Obama’s 5 Pointers to Fire-up the Liberal Base

For the past couple of years during this decade, the vast majority of Liberals have been strongly rooting for the Democratic Party and its candidates. President Obama greatly acknowledges this sector in society as one of the primary contributors to his magical run during the last presidential elections in 2008. And today, with the nation still left in peril and with growing dissatisfaction by voters towards his administration and the Democratically-controlled congress, Liberals might decide to stay at home instead of voting during the November polls. With the lack of enthusiasm amongst the liberal Democratic base, several writers have pointed out various strategies that Obama can use to ignite the fire and urge Liberals to vote these coming Midterms.

Fight Harder for Liberal Priorities

It is quite evident that Liberals lack the enthusiasm that they once had when they instilled Democratic control in Congress in 2006 and White house in 2008. Washing Post Columnist Greg Sargent mentions that it would be best for Obama to fight harder for the priorities of Liberals even if battle is sometimes hopeless. He also added that it might leave Democrats with an energized support base heading into the midterm elections. Sargent also mentioned the following words “If the Dem base is unenthusiastic, give Democrats something to get excited about, or effectively tell them why they should be excited”.

Refrain From Attacking the Liberal Critics

Politico Columnist Keach Hagey highlights the growing tension between White House Officials and Liberal bloggers. It is quite known that these bloggers have been constantly expressing their deep criticisms towards the White House which sometimes can harm the administration. Hagey tells the White House of the following words “Just don’t fight him”. A better option would be for the government to do their best to prove these critics that they are very wrong.

Focus on GOP Crazies

Washington Monthly Writer Steve Benen advises Democrats to tell voters that a Republican victory this November will only make things worse. Things are slowly beginning to improve and the best obstruction to that improvement is a GOP victory. If Republicans regain control of Congress this November, all the two year’s worth of national agenda such as the stimulus package, Health care reform, immigration reform and lots more will be put to waste.

Obama: Liberals must take Responsibility

In a recent Rolling Stone interview, President Obama mentioned that it is very inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive to just stand in the sidelines when the nation clearly needs them. He added that there are numerous complaints all directed towards Democrats for acting slow or are not able to give solutions fast enough to the problems of the nation. But Pres Obama gave Democrats a choice: to either risk a Republican-controlled congress where policies are all directed towards the previous Bush administration or for the present administration where progress is more meaningful.

Only Economy Matters

Duncan Black mentions that media criticisms and high-level political wrangling basically don't matter for November. The economy is what matters most. People are physically and emotionally feeling the negative effects of a struggling economy. The most appropriate thing the president can do is to make people go to work again by giving them jobs. Come up with policies and programs that are focused on job creation. Create an environment where jobs are more abundant.

A Democratic Defeat This November is Still a WIN for the President

With barely 5 weeks to go before the Midterm elections, some things are now slowly beginning to shape up. The recent unveiling of the “Pledge to America” by GOP leaders is a clear indication that Republicans are dead serious in winning this November and are now ready to take over Congress. Despite the efforts by Pres. Obama and his team to fire up young voters and their avid supporters, it is more likely that Democrats will finally lose control of Congress. Despite of this, the president might still see this as an opportunity rather a threat. There are assumptions that a Democratic defeat this November is considered a WIN for the President.

For the past couple of months, the people saw the steady decline of democratic support and influence. People began developing doubts if the President along with the Democratically-dominated Congress is indeed capable of saving the economy and driving the nation towards progress and development. The steady increase in unemployment which now stood at 9.6% (national average) has been the primary concern of the people. Obama’s stimulus package that amounts to over $800 billion was assumed to be a total failure for not creating any significant number of jobs at all. It is a given fact that the people of America most especially the middle-class are struggling and are blaming the administration for their failures.

With this, Republicans are again energized to finally defeat their Democratic rivals and regain back power and control of Congress. Republicans are so confident of their impending victory that they already published their 21-page legislative agenda for the next Congress. The agenda highlights various key points that are directed towards economic recovery such as repealing mandates for small businesses in the new health care law and stopping job killing hikes. The agenda aims to replace the campaign promises that Obama had but was not able to attain. One such promise was to stimulate job-creation in high numbers though millions of Americans today are desperately looking for jobs.

