First thoughts: Isn't it ironic?

Posted: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:24 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: First Thoughts

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Isn’t it ironic? Here's what might be going through the minds of key members of the White House team today: Many of the folks who helped get the country into this economic mess -- including Wall Street and even a few financial pundits -- have been complaining the loudest that the administration, just seven weeks on the job, isn't up to the task. Their latest criticism: The Obama White House is doing too much. Rather than focusing exclusively on the economy, they argue, the administration is also working on health care (as it did last week), stem cells (yesterday), and education (today). From the administration’s point of view, it’s probably better to be criticized for doing too much rather than doing too little. That said, the White House has realized that it needs to do a better job in talking to Wall Street, so it is dispatching key economic aides (like Larry Summers and Tim Geithner) to give speeches and interviews in the hope that their words will help reverse the Dow’s downturn. The problem the White House is dealing with is that its most credible messenger on everything right now is the president himself. If Geithner had been better received publicly, they could outsource some of these economic conversations. But right now they can't. This week is a test for the rest of the Obama economic team, as the White House could quiet the criticism if one or more of the economic players were seen as calming influences on Wall Street.

VIDEO: As President Obama prepares to unveil his ambitious plan to overhaul education, some are saying he should bring his focus back to the economy. NBC’s Chuck Todd reports.

*** Hey, teachers, leave them kids alone: As mentioned above, at 9:45 am ET, President Obama will deliver a speech on education reform to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s conference in DC. As he did on the campaign trail, the New York Daily News writes, Obama will call for merit pay for teachers, as well as termination for poorly performing teachers. Of course, this speech to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce shines today’s political spotlight on the Latino vote, which Obama won by a 67%-31% margin in November -- and that was against a man considered to be one of the Latino community’s biggest GOP allies. Just throwing this out there, but what happens if Obama appoints the first Hispanic (Sonia Sotomayor) to the Supreme Court? As smart Republican strategists have asserted, the next Republican presidential candidate will need to win more than 40% of the Hispanic vote to be able to win in 2012. But if McCain, who hails from a border state and who championed comprehensive immigration reform, couldn’t do that, then which Republican can? Romney? Palin? Pawlenty? Jindal?

*** The loyal opposition: Speaking of McCain, it looks like he is getting more and more comfortable becoming both an opponent and potential partner with Obama on various issues. He's very public with his criticism, but accepts every invite from the White House to work on key issues. “These are terrible, perilous times, so I will seek ways to work with the president of the United States,” McCain told Politico in an interview. “I don’t want him to fail in his mission of restoring our economy.” But here’s the rub, Politico adds: “On the central issue of the economy, the two men are so far apart it is difficult to see them collaborating effectively.”

*** Riding the omnibus: The Senate today will vote on the $410 billion omnibus spending bill, and the legislation is expected to pass. But before the bill goes to the president for his signature, NBC’s Ken Strickland notes, Democratic leaders will have to beat back any amendment that would change the overall bill -- as they did to four amendments yesterday. Speaker Pelosi has threatened that if the bill is altered (forcing it back to the House and dragging out the prospects for final passage), she'd kill it, earmarks included. As a result, Congress would likely have to pass a continuing resolution that funds government operations at last year’s lower spending levels. Strick says the amendment today that is giving Democratic leaders the most political heartburn is one on congressional pay raises offered by GOP Sen. David Vitter (who is up for re-election in 2010 and is trying to make Louisiana voters forget about that prostitution thing). Vitter’s amendment would require members to vote publicly on their annual pay increases instead of the current system that lets it kick in automatically. To counter Vitter's amendment, Majority Leader Reid introduced a stand-alone bill similar to Vitter's amendment to give his members some political cover. They could vote against it today and for vote it later IF it ever comes to the floor.

*** Omnibus odds and ends: The omnibus legislation, of course, has received plenty of attention and criticism for the earmarks that are in it. But here are a few things worth keeping in mind: It contains 8,570 known earmarks totaling $7.7 billion, which represents less than 2% of the $410 billion bill; according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, the total amount in earmarks for FY’09 is $500 million less than it was in FY’08; during the campaign, Obama promised to reform the earmarks process -- “go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely” -- but he never said he’d eliminate earmarks; that said, the president did tout that his stimulus didn’t contain a single earmark; and the White House has said Obama will outline a process moving forward on earmarks.

