TV news coverage from Seattle — http://www.KIRO.com promises online coverage.
Late last night I was able to read your account of explaining at your family’s baby shower the achievements of PBO and the challenges he’s up against. That was awesome. The WH needs to send you on a campaign circuit.
Office of the Press Secretary, August 17, 2010:
President Obama’s Participation in Summit with European Union
President Obama will participate in a Summit with the leaders of the European Union, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 20, 2010.
The United States has no stronger partner than Europe in advancing security and prosperity around the world. The United States and the European Union are continually working together to advance a broad agenda based on a common history, shared values, and enduring ties. Our economic relationship is vital to global prosperity, and we are committed to cooperating to promote strong and sustained growth in our economies. We are united in our effort to protect our people and promote global security by combating terrorism and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Together we advance the ideals of democracy and human rights that are essential in free societies.
The President looks forward to this opportunity to meet again with EU partners, to reaffirm our transatlantic agenda, and to advance our cooperation on issues of mutual concern.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/08/17/president-obamas-participation-summit-with-european-union
Office of the Press Secretary, August 17, 2010:
Background On The President’s Event in Seattle, Washington
Upon arrival at Boeing Field-King County International Airport in Seattle, WA the President will be greeted by:
Governor Chris Gregoire
US Senator Patty Murray
US Representative Jim McDermott
ROUNDTABLE & STATEMENT TO PRESS
11:40 AM PDT (ROUNDTABLE) & 12:20 PM PDT (REMARKS)
SEATTLE, WA
[Today] the President will travel to Seattle, where he will meet with three area small business owners for a discussion about strengthening the economy and creating jobs. He will be joined by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and US Senator Patty Murray for the roundtable, following the discussion he will make remarks to the press.
The names of the small business owners participating in the roundtable discussion and their stories are below:
Gillian Allen-White joined Grand Central Bakery in 1997 after having worked in banking and for a small high-tech start-up. She is currently a co-owner and the general manager of Grand Central’s Seattle operations. Grand Central is a locally owned artisan bakery that opened in Seattle in 1989 and has grown to include a Seattle based wholesale facility and eight cafés with over 250 employees in Seattle and Portland. In Seattle, Grand Central will be opening its ninth café on Friday and over the next two months plans to hire five additional employees across the three Seattle locations. Gillian is optimistic about the bakery’s future potential for growth and continues to look for expansion opportunities in the greater Seattle area.
Tiffany Turner and her husband, Brady, opened the Inn at Discovery Coast in 2004 in their native Long Beach, with a loan from a local community bank. Out of the same office Tiffany and Brady manage the 12-room Inn and eight bungalows nearby. There are currently four full-time employees and during the peak season there are up to seven additional part-time employees. Since its opening the business has thrived, even expanding during the recent economic downturn. In 2009 they approached their bank about a loan in order to expand but were turned down. However, just recently, Tiffany and Brady were approved for a loan that will enable them to expand operations and hire up to 20 additional full-time and part-time employees over the coming year. Tiffany and her husband have been ready to expand and hire more employees, and can finally do so thanks to an economic climate where community banks are lending to small businesses again.
Joe Fugere is the founder of Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria in Seattle. The first Tutta Bella opened in 2004 and has since grown to four locations, employing 180 employees. Joe funded his first restaurant personally and later opened two additional locations funded by loans from a large commercial bank. In December of 2008 Joe approached his bank, a large regional commercial bank, to discuss the funding of an additional location, but was turned down. He then approached other large regional and national commercial lending institutions; but was again turned down due to the uncertain economic climate. Having been rejected by larger banks, Joe approached a community bank and within a few weeks the loan was approved. In mid-2009 Tutta Bella’s fourth location opened and currently employs 50 people. Recently, a SBA loan under the Recovery Act has helped him improve the company’s cash flow. Joe is proof that community banks can be the engine for getting much needed loans to small businesses, so small businesses can grow, create jobs, and build the economy.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/08/17/background-presidents-event-seattle-washington
RECOVERY ACT IN WASHINGTON
Total Jobs & Spending
• JOBS CREATED AND SAVED – CEA estimates that 67,000 jobs were created or saved by the Recovery Act in Washington through June, 2010.
• TOTAL SPEND – More than $8.2 billion in Recovery funds has been made available to Washington – and more than $5.5 billion has already been spent.
Investing in Infrastructure
• CONSTRUCTION – Over $819 million has been obligated for 294 transportation projects in Washington.
• SMALL BUSINESS – 1,937 Recovery Act-backed small business loans have been given to Washington small businesses, supporting more than $893 million in lending.
Relief to Individuals
• TAX RELIEF – Because of the Making Work Pay tax credit, 2.5 million Washington working families will collectively receive $1.3 billion in tax relief.
• UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS – More than 580,000 Washington residents have expanded unemployment benefits because of the Recovery Act.