Polls conducted by various poll mechanisms such as RealClearPolitics are all pointing to a Republican victory these midterms. In March of 2010, House Republicans were projected to win by a margin of 47 seats. Another poll in May saw the margin rise to 56. And by mid-September, the polls predict a Republican victory with 67 seats. Trends from InTrade betting markets also show the same patterns. Also In March of 2010, House Republicans received a 43 percent chance of winning the majority. In May, the figure rose to 47 percent and by mid-September, it significantly rose to a whopping 70 percent.

While for most people, a Republican-dominated Congress will be bad news for the president, others realize it otherwise. In fact, if the economy will still be dismal after Republicans takeover of Congress, the President will be blaming them for it. This will transfer the blame from Obama and his democrats to the Republicans instead. It is good to know that both the President and the Congress have equal legislative powers. The President will just say that Congress (Republican Majority) has been unkind and has played as obstruction to his programs and platforms. This will be a good sign to the president especially for his reelection. So if ever Democrats will lose this November, the President will still have the last laugh.

The Rich are Getting Richer, The Poor are Getting Poorer

It is doubt that the Republicans along with Tea Party candidates are stealing the spotlight from Democrats with less than 6 weeks left before the midterm elections. The larger disagreements by people and with the declining approval rating of the President have urged Democrats to push the panic button. Despite of the criticisms and disagreements faced by these people, it is still commendable to mention the few who stand by their principles and fight for what they think is right and good. Democrat Robert Reich is the author of numerous books including “Aftershock: The Next Economy and America’s Future”. He now talks about the existing imbalance in the economy and the weakened stand of his fellow Democrats unto this very sensitive issue.

With the recent economic recession bringing chaos in the economy and in society, it is quite reasonable to determine who to blame for such catastrophe. Not many people may have noticed it, but the distribution of wealth in the United States is uneven. In a recent article by Mr. Reich, he mentions that this year, the wealthiest persons in America got even wealthier while most of them are paying only minimal taxes. In a recent survey released by Forbes magazine, they noted an 8% increase in the combined net worth of the 400 richest Americans which now amounts to $1.37 trillion. 217 members of the list saw their wealth rose while only 85 experienced a decline.

He highlights several members from the list including Charles and David Koch. These energy magnates were known to pour vast sums of money into Republican and Tea Party-candidates all over America. It is interesting to note that for the past year, their wealth climbed to $21.5 billion with a $5.5 billion increase. Another survey indicated that 25 top hedge-fund managers each obtained an average of $1 billion but was only paying an average of 17 percent in taxes. Because much of their income was considered capital gains, they were taxed only at 15 percent based on the Bush tax cuts bill. The Wall Street continued to dominate the entire list with 109 out of the 400 were either in finance or in investments.

In the article, Reich mentioned about the massive imbalance in wealth in America. While the rich got richer, the poor now got poorer. With unemployment levels reaching 9.6% and with most middle to lower-class earning well below standards, the poverty rate in the nation is now reaching post-war high. Mr. Reich also noted about the softening stance of Democrats with regards to the Bush-era tax cuts. Deciding on whether to extend the tax cuts for the top 2 percent of Americans or for the bottom 98 percent, Democrats have decided to delay their voting until after the mid-term elections. For Reich, it was a golden opportunity for Democrats to show to the nation what is really happening in the nation for the past three decades – the imbalanced distribution of wealth where those who are sitting on top are the ones who are gaining the vast majority of the nation’s wealth.

President Obama’s Fight for the Economy

A year ago, the world saw the coming of change and development when Barack Obama took the highest office seat in the United States of America. It was remembered that during his campaign period, he emphasized his platform for change. He also prioritized the need for constant dialogue in order to get the different views of people and put it into action. Prior to his presidency, America was already devastated by the negative effects of the economic recession. Upon his proclamation as president of the U.S., he carried along with him the burden of listening to the call of the people and fulfilling their desires for the nation.

The economy is such a sensitive issue for Americans especially when the national average for unemployment is standing at 9.6%. Despite telling the people numerous times of his intentions to save and improve the economy, the President is struggling to convince the people that he is really doing the right thing. A recent poll from New York Times found that 60 percent of people believe that Obama hasn’t made any significant action to help fix the economy. 53 percent also expressed their belief that Obama does not have a plan to create jobs while only 38 percent think he does. This closely proves that people expect actions to be done and not just words to be spoken.

