Thinking Right

By Anonymous

July 12, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this

Republican won’t tell you this, but Al Qaeda is stronger than ever thanks to Bush’s idiotic invasion. Way to defend the country by making it less safe, George. Doin’ a heckuva job!

By Anonymous

July 12, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this

Republicans won’t tell you this, but Al Qaeda is stronger than ever thanks to Bush’s idiotic invasion. Way to defend the country by making it less safe, George. Doin’ a heckuva job!

By Dave

July 12, 2007 8:53 AM | Link to this

From my observations so far. People opposing the wars we are currently fighting do not have a connection to reality. Emotion is important, but should not be the guide of all your decisions.

Then there are those people who only care about how other people see them. These are the ones who are dangerous to our country. Looking important and winning the popularity contest on who can stand on the highest soapbox does not help you feel better about yourself in the long term.

I blame this mass ignorance on selfishness and a self-centered ” the world revolves around me” attitude.

Please understand that the people we are fighting are more like bullies than they are like diplomats. Giving in to them only encourages them to abuse you more.

By Janine

July 12, 2007 9:00 AM | Link to this

Can we continue to spend $12 billion a month in Iraq without raising taxes for an indefinite period of time? Just curious.

By Redneck Convert

July 12, 2007 9:07 AM | Link to this

Well, I just hope the good new jobs last till little Sonny Zell George grows up and can get one. He can probly make it all the way to asst. mgr. at McDonalds if he works hard enough for a few years. Or maybe he can take over my beer truck job when I retire. The new jobs are alot better than the old ones. I don’t want my grandson working in a office in a suit and becoming a big boss. The new jobs My President has made will see to it he don’t. Of course, I don’t know what the fancy-smancy college kids will do for a living. All their jobs are in India or someplace like that. Guess they will just have to join Sonny Zell George at McDonalds. That is, if the Mexicans don’t take all the jobs by the time he grows up.

I wish the libruls would stop griping about Iraq. I think this RCH guy had a great idea yesterday. We got to get rid of a bunch of atom bombs anyway, thanks to a bunch of traders that made a bad deal with Russia. Might as well use them and just blow up the towel-heads all over the place. Just leave a bunch of cinders that glow kind of green for a few hundred years.

And I hope they pass the tax cuts again in 2010. It would cost me almost two dollars a payday if they don’t. And one of the rich guys that dropped in at Billy Bob’s the other night says it would cost him about 60,000 a year. Says he might have to give up one of his country club memberships and maybe his new Porsche. Not to mention his maid. And there would go a good job for our redneck women.

Anyway, have a good day everybody. And keep laying it on the libruls, Wooten.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 9:16 AM | Link to this

Good morning all. I extract a universal principle from Jim’s essay today, that our “progressive” brethren are perpetually frightened by, or are otherwise unhappy with, the free world, and seek the comfort that exists only within the nanny government. Thus every slight is to be rectified by a new law. The foolish people who are successful do not appreciate the real needs of society, and thus must be divested of their wealth to provide for the needs they don’t see.

As we saw in yesterday’s blog, many of our progressive friends will only “hope” for good things for the country, and are unwilling to invest their own being in accomplishing those things that are good for freedom. Freedom, of course, is the only good that is available to all equally. Those who serve any other master would thus inhibit their brothers.

By getalife

July 12, 2007 9:29 AM | Link to this

They lie about everything and Jim thinks they are not lying about the economic numbers.

They are.

The stock market keeps rising when gas prices rise.

This is not normal.

There is no law, so people are taking advantage of this situation.

If the law does return, we will need more prisons.

Geez.

By Pope rednecks - Amerikkka's Al Qaeda I

July 12, 2007 9:30 AM | Link to this

Greetings Woo-ten Klanners and decent folk from London UK, where yesterday the Bush dollar sunk to a 26 year low against the pound and an all-time low against the Euro. Looks like the Dumbie (the Bush dollar) will soon be worth less than a Canadian loonie.