• STIMULUS PAYMENTS – More than 1 million Washington seniors, veterans and other high-need residents have received one-time economic relief payments of $250, totaling over $266 million.
Helping States
• TEACHERS – Close to 6,000 education positions were reported as funded by the Recovery Act in Q2 2010 in Washington – which has received more than $1 billion in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF).
• MEDICAID – The Recovery Act has already made more than $1.6 billion available to help prevent Medicaid cuts in Washington. The state of Washington has spent more than $1.3 billion of the available funds.
• ‘COPS’ PROGRAM GRANTS: Law enforcement agencies Washington received more than $18.5 million in funding to support 71 police officers’ salaries and benefits for three years….
RECOVERY ACT FUNDING IN SEATTLE AND THE SURROUNDING AREA
Seattle and the surrounding area have received approximately $1.1 billion in Recovery Act funding. Highlights included below:
• The City of Seattle received Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants of over $6.1 million. An additional $6.1 million was provided to King County.
– In addition, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency received nearly $15 million through the Clean Cities Grant Program.
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) provided over $78 million to businesses in Seattle. SBA loan recipients include Loyal Mechanics, Inc ($30,000), City Hostel Seattle ($1.3 million), and Croix Industries, Ltd ($20,000).
• The Department of Education provided over $40 million in Work-Study and Pell Grants for higher education in Seattle. Recipients included Seattle Community Colleges, Art Institute of Seattle, and Seattle Pacific University.
• The City of Seattle and the Seattle Housing Authority received a combined total of $55.8 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
– Over $45 million was provided through the Public Housing Capital Fund.
– An additional $5 million was allotted for Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing.
• The National Science Foundation granted $43 million for research in Seattle.
• The Seattle Police Department received nearly $1 million from the Department of Justice for improvements to public safety within the city.
• The Department of Transportation provided over $305 million in grants for maritime, aviation, transit and highway improvements in Seattle and the greater King County.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/Recovery_Act_in_Washington.pdf
Profits, takeover bid boost Wall Street
8/17/10 By Leah Schnurr – Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stocks rose on Tuesday as agriculture stocks got a lift from M&A talk and after stronger-than-expected profits from retailers Wal-Mart and Home Depot.
The materials sector handily outperformed the broad market after BHP Billiton Ltd (BHP.AX)(BLT.L) made an unsolicited $38.6 billion takeover bid for Potash Corp of Saskatchewan Inc (POT.TO)(POT.N), which was rejected by the world’s largest fertilizer maker as “grossly inadequate.
Potash’s U.S.-traded stock surged 25.4 percent to $140.68. Fertilizer producer CF Industries (CF.N) jumped 6.6 percent to $90.18 after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock, while the materials sector (.GSPM) gained 2.1 percent.
“The increase in M&A shows CEO’s and CFO’s have more confidence in the outlook for the economy and are willing to start to deploy some of the high cash balances, which have built up in recent months,” said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist at RDM Financial in Westport, Connecticut.
The Dow was buoyed by gains in Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) and Home Depot Inc (HD.N) after both companies reported profit that topped expectations. Wal-Mart was up 1.8 percent at $51.34 and Home Depot gained 2.6 percent to $28.10.
Even so, both companies reported sales that missed expectations and Wal-Mart noted consumer sentiment is still soft. Tepid consumer spending remains one of the biggest headwinds for a sustainable recovery.
For the entire article: http://yhoo.it/fzSTW2
Gov’t starts talks about new mortgage system
8/17/10 By ALAN ZIBEL, AP
WASHINGTON – Talk of shrinking the government’s involvement in the mortgage market is growing. Just don’t expect action any time soon.
A conference Tuesday at the Treasury Department is the first of many steps toward restructuring the nearly $11 trillion mortgage market. So far, rescuing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has cost the government more than $148 billion. That number is expected to grow.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner pledged “fundamental change” to the structure of Fannie and Freddie, which profited tremendously during good times but burdened taxpayers with losses when the housing market went bust. He said the two companies weren’t the only cause of the financial crisis, but made it worse.
Geithner, however, did not offer a specific exit strategy for Fannie and Freddie. He said only that, “it is our responsibility to make sure that we create a system that is not vulnerable to these same failures happening again.”
With Republicans likely to pick up seats in Congress in November, however, the Obama administration will need support from both political parties for the changes it proposes.
Reflecting this reality, Geithner said that “the failures that produced the system we have today were bipartisan. The solution must be as well.”
Executives and mortgage experts are prepared to tell Obama officials that the government must stay in the business of backing U.S. mortgages even if Fannie and Freddie disappear someday.
“At the end of the day, the government will still have a very large role to play,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics and a panelist at the event. Others include mortgage executives from Bank of America Corp. and Wells Fargo & Co, plus Bill Gross, managing director of bond giant Pimco and Lewis Ranieri, one of the creators of mortgage bonds.