*** Talk about chutzpah: Is it just us, or does AIG use some amazing language to talk the government into more bailouts? GM has used similar language and hasn't gotten nearly the attention from the government. Check out this graph in the Washington Post: "The collapse, for instance, would strain the global insurance industry, hurt the value of the dollar and damage money-market funds, AIG warned. The company's failure, it added, would also erase taxpayers' existing investment in the firm and foster ‘doubts about the ability of the U.S. to support its banking system.’” So one of the reasons AIG gave for the government to increase its stake is that AIG failing would somehow send the message that the government could not succeed in bailouts? So, let us get this straight: AIG used "perception" to sell the government on more money? Isn't perception what got us into this mess?

*** The 50-day mark: Today just happens to be the 50th day of the Obama administration. Our friends at Politifact use this milestone to note that Obama so far has kept 17 promises (including yesterday’s action on embryonic stem-cell research) and has broken two promises. Meanwhile, the RNC research has greeted Obama’s 50th day with a different kind of commemoration: a press released entitled, “Obama’s First 50 Days Have Brought Outrageous Spending, DVDs For Foreign Policy, Personnel Issues, And Little Change To Washington."

*** In Bruges -- er, Brussels: Vice President Biden today is in Belguim, where he will meet with the North American Council, the forum for NATO’s members, to discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan. Biden will also meet with NATO’s secretary general, as well as with European Union leaders.

Countdown to NY-20 special: 21 days
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 84 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 91 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 238 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 602 days

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Comments

Re: Wall Street-it is troubling to me to see the market in chaos yet I find comfort in the fact that Wall Street isn't happy with the Obama administration. They want a quick fix that lets them continue with the behaviors that got us into this mess so the fact that they don't like what the administration wants to do tells me that President Obama and his advisors are on the right track.

Steeler Fan Pittsburgh, PA (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:34 AM)

"Here's what might be going through the minds of key members of the White House team today: Many of the folks who helped get the country into this economic mess -- including Wall Street and even a few financial pundits -- have been complaining the loudest that the administration, just seven weeks on the job, isn't up to the task." - First Read
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It is ironic, and sad.

You know what's sadder? Comedians like Jon Stewart doing more accurate reporting than the corporate owned news outlets.

Watching Morning Joe-ke try to defend Jim Cramer this morning was television at its lowest - why can't the media ever just take responsibility for screwing up?

You pundits can't hold up under the same scrutiny you apply to everyone else.

I am still left wondering what magical remedy Wall Street and the news media are waiting for?

All of the remedies being proposed - letting the banks fail, "nationalizing" them, creating a bad bank - rely on tax payer money.

Let's quit pretending that once the Obama Adminsitration tells us how the BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars are going to be spent we are going to feel better, because we aren't.

Maybe the reason it is taking so long is because as the Treasury Department is conducting these "stress tests", they are discovering all the off book shenanigans that have been covered up for years while these "titans of finance" give themselves fat bonuses and million dollar bathrooms.

You wanna know where "the floor" is? So far, looks like it'll be in hell.

Nashville_fan (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:39 AM)

"Isn’t it ironic? Here's what might be going through the minds of key members of the White House team today: Many of the folks who helped get the country into this economic mess -- including Wall Street and even a few financial pundits -- have been complaining the loudest that the administration, just seven weeks on the job, isn't up to the task. Their latest criticism: The Obama White House is doing too much. Rather than focusing exclusively on the economy, they argue, the administration is also working on health care (as it did last week), stem cells (yesterday), and education (today)."
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I think this is the most important story to come out about Wall Street, which was reported last night on Keith Olbermann's program. It's pretty bad, however, not surprising:

Wall Street Watch: 5 Billion Dollars In Political Contributions Bought Wall Street Freedom From Regulation, Restraint, Report Finds
March 4 - The financial sector invested more than $5 billion in political influence purchasing in Washington over the past decade, with as many as 3,000 lobbyists winning deregulation and other policy decisions that led directly to the current financial collapse, according to a 231-page report issued today by Essential Information and the Consumer Education Foundation.
The report, "Sold Out: How Wall Street and Washington Betrayed America," shows that, from 1998-2008, Wall Street investment firms, commercial banks, hedge funds, real estate companies and insurance conglomerates made $1.725 billion in political contributions and spent another $3.4 billion on lobbyists, a financial juggernaut aimed at undercutting federal regulation. Nearly 3,000 officially registered federal lobbyists worked for the industry in 2007 alone. The report documents a dozen distinct deregulatory moves that, together, led to the financial meltdown. These include prohibitions on regulating financial derivatives; the repeal of regulatory barriers between commercial banks and investment banks; a voluntary regulation scheme for big investment banks; and federal refusal to act to stop predatory subprime lending.
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Wall Street demands more from President Obama? My question to Wall Street: Shouldn't they demand more of themselves, instead of the unethical business practices they've been involved in for years and years? No one has any sympathy for Wall Street. No one.

