ONGOING: The Obama Administration

[Maitre D]

The Dow went up 400% in Reagan's 8 years.  I suspect your point (lame as it is) might have some validity if Obama can do the same.  Which he won't.

[KCMax]

The Dow went up 400% in Reagan's 8 years.  I suspect your point (lame as it is) might have some validity if Obama can do the same.  Which he won't.

Didn't know the future was already set for the next eight years. Good to know. I guess you're right, its good to jump to conclusions based on the short-term guesses of the Wall Street elite on the productivity of a handful of arbitrarily selected American businesses and use that to reflect how the overall economy is reacting to a President's long-term decisions.

Its just funny. If people think the economy will suck under Obama, that's fine. None of us really know. I just find it hilarious some are pointing to short term losses in the Dow as some sort of evidence that the markets hate Obama, when we see they fared much worse under Reagan. Short term Dow movements signal nothing about a President, in fact, one could argue even long-term gains more often than not have very little to do with the President.

[phna]

Mark today's date.  phna officially went off the deep end 

Why would I try to debate you?  Like I said before, even if I provide facts you demand the source.  If I provide a source you attack/discredit the source.  It is completely pointless.  People going to Cuba for medical care?  It is clear Michael Moore got you hook, line and sinker. 

Everyone is in the deep end from your perspective.

You don't debate cause you don't provide facts and make generalized sweeping statements that fit your point of view. (I.E. previously you provided a quote on FDR's treasury secretary to support the larger argument the FDR's policies failed  .) I knew you would fixate on Cuba,but you can read the idiot's guide to Medical tourism and learn that India, Argentina and other countries are also promoting this practice. The point is it undercuts you whole "our system is best opinion".  Dubai is becoming a player too, here is the website with testimonials from "gasp" Americans (one for gastric bypass surgery,another for rhino polyp surgery) traveling there for treatment.

http://www.recoverdiscover.com/medical- ... -dubai.php

"There are several reasons for the development of medical tourism in Dubai. While medical facilities in Dubai are at par with the facilities available in USA or UK, the cost of treatment is relatively low. This is one of the main driving forces for the growth of healthcare tourism in Dubai"

They can't claim to be comparable "were the best"! 

Read more on webmd if you like:

http://www.webmd.com/news/20061018/more ... ery-abroad

[Maitre D]

Its just funny. If people think the economy will suck under Obama, that's fine. None of us really know. I just find it hilarious some are pointing to short term losses in the Dow as some sort of evidence that the markets hate Obama, when we see they fared much worse under Reagan. Short term Dow movements signal nothing about a President, in fact, one could argue even long-term gains more often than not have very little to do with the President.

What's so funny about it?  Team Obama pointed to the Wall Street meltdown in September as proof of the GOP's "failed economic policies".  (No explanation was ever given for how this happened with a Dem congress the prior 2 years). 


If they dish out nonsense, they should be prepared to see nonsense thrown back in their faces.

[DaveKCMO]

great, so it's all nonsense. something we agree on.

[jlbomega]

Didn't know the future was already set for the next eight years.

I didn't know Obama was already elected to a second term.  Good to know.

[aknowledgeableperson]

I'm still chuckling over the dude who claimed Americans are going to ... India (more expensive to travel than any benefit derived) for health care.

Believe it or not there are some who do.  Not many but some.  Depending on the illness it can be cheaper to go to India for health care.  Reasons are simple - cost of care and facilties are quite lower.  It has been awhile since I have seen some news coverage on this, and I didn't take notes, but it goes like this.

A medical procedure in the States for hospital stay, surgery, doctors, and all may cost $40,000.  That same procedure done in India with travel costs, with the same results, would cost $15,000.  Yes, the cost savings may not be great if you are in a HMO or have low deductables and copays with a PPO but if you have no insurance or most of the cost comes out of your pocket the savings are there.

Evidently the quality of doctors and other care providers along with the facilities in India are comparable to those in the States.

I am not sure how the US citizens get in contact with Indian providers but don't forget, there are many people from India who practice medicine in the states and maintain contact with folks back home.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Evidently the quality of doctors and other care providers along with the facilities in India are comparable to those in the States.

Often British trained. 

[KCFutbol]

Often British trained. 

So it's just MD's and not dentists.