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100817/ap_on_bi_ge/us_mortgage_giants
KIROTV.com, August 17, 2010:
Seattle bakery readies for President’s visit and business meeting — VIDEO here:
http://www.kirotv.com/video/24658875/index.html
Yum!
We were in Pioneer Square the other day and took our visiting family to Pike Place Market. Lots of yum!
Watch the President arrive in Seattle live:
http://www.kirotv.com/video/24660582/index.html
Air Force One on the tarmac!
Welcome to Washington, Mr. President!!!!
Welcome home, Secretary Locke!
Ha! Protesters at the Westin Hotel: A mix of teabaggers who think he’s gone too far and lefties who think he hasn’t gone far enough! I wonder what it’s like to live in an alternate reality.
Kat is it raining in Seattle?
No, it is warm and sunny, but not as hot as it has been for several days.
The weather has improved for President Obama!
Washington’s unemployment rate dropped for the 4th straight month!
Excellent News!
Today is Primary Day in Washington! Top two candidates, regardless of party, go to the General. The Secretary of State reports an expected 38% turnout, which is very high for a midterm.
Breaking news shocker: The President’s motorcade will cause traffic slowdowns on I-5.
*rolls eyes*
Everything causes traffic slowdowns on I-5.
For crying out loud, reporters, there are security reasons not to reveal the motorcade’s route. No need to explain where he’s most likely to be.
I just e-mailed the station to thank them for their coverage and also repeat what I said above.
Good Girl
And I received an e-mail back saying my message has been given to the newsroom management.
Good evening everyone…I Jus Got this from Shirley Sherrod & the NAACP..im on their mailing list..
Rochester,
Back in March, I delivered a speech to an NAACP Freedom Fund banquet in my home state of Georgia. I drew on my personal life story to urge poor people, white and black, to pull together and overcome racial divisions. We have to understand that our struggle is against poverty and against those who are blocking our path out of poverty.
Unless we figure this out, I warned, our communities won’t thrive and our children won’t prosper.
As you know, a Tea Party blogger named Andrew Breitbart released an intentionally deceptive, heavily edited clip from that speech to make it look as if I was delivering exactly the opposite message. Then Fox News blasted that false message across America’s airwaves, creating a firestorm that led to my ouster as the USDA State Director here in Georgia.
Not long ago, I sat here in my living room in Albany, Georgia for an afternoon of deep conversation with NAACP President Benjamin Jealous. As he has done in public, Ben movingly apologized for the fact that the NAACP was initially hoodwinked by Breitbart and Fox into supporting my removal. I told him what I want to tell you.
That’s behind us, and the last thing I want to see happen is for my situation to weaken support for the NAACP. Too many people confronted by racism and poverty count on the NAACP to be there for them, especially those in rural areas who often have nowhere else to turn.
People ask me, “Shirley, how are you getting through all of this?” I tell them that, if they knew what I have lived through, they’d understand that these current challenges aren’t about to throw me off course.
When I was 17 years old, my father was murdered by a white man in Baker County, Georgia. There were three witnesses, but the grand jury refused to indict the person responsible. I knew I had to do something in answer to my father’s death.
That very night, I made a commitment that I would stay in the South and fight for change.
I have lived true to that commitment for 45 years. I didn’t yield when, just months after my father was killed, they came in the middle of the night to burn a cross in front of our house with my mother, four sisters, and the baby brother my father never got to see still inside.
And I’m surely not going to yield because some Tea Party agitator sat at his computer and turned everything I said upside down and inside out.
I learned a lot of lessons from my parents growing up, but one of the most important ones is what my mother taught her children after our father was killed. She told us we mustn’t try to live with hate in our hearts.
My mother led by example. Just 11 years after that cross-burning incident, she became the first black elected official in Baker County, and she’s still serving, still working to bring people together.
You and I have to keep working as well. Change has to start with us. I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support I have received over these last few weeks. It means so much to me and my family.
But you and I have to make sure that people all across the country who wage a daily struggle against poverty and racism have support networks as well. And that’s why your personal involvement in sustaining the NAACP is so critical.
The NAACP confronts the virulent racism that my family and so many other families have had to endure. But it is also leading the way in breaking down the structural barriers that block so many people’s paths out of poverty.
In our struggle between the “haves” and the “have-nots,” they want to keep the poor divided – and we have to insist, by our words and our actions, that there is no difference between us.
As we move forward together, I urge you to remember this: Life is a grindstone. But whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us.
Thank you for all you are doing to challenge poverty and racism. I look forward to working and struggling right by your side.
Sincerely,
Shirley Sherrod
Hi Rock!
Hi CR :0)
Hi Tigerfists! Thnak you for sharing this wonderful statement of high moral purpose.
I mean “thank you”
Good evening Kat…Im glad to see Pres.Obama receive so much hospitality…Aug.29 Pres.Obama will be in New Orleans marking the tragedy of katrina..
Thank you Rock for posting this!