But pay no attention to the men behind the screen that are betting bigtime against you - all-knowing Woo-ten (who graduated from UGA with a degree in urinalism) says all is well…

Yes, Convert, lots of Mickey D’s jobs for rednecks and Mexicans - everything is hunky dory. Just keep the foodstamps coming - keep the trash happy!

By jbmlaw is a condescending...

July 12, 2007 9:31 AM | Link to this

What a load of hooey, jbm. I extract from your jibberish that you just want to sound intelligent and take potshots at people who don’t agree with you. Peddle your inanity as you must, but realize that few can understand it, let alone buy it. And btw, progressive is not an insult.

By Van

July 12, 2007 9:32 AM | Link to this

With all this good economic news, why is it always the lefties and those in mid-town that are complaining about the “bad” economy?

Time has proven that the tax cuts did work and are helping the economy, but the “progressives” are going to raise taxes by letting the tax cut expire.

I can not understand how the lefties can bemoan 4.5% unemployment more new jobs being added and low interest rates. It seems to this person, that if it is good for the American people, then it is dismissed by the left. If a company expands and added a few hundred workers, the left calls them exploiters.

If a business invents a new item, sells plenty they are greedy corporations.

Heck, the oil companies make less than 10% net profit and they are vilified.

Starbuck’s uses about 15 cents worth of coffee for each cup and the lefties love them. Go figure.

By JoeD

July 12, 2007 9:40 AM | Link to this

What world are you living in, Van, the world of Rush and Sean and Ann? Name one incident where a company expanded and added workers and was called “an exploiter” by a “lefty”? Just one. And nice code words-“those in midtown”. Very clever.

By RCH

July 12, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this

Getalife

Gas prices have risen 90cents in the last 6 months since Nancey Pelosi has become speaker of the House. What can they do about rising prices? Pass a bill concerning price gouging that has done NOTHING!!! More feel good bills?

By Van

July 12, 2007 9:46 AM | Link to this

jbmlaw is a condescending,

Hey mush mouth, “progressive” is an insult.

A progressive wants unfair taxes, a progressive wants government control of our lives, a progressive does not think we have enough brains to live, so the government should be in charge.

A progressive gave us the “V” chip in our TV sets.

A progressive gave us taxes on saving accounts and higher rates of taxation if you make more.

A progressive is the worse kind of scum on the planet, a socialist, which any student knows is an intermediate step to total communistic control. All Hail the new Stalin. Oh, I forgot that one failed in less than 100 years. No PAX Lenin there.

By getalife

July 12, 2007 9:49 AM | Link to this

The dollar dropping to all time lows, the middle class crushed to bankruptcy, house foreclosures at all time highs, gas prices, trade deficit and 12 billion a month wasted in Iraq is good news?

Geez, I’d hate to see the wingnut’s bad news.

By Van the dinosaur

July 12, 2007 9:51 AM | Link to this

Van will you please get up to date…your “Midtown” references are not only not clever, they aren’t even relevant anymore…Midtown is no more a liberal bastion than East Cobb…Midtown is now full of conservative breeders that are buying up all the toney houses and condos…Even the gays are leaving midtown in droves.

If you are going to stereotype a part of Atlanta as liberal then at least try and be accurate..here is some help..East Point, Candler Park, Decatur, Grant Park, Kirkwood, Druid Hills..etc.

Ok bud…now you can at least spew your idiocy with a little more integrity.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 9:51 AM | Link to this

Dear condescending @ 9:30, don’t you understand, the problem is cynicism!

Dear Van @ 9:32, our “progressive” friends deny the hard economic history of tax cuts, but will quickly affirm for us the likely horrors of global warming, Y2K, Freon on the ozone layer, the coming ice age, social malaise, the Amchitka nuclear blasts, etc. It’s all a matter of perspective, the virtues of “cynicism.”

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 9:55 AM | Link to this

Dear condescending @ 9:30, in all fairness, one of your arguments is true – I do take pot shots at those who are so unenlightened as to disagree with me. Not that a “progressive” would ever do such a thing – that would be cynicism in action, wouldn’t it?

