WHAT HAS HAPPENED-VS-WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED

[Pine Mt Beagles]

Obama's Brilliant First Year
By January, he will have accomplished more than any first-year president since Franklin Roosevelt.[/b]

This conventional wisdom about Obama's first year isn't just a guess —it's sure to be accomplished . If, as seems increasingly likely, Obama wins passage of a health care reform a bill , he will deliver his first State of the Union address having accomplished more than any other postwar American president at a comparable point in his presidency. This isn't an ideological point or one that depends on agreement with his policies. It's a neutral assessment of his emerging record—how many big, transformational things Obama is likely to have made happen in his first 12 months in office.


Close's the case for Obama's successful freshman year rests above all on the health care legislation now awaiting action in the Senate. Democrats have been trying to pass national health insurance for 60 years. Past presidents who tried to make it happen and failed include Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. Through the summer, Obama caught flak for letting Congress lead the process, as opposed to setting out his own proposal. Now his political strategy is being vindicated. The bill he signs may be flawed in any number of ways—weak on cost control, too tied to the employer-based system, and inadequate in terms of consumer choice. But given the vastness of the enterprise and the political obstacles, passing an imperfect behemoth and improving it later is probably the only way to succeed where his predecessors failed.

We are so submerged in the details of this debate—whether the bill will include a "public option," limit coverage for abortion, or tax Botox—that it's easy to lose sight of the magnitude of the impending change. For the federal government to take responsibility for health coverage will be a transformation of the American social contract and the single biggest change in government's role since the New Deal. If Obama governs for four or eight years and accomplishes nothing else, he may be judged the most consequential domestic president since LBJ. He will also undermine the view that Ronald Reagan permanently reversed a 50-year tide of American liberalism.
Obama's claim to a fertile first year doesn't rest on health care alone. There's mounting evidence that the $787 billion economic stimulus he signed in February—combined with the bank bailout package—[b]prevented an economic depression.[/b] Should the stimulus have been larger? Should it have been more weighted to short-term spending, as opposed to long-term tax cuts? Would a second round be a good idea? Pundits and policymakers will argue these questions for years to come. But few mainstream economists seriously dispute that Obama's decisive action prevented a much deeper downturn and restored economic growth in the third quarter. The New York Times recently quoted Mark Zandi, who was one of candidate ==John McCain's economic advisers==, on this point: "The stimulus is doing what it was supposed to do—it is contributing to= ending the recession=," he said. "In my view, without the stimulus, G.D.P would still be negative and unemployment would be firmly over 11 percent."
When it comes to foreign policy, Obama's accomplishment has been less tangible but hardly less significant: He has put America on a new footing with the rest of the world. In a series of foreign trips and speeches, which critics deride as trips and speeches, he replaced George W. Bush's unilateral, moralistic militarism with an approach that is multilateral, pragmatic, and conciliatory. Obama has already significantly reoriented policy toward Iran, China, Russia, Iraq, Israel, and the Islamic world. Next week, after a much-disparaged period of review, he will announce a new strategy in Afghanistan. No, the results do not yet merit his Nobel Peace Prize. But not since Reagan has a new president so swiftly and determinedly remodeled America's global role.

Obama has wisely deferred some smaller, politically hazardous battles over issues such as closing Guantanamo, ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and fighting the expansion of Israel's West Bank settlements. Instead, he has saved his fire for his most urgent priorities—preventing a depression, remaking America's global image, and winning universal health insurance. .
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-JUST THINK WHAT HE COULD HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IF HE WERE NOT DRAGGING THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN .QUITTER'S ALONG.

[Rabbithoundjb]

AND WHAT LIEING LIBERAL MEDIA OUTLET DID THAT PIECE OF GARBAGE COME FROM, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CUT BACK ON THE PAIN PILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pine Mt Beagles]

FOX TERRORIST NETWORK..THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[bluegrass]

FOX TERRORIST NETWORK..THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Yeah???? PROVE IT.

Douchebag

[hookset]

Did Nancy Polosi write that for you or did it come to you in a dream?

It's funny how he had to "drag" the Republicans along. Democrats had filibuster-proof majorities in both houses.

The people he had to "drag" along was the kicking-screaming American public who did not want this by an overwhelming majority.

[bluegrass]

Did Nancy Polosi write that for you or did it come to you in a dream?

It's funny how he had to "drag" the Republicans along. Democrats had filibuster-proof majorities in both houses.