Hi Donna..No problem :0)
I know that there’s zero media interest in seeing people get along and not hold grudges…
PBO at Grand Central Bakery!
http://www.kirotv.com/video/24660582/index.html
What will the President have for lunch?
Here’s the menu at Seattle’s Grand Central Bakery:
http://www.grandcentralbakery.com/menus/seattle
Mr. President, may I recommend the Skagit Valley Salad and Turkey & Chutney Sandwich.
Some cookies wouldn’t hurt, either.
yummy..!!
Ha! I think I heard him say that he had the Turkey Sandwich
Ah, the President has excellent taste, but of course we knew that!
It’s amazing Kat that again our media manipulates perception. They had several hundred supporters at the Grand Central Bakery but I saw no pictures of all those supporters (heard them applauding and yelling in support of PBO) and not one person was interviewed but at the protest at the Westin it looked like maybe 50-60 people and they got camera time to complain about the President.
Need I say more!!!
I know it. Usually the Seattle stations are much better than the national media — don’t they know their viewers are overwhelmingly pro-PBO?? — but I’m detecting “concern trolls” today: the cost to taxpayers, the traffic congestion, the people who still don’t have jobs and “want to know what the President is going to do about it.”
Gaaahhhh. He’ll personally hire all the unemployed, get out of his limo and direct traffic, and write another bestseller just to reimburse the taxpayers, as soon as he gets through giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to every loggerhead turtle rescued from the Gulf. He can’t be everywhere.
Next Up…
August 17, 2010
3:20 PM EDT
President Obama Speaks to the Press Seattle, Washington
WhiteHouse.gov (Audio Only) http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com/
Good afternoon guys! Kat, thanks for taking such good care of POTUS and keeping us up on his movements in Seattle. I missed all the live coverage, but glad he’s made it safely. It looks like around 3 pm EST, cnn.com/live will show his remarks at one of the fundraisers he’s doing, so that’s good. I need a little POTUS fix, I was disengaged last week, so I missed his Ramadan dinner speech, and his statements in FL as well.
Good Afternoon Vero.
Hi Vero!
A lot of love, prayers and positive vibes surrounding our President in Washington, especially here in the true-blue west!
If only this were the National Uemployement Numbers!
Great Job Washington…
Washington state’s unemployment rate fell for the fourth straight month, dropping to 8.9 percent in July.
State officials said Tuesday the jobless rate dropped one-tenths of a percentage point from June’s revised rate of 9 percent.
More than 306,000 people in Washington were unemployed and looking for work. And nearly 240,000 people received unemployment benefits from the state in July.
The state added about 3,100 jobs in July, but registered a net loss of 2,300 for the month because of the elimination of about 5,400 government jobs, most of which were federal census jobs.
Several industries added jobs in July, including transportation, retail trade, and mining and logging.
We also have a Democratic governor who fights like a lioness for us. A great ally of our President.
Once again, the president is calling on the Senate for MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. Let’s see if the DIVAs in the Senate will act, or whether they need more time to discuss whether the president is kryptonite. I won’t hold my breath.
Who do we love? Detroit!
Ford, GM brands top customer satisfaction survey for first time ever
8/17/10 Allison Linn – MSNBC
The painful years of restructuring appear to be paying off for at least two of the Big Three automakers.
For the first time ever, Ford’s Lincoln Mercury and GM’s Buick received the highest customer satisfaction rankings among all automakers, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index released Tuesday. The ACSI measures customer sentiment about a number of products and industries, including this annual auto survey.
The results offer one more piece of evidence that U.S. automakers are starting to see the payoff from years of painful layoffs, corporate restructuring and quality improvements.
But the two carmakers also benefited from the series of recalls that have plagued Toyota and its luxury brand, Lexus, said Claes Fornell, founder of the ACSI study and a professor of business administration at the University of Michigan. Both the Japanese brands saw their customer satisfaction ratings fall this year, creating an opportunity for the American brands.
“No doubt they’re benefiting from (the recalls), but they’re also doing more things right,” Fornell said.
Still, the survey — which has tracked customer satisfaction with vehicle brands since 1995 — was a bittersweet victory. Overall, customers were less satisfied with all vehicle makers than they were last year, when the Cash for Clunkers and other incentive programs generated a lot of good deals, and goodwill.
Wow…he said it. The other party is offering cynicism and fear. Period. Point blank.
I think he needs to keep saying that and sound a little ominous about it.
He also eluded to the whole really disgusting masque “controversy” when he said that they’re trying to turn us against each other.
Lately, there are times when he sound almost heartbroken. Like he can’t believe that this is his beloved America.
eluded????
I’m so old.
BWD – you and I have discussed it before, but I agree he totally had the look of being sad at how crazy things are out here. This mosque controversy, the repealing the 14th amendment issue, the AZ immigration law from nowhere, constant birther crap…it has just been one divisive issue after another. Meanwhile, we are in the midst of economic turmoil and 2 wars, with hotspots like Iran and N. Korea constantly posing a risk.