Good. It's about time. They're used to being catered to and living the good life. And now they demand action from President Obama? Suggestion to these SOBs: They should first look in the mirror.

Pat, Boston, MA (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:40 AM)

The market is the economy, and it's showing its approval (or lack there of) of the Obama administration. Obama needs to stop whining and get to work on fixing the economy. Throwing money at the problem hasn't shown anything positive, so maybe he should use that Harvard educated brain of his to actually think his way through the problem.

This country was sold a bill of good by Obama that he was going to get the best and brightest working on the economic problems. What a disappointment those so-called "brains" have been so far. Pushing higher taxes on capital gains and on companies just isn't the right thing to do, but Obama is so sold out to his liberals base, there's not much he can do to stop it. That combined with 95% of the country getting a tax break (gee, how are going to spend that extra $8 a week?) have put the markets into a tailspin. And Obama sits, there, and does nothing.

Lynn Wheatly (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:40 AM)

Again, given the horrible mess President Obama was handed in January, I feel he doing a wonderful job. He is very calming whenever he's on TV and I feel like he'll get us out of this mess.....given time. He has so much on his plate, yet he handles it with dignity and grace. I shudder to think of a McCain Administration and am thankful, once again, that the American people put Barack Obama in the White House.

Diane from Illinois (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:40 AM)

"...As smart Republican strategists have asserted,..." okay, FR, this struck me as hysterical. No one out here reading believes this is anything but a myth. If this person exists, they certainly aren't plural. {tonogue in cheek meter set to 23% - we all know there are no 'smart republican strategists', if there were, they'd have shown up long before now - HA}

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:44 AM)

[[The Obama White House is doing too much]]

That's what happens when you implememnt socialism and central planning. The government thinks it can do a better job then the people that are actually doing the job. All those point-headed academics that Obama has working for him are great at drawing things up on a black board, but they've never lived in the real world of having to increase shareholder value, having to make a payroll, having to show profits in a quarterly report. Obama and his team have no clue about those concepts. They just try to implement polices based on their theories they learned in school. We're seeing the results. The markets are the people. The people are voting against Obama's polices by getting out of the market.

Small Business Owner (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:45 AM)

The clowns on wall street and in the republican party have no credibility...I have no idea why the media thinks the likes of jim demint, lindsey graham or david vitter are worth listening to...they've been wrong since 2001 and nothing has changed...

why is it the republicans want to protect a status quo that has ruined our economy, made america the laughinstock of the free world and mired us in a war none of the chickenhawks want to serve in?

Rick, NC (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:46 AM)

I just pooled all my money from my various penny jars around the house, and I bought GM!

Thanks Barack! And I got it at a fair price.

New GM CEO (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:46 AM)

Congratulations to President Obama for a very productive first 50 days!

Thanks for working so hard to keep your campaign promises and build consensus in our government.

Thank you for laying a foundation for a better future instead of just doing what is best for the next election.

Thank you for putting the needs of America's most vulnerable ahead of the needs of America's most powerful.

Thank you for being positive AND realistic, and trusting the American people to handle the truth.

WE THE PEOPLE see how hard you are working, and we appreciate it.

Nashville_fan (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:47 AM)

The merit pay/pay for performance plan for teachers is about the only thing I agree with Obama on. Of course, the union will undoubtedly be fighting this to the wire. Nothing like spending our tax money for lazy, incompetent teachers. While we are at it, why not pay for performance for Congress?

Obama, One and Done/Atlanta (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:47 AM)

Fix the economy first. Then go with the social experiements.

BamaBoy (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:48 AM)

{ As mentioned above, at 9:45 am ET, President Obama will deliver a speech on education reform }}

Ehhhh! And at 9:55 am ET, the markets will tank again. Every time Obama speaks, it's about more government takeover and more government spending of what ever he's talking about. You're broke Obama! Just admit it!

Sally Randle, Holland MI (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:49 AM)

When is MSNBC going to stop using that disgraceful excuse of a graph showing the stock marking plummeting since November? That truncated bit of dishonesty is staggering. The stock market peaked in Oct. of 2007. How is it ethical to stir up this story of "Obama's recession" and try to anger people with the drama of the new president causing this economic problem when he has presided over roughly 16% of that timeframe? It's just dispicable.

Scott Strahan, Knoxville, TN (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:49 AM)

50 Day Mark

The good ol' Republicans . . . "just say no" is an outstanding way to help the country get back on it's feet.