A few weeks ago, the president took the initiative by proposing the infrastructure bank and imposing business tax cuts. If he really wants to salvage what’s left of any possible Democrat victory this coming November, he should focus more answering the questions of voters with regards to economic growth. Obama should propose newer ideas which directly translate into job creation. He should be introducing legislatives, whether big or small, that will either create jobs or create an environment where jobs are created easily. Obama should refrain from finger-pointing and blaming Republicans about what the perils of the economy.

There are numerous ideas that are deemed feasible in generating more jobs. The expiring tax credits that were established on the 2009 recovery act can be maintained in order to reduce the burden of energy companies in procuring manpower. Obama can also propose for a national jobs bank where people can easily find jobs that are currently vacated. Also, another good proposal would be setting loan guarantees for entrepreneurs who will invest in schools, hospitals and clinics. It will not only create jobs to these sectors but also improve public services as well.

Offering a new revolving loan fund for the manufacturing sector is also a good idea. Manufacturers would easily get capital and credit which then translates into newer jobs. These are just some of the feasible ideas which will help bring back the trust and confidence of the people to him. While it is very obvious that global affairs can particularly grab much of the attention of the administration such as the Afghan war, nuclear proliferation and the Middle East peace process, Obama should still maintain his main initiative for job creation. Besides, the President of the United States was elected to serve the people of the nation rather than other external affairs.

A Waste of Stimulus Money

In the year 2007, a liquidity shortfall in the U.S. banking system triggered one of the worst financial disasters to ever hit the United States and the world. It was considered as the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression in 1930. The results were staggering as large financial institutions and banks collapsed. The stock markets of various countries experienced downturns. Also, the U.S. housing market suffered huge losses resulting in foreclosures and evictions. Just as Barack Obama was stepping in to replace George Bush as President of the most powerful nation in the world, he already had the serious task of bringing back stability in the American economy and elevating the already deteriorating quality of life of Americans.

One of the most destructive effects of the financial crisis was the rise of unemployment levels. The American working sector was the most seriously affected sector since the crisis started. Because large institutions were faltering, thousands of employees were removed and jobs were beginning to be scarce. Washington was very concerned that job scarcity will result in less consumer spending and a possibility of a double dip recession. Congress immediately passed a stimulus package amounting to over $800 billion. The goal was to borrow and spend more money in order to offset the reduced demand from the private sector brought by the crisis.

More than a year later since the stimulus package was announced, Los Angeles city controller has released a 40-page report on how the city spent its share of the package. The results were horrible and disappointing as improvements were very minimal. Los Angeles city controller Wendy Greuel, stated that with a local unemployment rate of 12 percent which is higher than the national average of 9 percent, Los Angeles was only able to create or retain 55 jobs out of the $111 million allocated for the city.

The Los Angeles Department of Public Works was only able to create seven private sector jobs and saved seven more while spending $70 million in stimulus. In a staggering display of stimulus usage, the department was spending $1.5 million for ever job it saved or created. If you think that was worst already, wait till you here the audit of the Lost Angeles Department of Transportation. While they spent $40 million of the allocated stimulus, they were only able to create 9 jobs in total. It solely means that the department spent $4.4 million in taxpayer’s money for every job it created.

There were numerous factors cited by Greuel as reasons for such unlikable results. First, he mentioned about four highway projects that didn’t undergo bidding until seven months after they were authorized. Second, instead of going through a competitive bidding process in the private sector, projects went to city workers instead. The third reason was that stimulus money was not properly accounted for in various departments. Stimulus money was continuously spent without undergoing evaluation. And lastly, the departments mentioned were not able to consistently report about their job trends. Stimulus controllers were only able to find out about the problem when the stimulus money was already spent.

With weeks to go before the November midterm elections, Washington has been very busy working on a master plan that will create more jobs and please more people. Democrats, in particular, are weighing in on their options to support Obama’s plans. The result of this stimulus plan will most certainly influence the votes come November.

Obama’s $300 Billion Tax Break for Business: A Political Move for November?