The lack of seriousness of purpose from the Republican leadership is heartbreaking, and I feel his pain. They hate for him to be successful so much that they have made that deal with the devil to do what they must to take him down, even if the country goes with him.
“A person or entity can only do what you allow them to do to you.” – my Grandmother.
We have to state our message and get EVERYBODY on our side onboard from now until Nov 2nd. Short of that this will just continue just as it is. We do something, the Repubs make an issue of it and the media carries the negativity to the public.
We are always running behind trying to catch up and put out the controversy of the day.
It is so frustating to watch. All these great minds in that WH and at the DNC and none of them seem to be able to see this. Sigh!!!
Wise words from grandmom. I have to agree to the extent that the WH and DNC by extension has checked out of the day-to-day news cycle battle. That’s fine – but I think they should at least be looking to WIN a few of those cycles, or at least minimize how many they lose. I feel like we are constantly losing the message/PR side of things, and I don’t think we should be. We have a decent story to tell.
An example: On the Today Show yesterday, the led off with the mosque story. They summed up the president’s statements, complete with the backtracking storyline. Then they had on Peter King to interview. The end. This morning, again, leading with the mosque story. And to interview, they had Dick Armey and some tea party guy to discuss the issue and their new book on how great the tea party is.
Where is just ONE person from the president’s side? Did no one invite them? Did they not try to get on? This is the Today Show for heaven’s sake! We can’t let the right wing rule on that show.
That’s exactly my point Vero. Everything should be be scripted and well coordinated at this point. I know that sounds bad but you have to win sometimes and we just don’t ever seem to win with our media.
Brace yourself! I predict today on this blog that his poll numbers with Gallup are going to dip into the 30′s before long and when they do the Dems are going to run for the hills and the media is going to get even worse than they are today.
Meanwhile the DNC will just keep running web ads and letting Dems go out there and say whatever moves them at the moment no matter how damaging.
Did I miss it? I had WhiteHouse.gov up
CR it was streaming on CNN/Live stream. WhiteHouse.give never work well for me.
WH.gov never stream these partisan events. After all, it’s the president’s site. But it was on CNN and this local station:
http://www.kirotv.com/video/24659330/index.html
CR, I very rarely watching things on whitehouse.gov. The livestream just isn’t reliable enough. I followed a link I saw from BWD on DKos, which was a local Seattle station’s livestream.
I advise that you always look to cnn.com and the local tv stations where he is at, as well as whitehouse.gov.
I liked that Vero. It is time he started calling these fearmongers out. They have nothing else to offer. That’s how they win. I enjoyed the speech. He adds a little to it each time. He was very relaxed and had a nice receptive audience.
I think he needs to just say screw it and fight these Republican crazies with some fire. They are literally standing in the way of our progress, so he’s got to forcefully fight them back.
I agree. He needs to get into a full partisan mode. I don’t care what the pundits will say. It’s not like they gave him any credit when he was 100% presidential while Republicans did all they could to destroy the country.
That’s how I’m seeing it too. The post-partisan thing is something Americans say they want, but I don’t think they have the emotional maturity needed to have it.
The immigration judge who granted President Obama’s aunt asylum three months ago based his decision on the fact that an anonymous federal official had disclosed information about her immigration status to the media, a “reckless’’ act that exposed her to heightened threats of persecution in her native Kenya, according to the ruling, obtained yesterday by the Globe.
Immigration Judge Leonard I. Shapiro, who presided over her deportation case in February, said a federal law enforcement official’s public revelations about her confidential case catapulted Onyango into the spotlight in a “highly publicized and highly politicized manner’’ just days before Obama’s historic election in November 2008. The publicity and her status as Obama’s aunt are the crux of his 29-page decision.
Shapiro, a veteran immigration judge and Republican appointee, wrote harshly of the anonymous Bush administration official’s leak to the Associated Press for using confidential information for political purposes and said it was a “clear violation of federal regulations.’’
“Moreover,’’ he wrote, “the disclosure . . . was a reckless and illegal violation of her right to privacy which has exposed her to great risk.’’
Read the entire article here:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/08/17/judge_based_asylum_ruling_on_publicity_surrounding_obamas_aunt/
Ira Mehlman, who is quoted complaining that Ms. Onyango might have received special treatment, is media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform. Says the website Ya Basta (using info from Campaign for a United America),
“In 2005, Mehlman strongly advocated a federal bill that would have made it a felony to offer support to undocumented immigrants – even if they were dying of thirst in the middle of the desert. Unfortunately, this isn’t a hypothetical scenario: two college students who were volunteering for the No More Deaths organization were prosecuted in Arizona under a similar law for rescuing three sun-stroked migrants from a brutal fate. Even after the prosecutions, Mehlman still denied that the law would be enforced in such cases.”
http://taino-red.blogspot.com/2007/10/hall-of-shame-ira-mehlman-fairs-smooth.html
We are back from VOTING FOR DEMOCRATS and I am now scrolling backwards to get caught up here.