By jbmlaw is a condescending...

July 12, 2007 9:56 AM | Link to this

So, does the fact that the Bush administration wants to sit in our bedrooms and listen in on our phone calls and tell us who can and cannot marry and spend billions we don’t have make them progressives? This adminsitration wants to be in charge of our reproductive functions. Does that make them progressive? Your simplistic view of a progressive is sad. But I know from your past posts that you believe all “lefties” are secret Communist sympathizers who want to recreate Soviet Russia here in the USA. No sense arguing with that small a world view.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 10:04 AM | Link to this

As to Jim’s final paragraph, I would nominate our friends Getalife as king, and DebbieDoRight as queen.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 10:07 AM | Link to this

Dear condescending @ 9:56, WSJ has a great essay today on the looney left (actually a book review.) http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110010322 Relevant to your post - I know you’ll want to read it – anything else would betray cynicism on my part.

By Dusty

July 12, 2007 10:08 AM | Link to this

jbmlaw,@9:16

I really like your line Freedom… is the only good that is available to all equally. Oh yes!!!

That freedom is exactly why we are fighting those who would take it away from us. But I don’t need to tell you that or your Ensign. And my special good wishes for that one and others like him.

By Van

July 12, 2007 10:10 AM | Link to this

Van the dinosaur,

My apologies to those in Mid Town. I haven’t worked downtown in a number of years and the stench of what was then still lingers in my nostrils.

Even the Gays are leaving mid town!! Virginia Highlands is safe again!!!

Praise the Lord!

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 10:14 AM | Link to this

From Jim Wooten: Unemployment is a low 4.5 percent, where it’s stood for three months.

That’s because they are only charting the “new” applicants for unemployment; not the ones who were laid off from their outsourced to India jobs six months ago, are now out of the system, and STILL haven’t found a comparable job.

With higher tax collections, the budget deficit’s now projected to be $205 billion in September, down from the $244 billion projected by the President in February

That’s GOOD NEWS?? What was the budget when Dumbya came into the office before the tax cuts? Was there a deficit then? No, I kinda remember a SURPLUS. WOW!! Only a dumb, blind, narrow minded, holy roller repuglican can find a POSITIVE in the fiscal UNresponsibility of the repuglican party!!

Good work Jim!! Perhaps the Independents and the Dems should’ve paid your fee to shrill for them; you can spin anything into a positive!!!

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 10:16 AM | Link to this

From my observations so far. People opposing the wars we are currently fighting do not have a connection to reality. Emotion is important, but should not be the guide of all your decisions.

“He tried to kill my Dad!” George W. Bush on one of his reasonings for invading Iraq.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 10:23 AM | Link to this

Dear Dusty @ 10:08, thanks. The Ensign is almost finished in Pensacola, supposed to move to the next level, Norfolk, next month. First up will be the survival training – we have not discussed that with his mom, and will not.

By Van

July 12, 2007 10:26 AM | Link to this

DebbieDoRight,

Debbiedowrong, again.

From the June report -

Private service producing jobs rose 95K. Lead by education/health.

The government added a larger 40K to the June count.

How the rate is determined (http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_faq.htm)

Because unemployment insurance records, which many people think are the source of total unemployment data, relate only to persons who have applied for such benefits, and since it is impractical to actually count every unemployed person each month, the Government conducts a monthly sample survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the extent of unemployment in the country. The CPS has been conducted in the United States every month since 1940 when it began as a Work Projects Administration project. It has been expanded and modified several times since then. As explained later, the CPS estimates, beginning in 1994, reflect the results of a major redesign of the survey.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this

A progressive wants unfair taxes, a progressive wants government control of our lives, a progressive does not think we have enough brains to live, so the government should be in charge.

Ooops sorry, I see a misprint there. It should read a CONSERVATIVE who wants those things! Heck, not only wants them, are IMPLEMENTING them to the detriment of every American!