All they got is finger-pointing . . . but what else is new from them and their right-wing talk radio hosts?

Tom Kaye (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:49 AM)

the White House has realized that it needs to do a better job in talking to Wall Street, so it is dispatching key economic aides (like Larry Summers and Tim Geithner) to give speeches and interviews.

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God help us all. Geithner is the worst speaker, ever! He is ill-prepared and dense as a piece of granite. He looks more like a ECON 201 teacher then a Treasurey Secretary. And then there is the hyprocracy of him being a tax cheat and lecturing the markets on what they should do. Summers is no better.

T. Maples, Modesto CA (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:53 AM)

Suburban Mom paying attention, IL (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:56 AM)

== -- but he never said he’d eliminate earmarks; that said, the president did tout that his stimulus didn’t contain a single earmark; and the White House has said Obama will outline a process moving forward on earmarks. ===

Obama would have worked well in the Clinton administration. And now that the Clinton administration is working for him, they seem to have maintained their skills of parsing down Obama's statements until what ever Obama says is what ever you thought you heard him say, and of course it's all meaningless.

Greg Towns, Little Rock Arkansas (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:57 AM)

I find it amazing that Wall Street would criticize Obama at all about his handling of the economy, and the plunging DOW, considering it was Wall Street that put us in this economic disaster in the first place [with the help of Bush and his party]. And Wall Street appears to be acting like a spoiled little brat who breaks things and acts out if he doesn't get enough attention from those around him, when it says Obama needs to put all other things aside and only deal with economic issues or else the DOW will continue to plunge. Please! The current market plunge was pre-ordained from economic conditions that pre-date Obama's presidency, and will continue until it self-corrects.

pat huntington ny (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:57 AM)

Now who are the ones whinning about the president trying to do all he can to correct the train wreck called George W Bush.8 years of highballing and out of control spending,of using our country like a personal credit card while he made China his Bank of choice.The ones I hear are the ones who had all the aces,for six years,and now there house of cards has crashed in,and they have to blame it on someone else.Now we all can tell from your posting here that no one at FR majored in economics,and we the people see how bad the economy has gotten,so who in there right mind would want to have Geithner or Summers job?I think it's been so long since MSM saw a president multi-tasking,they forget how it's done.And the boys over at CNBC have been a little loud,they act like they can't believe how bad things have gotten,just goes to show that even the people that call them selfs pros can't explain what has happen.Vitter,heres a guy that was whore crazy for years,he's lucky his wife didn;t take a bite out of crime.I say let AIG crash and burn,give the money to real people, that would better use the funds,AIG acts like collage kids on a four year bender,PARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.

jesse St.Paul Minnesota (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:59 AM)

What in the heck can the Obstructionist Party give anybody advice about? They have no ideas, they can only gripe and complain about a President who is working hard everyday to make this country better. But then they complain about him doing too much. President Obama told us that his administration knew how to multi-task and with the mess that was left to him, he has to be able to juggle all the things on his plate.

The only thing the GOP can do is to talk down the President, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid. They despise this President and his agenda and pray every day that he will fail, and that the economy will keep tanking. They forget that their fingerprints are all over the mess that the nation is in. They supported, praised and defended every wrong policy that George Bush and his band of pirates rammed down our throats and never flinched once.

The country is sick of the whining, complainig GOP (Grumpy Old Pitifuls) and will not be fooled any longer by their Voo Doo Politics.

J. Ellis, Virginia (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:00 AM)

But if McCain, who hails from a border state and who championed comprehensive immigration reform, couldn’t do that, then which Republican can? Romney? Palin? Pawlenty? Jindal?
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Short answer: Any candidate that shuns the hateful, exclusionary rhetoric that reared its ugly head at McCain-Palin rallies. Good luck with that.

Suburban Mom paying attention, IL (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:00 AM)

Why is politics the final arbiter of what happens in this country. The crooks in Wallstreet along with the Banks have the audacity to complain. It like the fox insisting on once again guarding the hen house. No regulation, market capitalism is god, the masses will continue to lose their jobs, houses, etc., while the movers/skakers in Washington continues to be cowards by focusing on partisan politics, their earmarks and status quo. Now the cry/anger is directed at POTUS because he's trying to accomplish too much at once. NEWS FLASH! He campaigned on CHANGE and that what we're getting. Lets hlthcare be put in the back burner again because god forbid we do not have millions of Americans going bankrupt. It all seems interconnected. I am so sick of this partisanship where nothing gets done and this congress is either eating it's own and/or obstructionist. GOD HELP US. Are we Rome yet?