And my text bolding has taken on a life of its own.
Office of the Press Secretary, August 17, 2010
Remarks by the President After Roundtable With Local Business Leaders in Seattle, Washington
THE PRESIDENT:
…. The bottom line is this: America’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the cornerstones of our communities. The folks who own them work hard, meet their responsibilities — as Gillian pointed out, nobody here is getting too fat and happy; everybody here is operating on very lean margins, and they are constantly thinking about their employees and their obligations and responsibilities to them. So in the same way that they’re looking out for their employees, we need to be looking out for these small businesses. They are who this bill is for. They will see the positive benefits right away.
Now, unfortunately, a partisan minority in the Senate has been standing in the way of giving our small businesspeople a simple up-or-down vote on this bill. They won’t even let it go to vote. And every day this obstruction goes on is another day a small business somewhere in the country can’t get a loan or can’t get the tax cuts that it needs to grow and to hire.
I think Patty would agree with me when I say there will be plenty of time between now and November to play politics, but the small business owners beside me and around the country don’t have time for political games. They’re not interested in what’s best for a political party. They’re interested in what’s best for their employees and their communities and for the country.
So when Congress reconvenes, this jobs bill will be the first business out of the gate, and I ask Senate Republicans to drop their efforts to block it. I believe we can work together to get this done for the folks standing beside me, and for small businesses, their employees, and communities that depend on them all across the country….
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/08/17/remarks-president-after-roundtable-with-local-business-leaders-seattle-w
I would just like to report that when we went to drop off our ballots at the County Courthouse, we could not find a parking space. There is other business going on inside, like getting shots for school at the city health department, but some people like to bring their ballots indoors and not just drop them into the outside box. Many big American flags draped the walkway. We also saw other people bringing their ballots.
Yippee!!
And we all know the formula:
Higher turnout = more Democrats!!!
C-SPAN video of the President’s remarks following his roundtable meeting with local small business owners in Seattle:
http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/08/17/HP/A/37103/Pres+Obama+Remarks+on+Jobs+and+the+Economy.aspx
YES!!! Good old KOMO!!! They were also the only station to keep continuous TV coverage of the President from the landing of Air Force One to his arrival at the bakery.
KOMOcommunities | August 17, 2010 -
Obama speaks at Grand Central Bakery
The president’s first stop was at Pioneer Square’s Grand Central Bakery, where after having an “outstanding” turkey sandwich, he held a roundtable discussion at a small table in the cafe atrium with Locke, Murray, Joe Fugere of Tutta Bella Neopolitan Pizzeria, Gillian Allen-White of Grand Central and Tiffany Turner of Inn at Discovery Coast in Long Beach — each with upbeat stories to tell.
Thanks Kathleen!
‘Founding Fathers’ Look For John Boehner In Ohio Golf Course, Tanning Salon (VIDEO)
The Huffington Post | Nick Wing
The “Founding Fathers” of declareindependence.org, a project of the Campaign for Fair Elections, recently embarked on a manhunt for Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) in his home district in order to highlight his “cash-for-Speaker” program.
George Washington and Benjamin Franklin scoured corn fields, parking lots, golf courses and tanning salons, but found no trace of the Minority Leader, leaving the “Founding Fathers” to wonder why “John Boehner has promised VIP access to any lobbyist willing to bundle $100,000,” but wasn’t around to meet with his constituents.
Cliff Schecter, a consultant for the Campaign for Fair Elections, explained the frustration behind the new “cash-for-speaker” initiative in an earlier blog post.
Rep. Boehner has been talking a lot about Democrats’ failing to “drain the swamp,” in Washington, D.C.–but he’s spending his days raising special-interest cash around the country and asking lobbyists to bundle $100,000 for his “cash for speaker” program, as a way to gain VIP access to the wannabe-Speaker of the House. If Rep. Boehner were really serious about draining the swamp and not just offering his usual empty platitudes, he’d work to pass the Fair Elections Now Act, legislation that would put our elections back in the hands of voters–instead of the corporate interests and lobbyists who feed his personal financial trough.
From Politico’s report on Rep. Boehner’s latest pay for access fundraising campaign:
According to materials distributed by Boehner’s camp and obtained by POLITICO, lobbyists and other major donors across the country who give the maximum or help raise $100,000 will get meetings with Boehner, calls from senior aides with updates on the campaign and “VIP access to all events, including roundtables, briefings, breakout discussions and interactive panel discussions.”
Watch the “Founding Fathers” search for John Boehner:
Funny! “Do you have $100,000? Why not!?”
I can’t speak with Agent Orange because my $100,000 Canadian is only worth $96,919.947 US at today’s rate.
LOL!!