By jm

July 12, 2007 10:35 AM | Link to this

Of course Mr. Wooten once again overlooks the fact that there was a budget surplus just seven years ago. I find it hillarious that twelve years of projected deficits to return to the situation W the incompetent inherited is viewed as a good thing.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this

Van: Thanks for the link, went to the website and found some stuff that you left out; please read below:

Who is counted as unemployed? Persons are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work.

What about cases of overlap?

When the population is classified according to who is employed, unemployed, and not in the labor force on the basis of their activities during a given calendar week, situations are often encountered where individuals have engaged in more than one activity. Since persons are counted only once, it must be decided which activity will determine their status. Therefore, a system of priorities is used:

Labor force activities take precedence over non-labor force activities. Working or having a job takes precedence over looking for work.

==================

So basically, like I said, those who’ve been out of work for 6 months or more who are currently NOT seeking unemployment benefits and/or unemployment benefits have ran out, are not counted in the statistics. Thank you for corroborating this information.

By Van

July 12, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this

DebbieDoRight,

Your right, those looking and not sitting on their brains are counted. Lazy, dim witted and those engaged in illegal activities are not counted.

Neither are 16 year olds no looking for work.

I guess they are only looking at folks that want to work and are trying.

By time for the truth

July 12, 2007 10:49 AM | Link to this

Progressive simply means cut and run treasonous wannabe commie scum!! Funny how the liberal perverts, lying eco nutters and cowards are cutting and running from the now almost universally hated hate America insult of “liberal”.

progressives/liberals/leftist vermin - these hated and implicitly hateful terms are completely wholly interchangeable - simply denote the worst kind of intolerant pandering yellowbellied moral fascist.

The black racist chimp faced racebaiting filth calling itself Julian Bond has an IQ of 007 - this being the ONLY thing it has in common with its fictional MI6 namesake James Bond. This NAACP racist black scumbag had the despicable hypocritical gall the other day at the anti-white NAACP hate fest to equate the abject systematic failure of the black racist utterly incompetent mayor of NOLA - Ray chocolate city Nagin and the equally worthless incompetent lying white trash demoNcrat governor of the crime infested corrupt hell hole of Louisiana with “a lynching”.

The chimp faced pillow biter Bond actually asserted - like the black nazi hatepig it is, given its laundry list of race hate speech crimes against whites and the GOP - that it was all Republican whitey’s fault that blacks in NOLA were still “suffering” after Katrina. NOT ONE WORD about the useless vile racebaiter school bus Nagin, the never ending NOLA black on black murders and drug crime, the enormous immediate racial tensions created between blacks when freeloading displaced NOLA black proles and criminals arrived in neighbouring states, endemic black criminal abuse of Katrina funds - dressed up and sanitised using the lefty media code as “Katrina refugees”, the sullen racist black bigotry - as puked up by Nagin among others - against illegal mexicans actually willing to physically work everyday to rebuild NOLA … and on and on and on.

The racist Bond is ONLY capable of utterly ignoring black bigotry, indolence, corruption, criminality and blaming whitey and Bush. THis is nauseatingly still largely the black mindset down in NOLA, gimme gimme gimme - but dont expect me to lift a finger to pay or do very much to help myself. But I will occasionally be willing to appear on TV as a ‘smiling and shuffling’ (simply using Maynard Jackson’s infamous words here folks) victim with a steady stream of filthy rich lefty presidential candidates willing to exploit me and my situation for their campaigns.

The notion that the US taxpayer should simply waste even more precious resources needed for the war on towel head terror to rebuild a giant housing project in certain extreme risk flood plain NOLA parishes is beyond sickening - on top of the tens of billions already p!ssed away in Katrina fraud and rebuilding efforts is typical of the black NAACP gimme gimme mindset.

Funny how non NOLA/LA blacks and many more whites just along the coast in Ole Miss (and some in AL) with lives equally devastated by a powerful hurricane do NOT systematically selfishly racebait like this scumbag Bond and the grasping hate group the NAACP.