Juan,Ft Lauderdale,FL (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:00 AM)

*2920 Day Mark*

Don't you wish you would like to have known how the RNC would have commemorated Bush's 2920 Day Departure? With glorious overtures to democracy in Iraq, safety in the US, and... and... and...
well, if you can't say anything nice about deficits, war, the economy, health care, as my Mama always said...

Ben, Atlanta, GA (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:02 AM)

AIG sucks,...I would argue if Congressional pensions weren't so closely tied, we wouldn't even be entertaining additional funding. Funny how that works. But not in a rolling on the floor laughter. More like a gas pain funny.
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Jim Cramer sucks and so does Morning Joke. Scarborough is such a conflated egomaniacle twit I don't see why anyone would go on his show. Cramer 'tried to take the high road' - his own admission, since Jon Stewart IS after all a Comedian. But Joe just spouts off like a vapid volcano. I think we need stimulus money to keep him from erupting,...at any rate - Joe, just to put things in perspective - Nothing that Stewart has said about the fallacy of Squack Box or Mad Money even remotely compares to the new verb in our language called "Dixie Chick'd". So get a grip. Oh, and if you will recall - Santelli cancelled an appearance with Stewart; because he was a coward, and that's where all of this 'fun jesting' began. Mr. Brzezinski was exactly right, Joe is stunningly uninformed. I would say at least 80% of the time. And he tries to 'compensate' by talking over and down to people. The only 'strong' woman he can even tolerate is Katrina Vanden Heuvel and that's cuz' he's convinced himself he has a 'shot' at her. MSNBC does not do woman any favors with the poser Mika, Contessa, etc.

Much as I try to legitimize Erin Burnett, she came off as a complete poser on Bill Maher Friday Night. When the subject gets complicated or heated these women flap there arms over the back of their chairs and suck their cheeks in, it is EMBARASSING to watch. Say what you will about Candy Crowley; but she knows her sh!t.

PS. I have seen Rachel take on Joe on other shows and he gets his panties so knotted he actually gets up and leaves the set. What an immature horse's ass. I hope Stewart turns his spotlight on him next. MSNBC seems lame when they don't call Joe out on his crap on either Rachel or Keith's shows and then keep them in opposite corners of the studio at all times. It's just so FAKE. I would argue that The Daily Show is to fake news what MSNBC has become to real journalism. There may be nuggets of truth in there, somewhere - but it is all for 'show'.

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:02 AM)

Nashville_fan (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:39 AM)

EXCELLENT ASSESSMENT! Standing and clapping! My thoughts (better articulated) exactly!

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:04 AM)

I for one am so tired of all the whining and complaining that’s going on these days! The President has been in office a whopping 42 days and all of a sudden all of our problems should be fixed immediately?? WTF!!! Bush and Company took 8 WHOLE years to drive our economy off a cliff… BUT President Obama is supposed to fix everything right now??? Sheese! What planet do these people live on??

The problem is the MSM and Rethuglicans don’t know how to handle a President that can walk and chew gum at the same time! Folks!!! It’s called multi tasking and he’s doing a damn fine job! So sit back and instead of bitching and moaning do something positive to help out someone that can use some help!

I absolutely LOVED the making a difference segment on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams last night! It was sooo refreshing to see some good news for a change!!

Keep up the good work Brian! And I have to give a big shout out to David Schuster on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and his nightly hypocrisy watch! About time someone tells gets the truth out there!!

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:05 AM)

OBAMA'S DISDAIN FOR THE AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE WILL DESTROY OUR COUNTRY.

OBAMA HATES CAPITALISM === HE CLEARLY PREFERS A FORM OF SOCIALISM.

OBAMA WILL DESTROY OUR ECONOMY BECAUSE BUSINESS INVESTORS REALIZE THAT HE HATES THEM AND WILL TAKE AS MUCH OF THEIR WEALTH FROM THEM AS HE CAN.

THE 'PEOPLE' ELECTED OBAMA ---- NOW WE ALL WILL SUFFER HIS LEFTWING RADICALISM.

THAT'S DEMOCRACY === WE AE FREE TO DESTROY OURSELVES. !

MORTGAGES TO THE "CREDIT-LACKING" CAUSED THIS MESS (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:06 AM)

And the markets and conservatives and the media would be trashing Obama for being "lazy" and "out of touch" if he were taking a laid back approach to policy. This is madness...

http://www.political-buzz.com/

matt (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:07 AM)

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:12 AM)

Sending Geithner and Summers out there to do PR work isn't going to solve any problems. The problem isn't communication of the Obama plan, it's the Obama plan itself that is at fault. And Obama can't keep blaming others like he continues to do on a daily basis. This is his economy now, and he can't keep pointing fingers at others for it's problem. His lame excuses just aren't adding up anymore.