Target Ain’t People
The West Seattle Target store owns a little piece of Internet fame right now; it’s the setting for a protest video that’s getting some attention online.
The video features a flash mob that assembled to sing and dance in protest of the retailer’s financial support of Tom Emmer, a Republican candidate for governor in Minnesota.
Emmer has a history of landing on the “no” side of gay marriage and other gay-rights issues.
In the video, protesters call on shoppers to “boycott Target, take America back.”
MoveOn.org agrees:
Minnesota Public Radio, August 17, 2010:
Emmer skips debate prompting rural Mayors to question his commitment to Greater MN
by Tom Scheck
Republican Tom Emmer has declined to attend Thursday’s Coalition of Greater MN Cities debate in Winona. The organization invited Emmer, Democrat Mark Dayton and Independence Party candidate Tom Horner. Dayton and Horner say they’ll both attend. Emmer says he can’t attend because of scheduling issues…. and apologized to the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities….
Timothy Strand, Mayor of St. Peter and President of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities issued this statement after Emmer announced his decision:
“…. There is no better opportunity to explain why you will be a champion for rural Minnesota than by debating the other candidates for governor in front of the mayors, city council members, and city staff that make up the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities. That is why we are disheartened that Rep. Emmer has declined this opportunity…. We also hope Rep. Emmer reevaluates the message that his absence at this critical forum sends to greater Minnesota communities.
Emmer and his campaign may have also been weighing the impact of attending the debate. The Coalition is a strong supporter of Local Government Aid, which has been reduced under Gov. Pawlenty. Emmer has proposed phasing LGA out and creating another, unspecified, formula.
When told of Strand’s comments, Emmer said it was unfortunate. He said he has stressed the “recovery in the state will come from greater Minnesota ultimately.”
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/polinaut/archive/2010/08/emmer_skips_deb.shtml
TPM, August 9, 2010:
Target’s Misfire On Emmer Support Shows Perils Of Post-Citizens United World
By Eric Kleefeld
The recent firestorm over the Target Corporation’s support for Tom Emmer in the Minnesota gubernatorial race illustrates a major pitfall for companies in the post-Citizens United world: They are now free to spend money on political races — but are at risk of being identified with a candidate’s whole agenda, and not just the key issues they might like.
The lesson here is obvious: If you want to keep your brand clean of politics, keep your wallet out of the whole enterprise, too…..
Target’s CEO Gregg Steinhafel explained that his company was supporting Emmer because of economics and business issues, and that the company fully maintained its policies in support of gay rights — for example, they sponsor a group that organizes the state’s annual pride events, and they provide domestic partner benefits for their employees.
But that definitely wasn’t enough for the opposition….
Target then backed down, with Steinhafel publicly apologizing for the donation to Emmer, and promising that the company will review any future donations….
Now here’s the rub. Steinhafel’s talk about the company’s pro-gay rights policies was true. According to the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, Target receives a perfect score of 100. But as Target found out, supporting a candidate on pro-business grounds left them open to being associated with his anti-gay policies — even though Target’s own gay rights record was acceptable.
The company sent a statement to the liberal The Awl blog. “Target supports causes and candidates based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business interests. In fact, Target’s Federal PAC contributions year-to-date are very balanced between Republicans and Democrats, and we work collaboratively with legislators and officials at all points on the political spectrum,” the statement said….
The Awl also points out that Steinhafel as an individual has donated to Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and outgoing Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s Freedom First PAC. Bachmann has made various anti-gay statements throughout her career….
And obviously, it should be noted that with current polls showing Emmer losing badly, maybe companies should stay out simply to avoid wasting money.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/targets-misfire-on-emmer-support-shows-perils-of-post-citizens-united-world.php
I don’t shop at WalMart….now no Target….
We’ll have to start weaving our own cloth and carving kitchen utensils out of wood.
Okayyyyyyy
LOL..!!
Hey guys, remember when we boycotted Whole Foods. Anyone know what whole Foods decided in the end, as a result of our boycott?
Hi COS, I have been Googling the Whole Foods thing but I can’t find the final word yet.
Thanks Kat. I was just curious. You are the greatest.
New York Daily News, August 17, 2010:
U.S. to ease travel restrictions to Cuba, Obama administration officials say
By Meena Hartenstein
…. The Obama administration is set to announce significantly loosened restrictions on travel to the Communist country as soon as next week, officials told the New York Times on Tuesday.
The shift would make America’s rules on travel to Cuba similar to what they were under President Bill Clinton, when the U.S. government supported “people-to-people” interactions between Americans and Cubans.
Travel restrictions were tightened under 1996 legislation, and again during George W. Bush’s Presidency.
The new changes would make it easier for American academic, religious and cultural groups to visit Cuba, making room for a cultural dialogue between the two countries while leaving in place the decades-old embargo against the Communist government, The Associated Press reports….