[jlbomega]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690358175013837.html

Obama's Poll Numbers Are Falling to Earth

It is simply wrong for commentators to continue to focus on President Barack Obama's high levels of popularity, and to conclude that these are indicative of high levels of public confidence in the work of his administration.

Polling data show that Mr. Obama's approval rating is dropping and is below where George W. Bush was in an analogous period in 2001.

[DaveKCMO]

Polling data show that Mr. Obama's approval rating is dropping and is below where George W. Bush was in an analogous period in 2001.

LOL. call me when he dips into the 20s.

[Midtownkid]

Yay!  More corruption!  I am loosing all faith in 'Change' from Obama's admin.
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=428&sid=1622618

How bout that extra $400 Billion, complete w. ear marks too?!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090 ... hy/3186392

[KCMax]

Yay!  More corruption!  I am loosing all faith in 'Change' from Obama's admin.
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=428&sid=1622618

How bout that extra $400 Billion, complete w. ear marks too?!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20090 ... hy/3186392

Wow, an employee of the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer is corrupt!!! That's about as high profile as it gets.

The earmarks suck, but they get a bit overblown. They are about 2% of the overall bill.

[Midtownkid]

Well reading that after reading about all the other people who have not payed their taxes just makes it seem all the more awful.

[NDTeve]

Wow, an employee of the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer is corrupt!!! That's about as high profile as it gets.

The earmarks suck, but they get a bit overblown. They are about 2% of the overall bill.

NOt this employee in particular that's alarming...more of the pattern.

[DaveKCMO]

NOt this employee in particular that's alarming...more of the pattern.

oh yes, such a pattern of corruption and deception ALREADY! where's the recall!?!?!?!

[NDTeve]

oh yes, such a pattern of corruption and deception ALREADY! where's the recall!?!?!?!

He can do no wrong!!!

[phxcat]

Exactly what I've been saying.  Pointless to have an educated conversation with these people.  It's a cycle.  If you provide facts about something, they want the source, when you provide a source it's "right wing" and not trustworthy, then they resort to attacking the poster because they have no ground for their position to stand on.  I'm not mad about anything.  Judging by the waythis thread has matured, you, phna, and KCKev are waaaaaaaaaaaaay out in left field on this one.

I apologize- I thought you had some idea of what a legitimate source was.  For your benefit, repeating a random idea that you read on a blog somewhere is not a real source, unless that person provides a source for what he is saying.  On the internet, even on supposed news sites, people are able to say pretty much whatever they want.  For instance, the World Net Daily article referenced on the Chuck Norris thread makes claims (and does provide a link, though the link does not give valid information either) that are said in a factual manner, but are devoid of fact, such as "Yet we've bastardized the First Amendment, reinterpreted America's religious history and secularized our society until we ooze skepticism and circumvent religion on every level of public and private life" and "Yet our Congress and president stampede that founding document, overlook its explicitness and manipulate its words to abandon a balance of power and accommodate their own desires, partisan politics and runaway spending".  Although neither of these statements are true, and he gives no support for either, they are there on the net in black and white.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123690358175013837.html

Obama's Poll Numbers Are Falling to Earth

It is simply wrong for commentators to continue to focus on President Barack Obama's high levels of popularity, and to conclude that these are indicative of high levels of public confidence in the work of his administration.

Polling data show that Mr. Obama's approval rating is dropping and is below where George W. Bush was in an analogous period in 2001.

See, that's not so hard, is it?

[MC86]

The earmarks suck, but they get a bit overblown. They are about 2% of the overall bill.

And the current bonuses being paid out by AIG are but a very small fraction of those earmarks.  Do you think the reaction to the bonuses is overblown?

[Gladstoner]

And the current bonuses being paid out by AIG are but a very small fraction of those earmarks.   Do you think the reaction to the bonuses is overblown?

Yes.

The bonuses 1) were already contracted to the employees before the bailout, 2) their exemption was deliberately left in the stimulus package (or whatever the hell it is called) by some of the same politicians now pointing fingers, and 3) are being used as a straw man for further government meddling in the economy.

(The correct approach would have been to acknowledge that the bonuses were already in place and not engage in destructive populist politics).

I don't know, but I would bet similar shenanigans are happening with the health care system.