LT Hobkins, Detroit (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:13 AM)

I work in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Are we supposed to sit idly by until the guys over in the Banking/Finance side have everything all down pat? Don't you think more than one department can work effectively at the same time? In fact, if some of the versions of the National Health Care Plan could actually be implemented it would save the country billions of dollars a year. The problem is a National Health Care Plan that actually works will NEVER be implemented for the same reasons that Pat of Boston discussed above. The insurance companies spend millions of dollars each year to the campaigns of congressmen/women and senatorial campaigns to make certain that an innovative Health Care Plan will never see the light of day. Medicare currently runs with a 2% administrative cost, the average insurance company appx 38%. Either they are very inefficient or that money is going somewhere. Affordable health care for all is something that can be achieved in our lifetime- but not as long as insurance companies are allowed to pedal their influence to Congress.

J Billingsley, Washington, SC (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:15 AM)

This country was sold a bill of good by Obama that he was going to get the best and brightest working on the economic problems. Lynn Wheatly (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:40 AM)

Lynn Wheatly, you must have your head betwix the cheeks to not see that the President has made the economy the #1 issue. While the Stim Pkg is not a cure all for this economy, at least you know what is being done with the money. The President has vowed that he will make everyone accountable for the spending. Can you say the same thing about the 350 billion dollars that Bush and Paulson suckered us out of in January?

Didn't think so.

J. Ellis, Virginia (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:15 AM)

Fix the economy first. Then go with the social experiements.

BamaBoy (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:48 AM)
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The president can only set an agenda for the economy, he can't wave his fingers and fix it. only investors can do that.

while all the fat cats sit on their hands and day traders are the ones working Wall Street, there will be no magic DOW reversal. investors are the only ones who can turn the economy around, and while the media continues to blast the president and his policies, no investors are going to throw their wealth into what is now an out of control fire.

if the media would start focusing on business sectors that are performing better than average, we might see some confidence appear in the markets and see a reversal of the past year and a half, but i think that might be unthinkable in todays media market. no one is interested in success stories in their news, they want fear and slander because those stories make ratings...

Olberman and Maddow excepted from that comment, the pieces on the regulation industry on Keith's show and the interview with the ex-journalist in Afghanistan were both excellent, thought provoking, and helped to highlight the real problems we face.

Tzalaran (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:16 AM)

MORTGAGES TO THE "CREDIT-LACKING" CAUSED THIS MESS (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:06 AM)

NO IT DIDN'T. TAX BREAKS & BONUSES TO LYING, GREEDY, AND INCOMPETANT CORPORATE THIEVES DID! (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:16 AM)

Joe Scarborough and Mike Barnicle and others are upset that President Obama is spending money on healthcare instead of giving more money to the banks.
Tough.

Eugene Robinson. At least there was one sane, likeable thoughtful person on tv this morning. One.

Pat, Boston, MA (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:17 AM)

David Vitter, Christian Seantor and 'Family Values' proponent

From Wikipedia:

'...D.C. Madam

In early July 2007, Vitter's phone number was included in a published list of phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates, a company owned and run by Deborah Jeane Palfrey, also known as the "D.C. Madam", convicted by the U.S. government for running a prostitution service. Hustler magazine identified the phone number and contacted Vitter's office to ask about his connection to Palfrey.[135][136] The following day, Vitter issued a written statement:

This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible. Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there - with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way.[137]

The statement containing Vitter's apology said his telephone number was included in phone records dating from his days as a member of the House of Representatives.[7] Phone records show that Vitter's number was called by Palfrey's service five times, the first on October 12, 1999, and the last on February 27, 2001.[138] Two calls were placed while House roll call votes were in progress.[139]

On July 16, 2007, after a week of self imposed seclusion, Vitter emerged and called a news conference. Standing next to his wife, Vitter asked the public for forgiveness. Following Vitter's remarks, Wendy Vitter, his wife, spoke. Both refused to answer any questions...'

'...that Clinton should resign as well and move beyond this mess", referring to the Monica Lewinsky scandal of President Bill Clinton.[144] In 2000, his wife, Wendy Vitter, commenting on the same scandal, said, "I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary. If he [Vitter] does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me," referring to the incident of Lorena Bobbitt severing the penis of her husband and to Clinton's wife, Hillary Clinton.....'