By Not So Fast

July 12, 2007 10:52 AM | Link to this

While Jim Wooten is congratulating the Republicans on reducing the enormous deficits they created, it’s important to note that such “reductions” are in fact a neat accounting trick that belies that actual result of the last six years of federal policy. When all the facts come into play, the deficit situation is much worse than the figures reported by Mr. Wooten.

Let’s start with a few definitions which I’ll use in the following paragraphs.

Government revenues — money the government takes in (mostly from taxes)

Government expenditures — money the government spends

Intra-government debt — one government agency borrowing money from another government agency (e.g. government borrows from the Social Security trust fund)

Publicly held debt — U.S. government debt sold to the public (including debt sold to foreign governments)

Is everybody still with me? Good. Here we go.

The numbers reported by the financial press include all of the figures mentioned above by Wooten. They take into account all government revenues and expenditures. Let’s see how this works by looking at a particular year.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, in 2006 the government took in $2.407 trillion in revenue and spent $2.655 trillion for a total deficit of -$248.2 billion (the amount reported by Wooten above). That doesn’t look too bad. In fact it looks darn good compared to the Republican deficits of -$318.3 billion in 2005 and -$412.7 billion in 2004. It looks like we’re making progress and everything will be fine within a few years.

Here’s the problem with that line of thinking — it’s not accurate! The figures quoted in the financial press don’t include intra-governmental debt – primarily made up of money borrowed from the Social Security trust fund. Various federal agencies are borrowing the FICA money for current operations and replacing the funds with what is essentially an IOU saying, “We’ll pay you back someday.”

In addition, no one reports on the total amount of federal debt (aka: our national debt) — both public and intra-governmental. Here’s the end result of the last six years of fiscal policy —

Below is the total amount of intra-governmental and publicly held debt outstanding at the end of each of the last fiscal years and the total increase in federal government debt from the preceding year. This information comes from the Treasury Department.

*Year —- Total Government Debt —- Increase From Preceding Year *

09/30/2006 —- $8,506,973,899,215.23 —- $574,264,237,491.73

09/30/2005 —- $7,932,709,661,723.50 —- $553,656,965,393.18

09/30/2004 —- $7,379,052,696,330.32 —- $595,821,633,586.70

09/30/2003 —- $6,783,231,062,743.62 —- $554,995,097,146.46

09/30/2002 —- $6,228,235,965,597.16 —- $420,772,553,397.10

09/30/2001 —- $5,807,463,412,200.06

Notice that the amount of debt issued every year is a lot bigger than the amount of the deficit reported in the financial press. This leads to an interesting question: “If the deficit is under control, why is the U.S. government issuing so much debt?”

The answer is the deficit isn’t under control in any way. Even if we balanced the budget today, this debt would continue to grow exponentially because of compounding interest (watch the balance on your credit card bill after incurring thousands of dollars of debt and then only making a minimum $25 payment every month).

The U.S. government has issued mammoth amounts of debt and has continued to do so for the last six years.

For those who want to learn more, here are a couple of links:

http://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/resources/faq/faq_publicdebt.htm#DebtOwner

http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np

By getalife

July 12, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this

Lets get back to a Clinton economy.

Clinton/Obama.

By Van

July 12, 2007 11:10 AM | Link to this

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 10:30 AM | Link to this

A progressive wants unfair taxes, a progressive wants government control of our lives, a progressive does not think we have enough brains to live, so the government should be in charge.

Ooops sorry, I see a misprint there. It should read a CONSERVATIVE who wants those things! Heck, not only wants them, are IMPLEMENTING them to the detriment of every American.

Wrong again, this is getting tiresome.

Conservatives do not want an unfair tax code, unlike the “oppressives”. We believe in self responsibility without government overlook.

The concept of government control is totally opposed by the conservatives, whether they are lefties or righties.

By Lily Toad

July 12, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this

Um, Van, governmental control of women’s reproductive rights is a CONSERVATIVE RIGHT WING issue. Governmental control of scientific research, eg. stem cell research, is a CONSERVATIVE RIGHT WING issue.