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2010/08/17/2010-08-17_us_to_ease_travel_restrictions_to_cuba_obama_administration_officials_say.html
Washington primary results on KOMOnews.com:
Local race results will be available when counties begin to report the first batch of mail-in results about 8:15 p.m. PDT.
http://elections.komonews.com/
KOMONews.com, August 17, 2010:
F-15s responding to air space breach trigger sonic booms
By KOMO Staff & News Services
Two F-15 fighter jets rushing from Portland triggered two sonic booms that were heard across a wide swath of the Puget Sound region, fraying nerves and knocking out 911 service to parts of Pierce County for about an hour.
The jets were responding to a float plane that had entered restricted presidential air space over Western Washington, the FAA reported.
The plane landed safely at a float plane harbor in Kenmore on the northern shores of Lake Washington, a worker at the harbor told KOMO News.
Several calls from worried residents across the region, from Olympia to Edmonds, flooded emergency dispatchers and the KOMO newsroom reporting two distinct explosions that rattled windows and shook homes around 1:50 p.m.
A spokesman with the Oregon Air National Guard said two F-15s from their 142nd Fighter Wing were scrambled on a “real-world mission” from their base at Portland International Airport. The FAA had restricted a large area to aircraft over Seattle due to President Barack Obama’s visit.
NORAD spokesman John Cornelio said the aircraft left the restricted area before the Air National Guard jets arrived, and there was no intercept. Meanwhile, a source told ABC News the plane landed just before the fighter jets got to him.
Kenmore Air president Todd Banks said the incursion was by a plane that landed at his float plane base on nearby Lake Washington.
The Cessna 180 float plane was flying to a seaplane base on Lake Washington, next to Seattle, from Lake Chelan in Eastern Washington, said passenger Laura Joseph, of Normandy Park. She told The Associated Press that neither she nor the pilot, Lee Daily, knew about Obama’s visit or the air restrictions that accompany such a high-profile trip….
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/100921834.html
KOMOcommunities | August 17, 2010 –
Sonic booms from National Guard fighter jets heard across Puget Sound
Very short clip of the Cessna that entered restricted air space.
Report from Bill downstairs:
With 17% of precincts reporting, Senator Patty Murray has 43% of the primary vote and Dino Rossi has 37%.
US bailouts prevented 1930s-style Great Depression say economists
New study by economists Mark Zandi and Alan Blinder says US economic stimulus averted a worse downturn
7/28/10 Andrew Clark – guardian.co.uk
To Washington conservatives they were egregious examples of “big government” overreach, but the White House’s economic stimulus and bailout policies have saved 8.5m jobs and averted a further slump of 6.5% in US economic output, according to a study by two influential economists.
An in-depth modelling exercise by Moody’s chief economist, Mark Zandi, and a Princeton University expert, Alan Blinder, paints a bleak scenario of a 1930s-style Great Depression if the US government had enacted none of its $1.7tn (£1.3tn) programmes to avert a financial meltdown.
Using historical statistical relationships and a focus on the government’s impact on narrowing credit spreads, the pair found that the downturn would have continued into 2011, with unemployment peaking at 16.5% rather than last year’s actual high of 10.1%.
They believe US gross domestic product would have slumped by 7.4% in 2009 and by 3.7% in 2010, producing a “peak to trough” decline of 12%, rather than the anticipated 4%. Starved of demand, shops and employers would be cutting prices and wages.
“With outright deflation in prices and wages in 2009 to 2011, this dark scenario constitutes a 1930s-like depression,” says the study, entitled How the great recession was brought to an end”.
Thwarting stiff opposition from Republicans in Congress, the Obama administration introduced an economic stimulus package of more than $780bn last year, adding to giveaways of $170bn by the Bush administration in 2008 that included tax refunds to tens of millions of Americans. Adding in banking-bailout measures of $600bn and smaller programmes such as the “cash for clunkers” scheme and a rescue of insurer AIG, total commitments by the US government reach $1.7tn.
Zandi and Blinder say that although economic activity and job creation remain extremely sluggish, the US economy has made “enormous progress” since its nadir last year: “Maybe the country and the world were just lucky. But we take another view: the great recession gave way to recovery as quickly as it did largely because of the unprecedented responses by monetary and fiscal policymakers.”
The study’s authors are likely to have their findings hotly disputed by Republicans, who maintain that an unemployment rate stubbornly close to 10% means the government’s interventions were a failure, fuelling an out-of-control budget deficit.
Speaking earlier in the week, the Republicans’ senate leader, Mitch McConnell, insisted stimulus efforts had “little or no results”, and that such intervention “simply didn’t work”.
“Simply borrowing money from our grandchildren to send down to state governments is not going to jump start the economy,” McConnell told a newspaper in his home state of Kentucky. “The biggest way for the economy to recover is for the private sector to grow.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/28/us-bailouts-prevented-1930s-style-great-depression
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titled: “US Department of Commerce ”
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