Just call him 'Stumpy'
Stumpy Vitter !!

'...anal Street Madam

On July 10, 2007, Jeanette Maier, the "Canal Street Madam", alleged that Vitter was a customer on more than one occasion in the 1990s, when Maier was identified by federal prosecutors as operating a $300 per hour brothel.[161] The Times-Picayune reported that "Maier offered no evidence or documents to support her claim."[162] Maier said that Vitter "was not a freak. He was not into anything unusual or kinky or weird," and that he favored one prostitute in particular, Wendy Cortez,[163][164][165][166] the name of the prostitute with whom Vitter had been accused, during his 2004 campaign, of having had a lengthy affair. Vitter denied that allegation during the campaign.[167] On July 12, Cortez told the Times-Picayune that Vitter was "a regular customer" during his time in the state legislature, but that they "did not have a romantic relationship." [168] On September 12, 2007, The Times-Picayune reported that the woman, whose real name was Wendy Ellis, had passed a lie detector exam.[169]....'

David Vitter, 100% American, FOR YOU !!!

MSierra, SF (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:21 AM)

To the poster who blames all of this on "MORTGAGES TO THE "CREDIT-LACKING", saying:

"OBAMA HATES CAPITALISM === HE CLEARLY PREFERS A FORM OF SOCIALISM."
------------------------------------------------------

My question to you is simply this: What about the Wall Street gamblers that bundled up those assets and bet on them exponentially? Sounds like we need to keep an eye on them. Oversight DOES NOT equal socialism!

Our capitalist society could work fine if these degenerates weren't being allowed to game the system. They're like the spoiled brat kid that smashes up the sports car Mommy and Daddy bought them; then screams because they aren't being given a new car NOW!

Suburban Mom paying attention, IL (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:21 AM)

The G.O.P. is out there trying to convince everyone they weren't really in charge for the last decade, and that all this bad economic "stuff" just started happening since Obama took over.
You gotta' be KIDDING me
---------------------------------------------------
No one is saying that. But I think it's important to remember that we haven't been in a recession for 10 years. We've been in an economic downturn for about a year. No one expects Obama to solve everything all at once, but his focus on everything else can wait. Contrary to what Gibbs says about the burning house, what the President should be doing is first identifying the source of the fire, putting it out, and then take care of the water and smoke damage later. Education and health care, while important, can wait.

Claire (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:23 AM)

The sad part is people who or parties who have something negative to say everyday about Preasisent Obama's agendas look like they have a problem with a Afro American doing what he think's is not only right but long overdue,see changing the politics of business as usual as a sin. The religous aspect on how or what it is invovled in being a member of faith blinded threw devil minded ideas look listen and veiw his policies most of them do approach the folk's who could and always should have been helped out during the ast occupants of the office see a new definiton of insanity comes from these peolple we hear day in and out complaining about his agenda or what he should due, with out even thinknig about while he was campaigning on his plans and away from the Senate could have actually been stating those cases while our economy was falling apart no-no they just sat by and kept collecting those checks and perks mean mostly every Republican politician is rich or wealthy enough to not ever need help yet I makes me wonder if they are in accord with a treason theory for it seem like the are trying to get some good american's to turn against him stop crying and pass all of his budget palns this year so we can at least see if the plans coing from the White House are goingt to work and when next years budget come forth express your opinions see you really lost most of the right to think that he has to listen to any of you but he given his open hand to your closed fist,those tactic's are schoolish and imature grown men crying on T.V. and knowing in their hearts that he's doing a great job at least addressing these problem's which are not really a political problem but a National problem so keep it up if believe holding up process helps your ego yet if any person's like siding with the messages the are taunting then race will always be a factor in your lives and the Christian faith some claim to follow is of no good to stand on for one main character in President Obama is charity always starts at home and our home is America sure concern is good but progess seems better not to jump on Bush, he did good with the America dream program on Housing it just got out of Control but did give folk's a sense of pride and owner ship/no complaints their just that some other thing's were not that popular and wre careless anyway we must move forward and fix most of the problems here first so good Job President Obama your character is a good buildere for some of the people who say they follow your leadership and those who don't to get on board, maybe we can get rid of some of this hatred flowing about you and your team have this counrty at least looking to go in the right direction.

tobrian (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:23 AM)

The "he's doing too much" canard is so transparent. The obstructionist conservatives know it will take a long time for the economy to get on track, so they want President Obama to drop everything else until that happens. That way, they can portray him as a "do nothing" politician that made a lot of promises and then didn't follow through on anything in his first 2 years in office. Rather than come up with good ideas they want President Obama to just sit and wait and wait and wait so they can say he's asleep at the wheel.