The people he had to "drag" along was the kicking-screaming American public who did not want this by an overwhelming majority.

[Rabbithoundjb]

Just think what the majority of american people would think if he actually accomplished anything positive or maybe if he just kept his campaign promises or if he did what he said on a daily bases.

ONE LIE AFTER ANOTHER=====================================OBAMA
ONE BULL$HIT POST AFTER ANOTHER===========================PMB

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go get the best hound you ever had and start searching for your common sense PMB. COO-COO, COO-COO.

[Tim H]

YOU REPUBUKES ONLY THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN----RACIST GREED. !!! OBAMA (The Lord) HAS DONE EVERYTHING HE WUNTED TO DO IN HIS FIRST YEAR---HE SAVED US FROM FINANCIAL COLLAPSE THAT WAS CREATED BY BUSH (The Hated One)-----HE ALSO SAVED US FROM MILLIONS OF GAZZILUNS DIENG WITHOUT HEALTHCARE (Bush was causing this)---NOW THEY ALL GET IT FOR FREE!!! NOW HE ALOS HELPED GUIDE THE GREEDY CEO IN GM TO DO WHAT HE THOT WAS RITE AND LOOK AT HIS SUCCESSES BECAUSE OF THIS---EVEN WITH YOU DO NOTHIN REPUBUKES!!!

NO FINANCIAL COLLAPSE, HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYONE, NO ONE HAS DIED, BECAUSE OF HIS DIRECTION (You repubukes call it takeover) OF GM---// DETROIT AND THE AUTO INDUSTRY ARE BETTER THAN EVER!!!

JUST LOOK AROUND---THERE IS SUCCESS EVERYWHERE OBAMA (The Chosen) HAS TOUCHED!!! YOU CAN'T BE SO BLIND OR STUPUD RACIST ENOUGH TO NOT SEE ALL THE GREATNESS GOING ON AROUND YOU!!! WHAT ARE YOU---TERRORISTS????

US INDAPENDANTS ARE THE ONLY REAL AMERICANS----AND STOP SAYING WE ARE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS!!!! WE ARE AGAINST ALOT OF THE SAME THINGS AS CONSERVATIVES (Until OBAMA, The Exalted One says otherwise). WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAMD?!?! UNDER OBAMA, ILEGAL VISITORS ARE NOT ILEGAL!!! HE MAKES THE RULES, HE IS PRESIDENT OF THE NATION OF AMERICA!!

[bluegrass]

YOU REPUBUKES ONLY THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN----RACIST GREED. !!! OBAMA (The Lord) HAS DONE EVERYTHING HE WUNTED TO DO IN HIS FIRST YEAR---HE SAVED US FROM FINANCIAL COLLAPSE THAT WAS CREATED BY BUSH (The Hated One)-----HE ALSO SAVED US FROM MILLIONS OF GAZZILUNS DIENG WITHOUT HEALTHCARE (Bush was causing this)---NOW THEY ALL GET IT FOR FREE!!! NOW HE ALOS HELPED GUIDE THE GREEDY CEO IN GM TO DO WHAT HE THOT WAS RITE AND LOOK AT HIS SUCCESSES BECAUSE OF THIS---EVEN WITH YOU DO NOTHIN REPUBUKES!!!

NO FINANCIAL COLLAPSE, HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYONE, NO ONE HAS DIED, BECAUSE OF HIS DIRECTION (You repubukes call it takeover) OF GM---// DETROIT AND THE AUTO INDUSTRY ARE BETTER THAN EVER!!!

JUST LOOK AROUND---THERE IS SUCCESS EVERYWHERE OBAMA (The Chosen) HAS TOUCHED!!! YOU CAN'T BE SO BLIND OR STUPUD RACIST ENOUGH TO NOT SEE ALL THE GREATNESS GOING ON AROUND YOU!!! WHAT ARE YOU---TERRORISTS????

US INDAPENDANTS ARE THE ONLY REAL AMERICANS----AND STOP SAYING WE ARE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS!!!! WE ARE AGAINST ALOT OF THE SAME THINGS AS CONSERVATIVES (Until OBAMA, The Exalted One says otherwise). WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAMD?!?! UNDER OBAMA, ILEGAL VISITORS ARE NOT ILEGAL!!! HE MAKES THE RULES, HE IS PRESIDENT OF THE NATION OF AMERICA!!