Unemployment and underemployment are perhaps the main reasons why a recession is very destructive to an economy. Without jobs or any source of living, people will not have enough money to spend for basic commodities and other luxurious things. Consumer spending will be very much limited and thus will reduce the profit of other businesses as well. This domino effect is proven to be the real hindrance for economic growth. The less money that revolves in the market, the more stagnant an economy is and the more it is prone to a double dip recession.

The U.S. economy has been one of the world economies most hit by the recession. Recent figures show that the unemployment rate has now stood at 9.6%. This figure is projected to rise as more federal workers and business employees are getting axed as the days passed by. Over 8 million jobs have already been lost and the Obama administration still hasn’t done anything significant enough to address this issue. In fact, large businesses are strongly protesting on the impending expiration of tax breaks which they say might add up to more job losses.

Pres. Obama and his administration previously passed the stimulus bill which granted over $800 billion to business firms and government institutions. The aim was to promote spending in order to generate jobs and stimulate economic growth. But many people believed that the stimulus bill was a failure resulting in the sudden dip of Obama’s trust and confidence rating. With intense pressure coming from American citizens and other lawmakers along with the upcoming November midterm elections, the Obama administration is strongly considering everything it can do to help save the economy and bring back the trust needed for his democratic party.

This Wednesday, President Barack Obama is set to propose $300 billion for tax breaks which will be given to various businesses. $200 billion will be for tax cuts while $100 billion will be allocated for expanding and making permanent a tax credit for research and development. He believes that if businesses will be able to reduce their costs, they will eventually start hiring people again and provide more jobs to the industry. This measure is expected to provide tax incentives to businesses who will be investing rapidly to the U.S. economy.

This measure comes along with another $50 billion aid for infrastructure development. It is interesting to note that because voter’s worries about the economy, the Democrats are strongly facing the possibility of incurring heavy losses on the upcoming November elections. The president is doing whatever he can to save the economy and provide a positive feedback for his democratic party on the upcoming elections. Besides, the control for Congress is at stake.

US Vice President Biden: Time to Shift Focus from the Iraq War to the US Economy

After almost 8 years facing fierce resistance, numerous criticisms and civil unrest, the U.S. armed forces will finally leave war-ton Iraq and go home to see back their families and relatives which they haven’t seen in such a long time. President Obama’s declaration to end U.S. combat operations in Iraq was a welcome message not only to the families of those who participated in the war but also to the American public who are already losing their jobs and experiencing difficulties at a time of recession. With so much criticisms on whether or not the Iraqi invasion was reasonable enough and with the rising death toll of American servicemen in Iraq, Pres. Obama was strongly pressured to end the war.

In a major address from the Oval office, Pres. Obama spoke of the U.S. disengagement and the shifting to adviser’s role to Iraq. There will be about 50,000 U.S. troops which will be left in Iraq to train and advise their Iraqi counterparts. He also made mention the sacrifices that U.S. troops have to make in order to serve and protect the nation from external threats. It is interesting to note that despite of Obama’s declaration to end the war in Iraq, there will still be a continued battle in Afghanistan. The U.S. believes that Afghanistan is the most crucial place to disrupt the movement of terrorist groups and ensure U.S. national security.

In a recent interview, U.S. vice president Joe Biden said that he believes that Iraq is now more than capable in taking care of their country and handle their internal and external affairs. He strongly believes in the capability of the Iraqis to form a legitimate government which will effectively govern the whole country. Biden also hinted that it is time for the Obama administration to focus on the internal affairs of the nation such as the economy. We all know that the combat operations in Iraq have cost the American taxpayers billions and billions of dollars. By ending the war, the U.S. is relieved of war and combat expenses. Biden then advised Pres. Obama to turn his focus from Iraq to the economy. With the struggles that the American citizens are facing now, it is just right that the U.S. president will dedicate much of his resources and attention in generating more jobs and saving the economy from peril.

With the pullout of combat troops which once stood at 165,000 during the height of the fighting, fewer than 50,000 American servicemen and women remain. Despite taking an advisers role in Iraq, the remaining troops will still most likely face insurgency attacks in the coming days. A total pullout is still the best solution to this never ending war. There has been enough bloodshed in Iraq and the Obama administration should set their priorities right. Instead of spending billions of dollars into foreign country, why not use it to save and generate jobs which will generate economic growth? In that way, the U.S. economy will be saved and the American dream will continue to live on.