Keep on doing stuff, President Obama. There's a lot to get done and sitting and waiting won't get anything accomplished.

Brian Crooks, Naperville, IL (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:23 AM)

So, let me get this straight? All Wall Street needs is some kind self reassuring words that everything is gonna be ok, as well as some hand holding, and perhaps a thumb to suck on, and the Dow will rebound with vigor? If these are the kind of people who've been running America's economic engine, no wonder the weels came off the stock market! What a bunch of wusses!

pat huntington ny (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:24 AM)

Nashville_fan (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:39 AM)

EXCELLENT ASSESSMENT! Standing and clapping! My thoughts (better articulated) exactly!

- Clara Kansas City, MO
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Thanks Clara, but I disagree . . . your post here:

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:02 AM)

was articulated QUITE WELL I think . . . and you hit it out of the park!

As Anderson Cooper loves to say, thanks for "keeping them honest"! :)

Nashville_fan (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:24 AM)

Some well thought out ideas this morning. Seems that it's all back to name calling.

Watched Bernanke this morning and for the first time heard some reasonable thoughts and ideas for solving the financial mess.

My thought this morning was about the cap-and-trade tax. Are Americans really being prepared to use less energy? For this tax to work, if it is really aimed at climate change and not just a tax, what is the average reduction in energy consumption expected? I would guess that it would need to be around 30% - 50% to actually have an effect on the environment.

More likely is that it is just be another tax.

Alan, NJ (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:26 AM)

*waves to J. Merle Stanely, Westchester, NY*

Welcome back . . . you were missed . . . you always kept things so, shall we say, lively! :)

Nashville_fan (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:27 AM)

To small Business owner: That's whats a matter with this financial mess were in, Company's had to show a profit, not actually make a prifit.

Mo. (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:27 AM)

After 50 days I begin to feel irritated with both the Republicans and Democrats in congress and for the same reason - they hinder what President Obama is working to accomplish due to their own agendas.

We had eight years of George W Bush running roughshod over this country while destroying our foreign policy and economic system in the process. Now when it requires herculean efforts to begin the healing process, all I hear and read is that he is wrong.

His is the only comprehensive plan for recovery in town - the opposition has provided nothing but the same tired shibboleths, repackaged, that got us into this fix in the first place.

It is going to take time for the plan to work and the intervening time will be painful. A look at what happened in Great Depression will give examples.

FDR's bold spending polices began the process and providing hope to the nation. WWII spending pushed the economy into gear. We recovered from the debt then and will do it again and hopefully without another world war. Domestic spending is a lot more productive than bombs.

Give the President's plan time to work.

Mike Groshong, McMinnville, Or (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:28 AM)

The G.O.P. is out there trying to convince everyone they weren't really in charge for the last decade, and that all this bad economic "stuff" just started happening since Obama took over.
You gotta' be KIDDING me!

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:12 AM)
***********************************************
unfortunately, they are serious. they started to believe their own spin. can you say "self inflicted brainwashing"?

the dems are not innocent in this by any stretch of the imagination. they were all too content to sit back and let GWB take the country in this direction from 2002-2006. perhaps if some of them had stood up against everything that he was doing then we wouldn't be here today, but they played politics with our future instead of standing up for the beliefs they are clinging to now.

The 2 party political system in this country is one of the greatest threats to her continued excellence. The false dichotomy of dem vs. repub ignores the middle ground where 60% of american's political views lie. we don't care about party as much as we care about solutions and making a better life for our children. the politicians who have been serving for the past 3 decades have allowed our future to be sold for campaign contributions and political favors. it is past time that all politicians were held accountable for their actions and are voted out of office for their self serving policies and lack of interest in making a better country for their constituents.

when you are choosing between the lesser of two evils, you can't be surprised by their bad actions... corruption knows no political party, it is happy to use both.

Tzalaran (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:31 AM)

Alan, Nj: My thought this morning was about the cap-and-trade tax. Are Americans really being prepared to use less energy.

We're trying to expand our manufacturing base, but use less overall energy. Unless the miracle of Green Energy appears in the next 5-10 years, that goal is not acheivable. So any ideas that include using less energy, at least for the next few decades are just that, ideas.

Pie In The Sky (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:33 AM)

The ONE thing that Obama lacks is common sense.
The vision for America's future is blurred without it. He continues to stumble around in the dark.

Moon Dawg (Sent Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:34 AM)

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