Yes, the economic news shows signs of improvement, but we’re not out of the woods. There are economists who are grading the stimulus and seeing signs it did boost the economy even tho a small portion of it has been spent. There’s a good explanation at NPR of why the unemployment rate fell for the first time in fifteen months. The news isn’t all bad anymore, and a depression was avoided, but we’re still in the deepest recession since WWII.
fnord
PrairiePopulistsAndProgressives.net 
Let’s not confuse the Republicans with facts. After all, they are too busy protesting and shutting down those town halls.
President Obama told us the recovery was going to be long and slow. And anyone with half a brain cell would know it took years for our economy to get into this mess and it will take longer than 6 months of Obama’s presidency to get us out.
The GOP Freak Show
Conservative radio talk-show host John Batchelor says, “the whack jobs disrupting health-care town halls confirm the Republican Party has become a cruise ship to the seventh grade.”
Maybe there are some Republicans left that are waking up from their coma to realize their party is in danger of becoming the party of crazy?
I hope so because we need a strong two-party system in order for democracy to work – don’t we?
Yes, we absolutely do!
I know several old-time conservatives — these differ from both the neo-cons who want to control the world militarily, and the social conservatives who want to legislate morality. They are level-headed people who want government to work, want fiscal responsibility and don’t mind giving a hand up — they are Republicans. I’ve heard several of them wonder when those who hijacked the Republican Party and say they are conservatives are going to hang themselves with the ample rope they’ve been given.
I miss that sort of conservative. A little give and take, a little respect from both sides, and things start happening.
Perhaps a change in the economy, another election defeat brings some moderation and people who are more interested in governing than in getting their “true conservative” merit badge from the neo cons.
Interactive Map: The Economy Where You Live
Arianna Huffington recently wrote about how we’ve done the bail-out, but haven’t done the fix with regulation, which she says means we are apt to repeat our melt-down.
Check it out:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/remember-that-whole-thing_b_252548.html
Iggy, this is what’s bothering me about this whole thing. Regardless of what else Obama does, if he fails to regulate the financial industry we’ve lost.
Questions that haven’t been answered to my satisfaction are: Why are the same people at the heart of this mess still running the show? Why haven’t derivatives been outlawed all together? If they’re not going to be banned, why is it that what I’ve been reading only 5% of CDS need be backed by the holder?
The fact CDS’s were not backed is one of the main reasons many financial institutions failed, and the reason we had to loan them billions to pay off their debts. So if they fail again, we, the taxpayer, will be held responsible for the other 95%? Give me a break.
Banks, etc., are screaming bloody murder at the very thought of new regulations. I could care less. They’ve pretty much proved they can’t handle not being regulated, so screw em. If Obama fails in this, he’s lost me. I would consider him just another political POS.
Arianna is saying the same things, Jammer. Obama can’t be that short-sighted, can he? In the Huffington piece she says that the banking industry is handing out annual bonuses, this year, that amount to more than what they brought in. They are showing _again_ that they can’t be trusted with our money.
I just wish my blog stats looked like that 🙂
No kidding…