Hehe...the only problem is that the punctuation is used a bit too correctly, and you have left out the obligatory EQUALS SIGN to be used as liberally as the mispelled words are....=======see=how easy=it =is???

C'mon, if you're gonna make it real get with the Kool-aid program and learn the language.

[deadeyebeagle]

hear we go more bs

[Pine Mt Beagles]

-TAX CUT'S FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEED THEM --WHAT A CHANGE--
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WASHINGTON -- You wouldn't know it by the Tax Day rhetoric, but Americans are paying lower taxes this year, even with increases passed by many states to balance their budgets.

Congress cut individuals' federal taxes for this year by about $173 billion shortly after President Barack Obama took office, dwarfing the $28.6 billion in increases by states.

In the next few years, however, many can expect to pay more. Some future increases were enacted as part of Obama's health care overhaul. And former President George W. Bush's tax cuts expire in January. Obama and the Democrats want to renew only some of them, thus raising taxes for individuals making more than $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000.

As this year's April 15 federal deadline passes, the debate about future tax increases has Republicans in Congress and conservatives across the country portraying Democrats as tax-and-spend liberals even before any new levies are approved. The discussion also is helping frame the congressional elections this fall.

"The fact is in the past year we have had more tax cuts than almost anytime in our nation's history," said Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn. "It's something that people don't realize because of the false rhetoric that is spread throughout this Congress."

Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said Republican's didn't see any need to wait before protesting.

The massive economic recovery package enacted last year included about $300 billion in tax cuts over 10 years. About $232 billion was in cuts for individuals, nearly all in the first two years.

The most generous was Obama's Making Work Pay credit, which gives individuals up to $400 and couples up to $800 for 2009 and 2010. The $1,000 child tax credit was expanded to more families, and the working poor can qualify for as much as $5,657 from the Earned Income Tax Credit.

There were also credits for qualified families who buy new homes or make energy improvements to existing ones, as well as tax breaks to help pay college tuition or buy new cars.

"From investing in small business to buying a home or making it energy efficient, to sending your children to college to buying a car, these tax cuts are helping families and businesses across the country," said Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo.

At the same time, many states raised taxes last year because they are required by state constitutions to balance their budgets, even during a recession. In all, states increased personal income taxes by $11.4 billion, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. They increased sales taxes by $7.2 billion and business taxes by $2 billion.

States also increased a number of other taxes, including levies on alcohol, motor vehicles and tobacco, for an additional $8 billion.--KENTUCKY IS A RREPUBLICAN STATE-OF COURSE--

The biggest tax increase in the health care overhaul is limited to individuals making more than $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000, though other increases would hit lower income taxpayers.

For the first time, the Medicare payroll tax would be applied to investment income, beginning in 2013. A new 3.8 percent tax would be imposed on interest, dividends, capital gains and other investment income for individuals making more than $200,000 a year and couples making more than $250,000.

The bill also would increase the Medicare payroll tax by 0.9 percentage point to 2.35 percent on wages above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly.
-I KNOW YOU GUY'S WANT TO PAY MORE IN TAXES= BUT YOU WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL= AMERICAN'S FORGET HOW REPUBLICAN'S= DESERTED= THEM FOR THE LAST -17- MONTHS AND TRY TO ELECT A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT IN ABOUT 2016-MAYBE.

[bluemouse]

More BS from pinenut, I guess when you are not earning a pay check every week you can post this type bull crap. I earn a living and obummer has already starting to get his share. I guess pinenut would not know this because he is a taker.

[bluemouse]

Here is something you can research pinenut, who gets more from the goverment a disable vet or a illegal. Do the research and let us all know real soon.

[TC]

Here is something you can research pinenut, who gets more from the goverment a disable vet or a illegal. Do the research and let us all know real soon.

EWWWWWW I like this it just may be what he needs to Bring him back to Sanity!!!!
Got yer purple card yet Rufus???

[Rabbithoundjb]

I am so tired of the liberal lies, heres some homework for PMB. Go to the tax foundation of the u.s. or the u.s. tax foundation, I can't remember the correct name but they published an article on tax policy of the last 2 presidents and these are the results. Under Clinton the top 10% of earners paid 77% of the nations tax burden, under W. the same top 10% paid 81% of the tax burden. Not only that under the Bush tax cuts the 3 million lowest earners where relieved of any tax burden and the next 20% where relieved 40% of tax burden, so to imply or say Bush only gave tax breaks to the wealthy is an outright (LIE).