By time for the truth

July 12, 2007 11:21 AM | Link to this

the putrid idiot maggot brain must be referring to the Arkansas rapist economy that was in recession in the final two quarters before Bush won - as the decidedly ephemeral dot.com snouts in the (eg Terry Global Crossing McCauliffe) trough bubble was swiftly bursting like an alBore hotair balloon - repeatedly beating the eco liar alBore in FL recounts whilst preventing despicable liberal attempts to stop US military folks having their votes counted in FL.

to the snivelling moron jm - see its drivel above … the reason the economy today does not have a surplus as it did seven years ago is because of the huge hit the economy took on 9/11 plus the hugely expensive resulting war on towel head terror!!

these liberal dolts don’t even think before they post!!

HOW COME THE LEFTY SCUM ON HERE CAN’T TELL ME WHERE ALL THESE non-existent eager beaver 2 BILLION global screech fest viewers went … surely the alBore wasn’t LYING and vaingloriously exaggerating YET AGAIN!!!

By mo

July 12, 2007 11:25 AM | Link to this

Personally, I’m tired of Hillary Clinton. I do not want her to win this election. She will just do a very bad impression of her husband, that’s all. She’s not original, and has no original thoughts.

But, I digress.

I, too, do not like that fact that we are at war in Iraq. This war was very poorly handled from the planning stages. We did not listen to reason when we didn’t account for the insurgency. There was no plan to root out insurgents, and we are paying the price for that.

See, in every war, you would have insurgents. There should have been strategic answer to battle the insurgents that should not have been primarily a military one. I wish they would have listened to Colin Powell.

But now, it’s too late to withdraw troops. We’re stuck! If we withdraw troops, those same troops would be fighting against these people- along with you and I, somewhere in Iowa or California somewhere. Why? Because Iraq would become a terrorist state with US dollars if the troops withdraw now.

I’m sorry, but due to the mistakes and failures of this administration, we now have to go into the business of nation-building. The current Iraqi government can’t tie their own shoes, much less fight the insurgency and secure their borders against terrorists coming from border nations. The US owns it, and the US needs to make Iraq a US territory.

But the Democrats in Congress are scaring me with this speech of bringing the troops home now. That’s scary because I believe without those troops, Iraq will become a satellite for Iran, and a bulwark against the West.

Oh, and where’s the humanitarian assistance in Iraq? Is it occurring? If it is, why is that not covered by the media?

In short, I blame this administration for the failures and lack of foresight in the planning and execution of this war. And I will blame the Democratically-controlled Congress if we pull out and Iraq becomes an Iranian nation-state.

By van's a nose picker

July 12, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this

Low unemployment, higher wages and job expansion, high energy costs are a recipe for inflation. Who but Van would notice a tax cut? Van is still giddy about the Bush tax cuts because he was able to go out and spiff up his work wardrobe with a new set of BVDs.

By Van

July 12, 2007 11:28 AM | Link to this

Lily Toad,

wrong again. Womens so-call reproductive rights belong in the states and not the federal governments domain.

There is no restrictions on stem cell research, only on funding from the government research labs experimenting with embryonic stem cells. The government is not the only source of research grants, if the progressives get their wish, it will be.

By Nurse Ratchit

July 12, 2007 11:29 AM | Link to this

It’s okay, Time for Truth, it’s almost medication time. You’ll feel much better.

By Nurse Ratchit

July 12, 2007 11:32 AM | Link to this

It’s okay, Time for Truth, it’s almost medication time. You’ll feel much better.

By Lily Toad

July 12, 2007 11:38 AM | Link to this

Womens so-call reproductive rights belong in the states and not the federal governments domain. Van, wrong again, the Bush administration prohibits birth control funds GLOBALLY for any organization that even mentions that abortion is one option. This prohibition of funds was first instituted by Reagan. And how is this not governmental control of people’s rights?

By Mrs. RepubLady

July 12, 2007 11:40 AM | Link to this

Um, Van, governmental control of women’s reproductive rights is a CONSERVATIVE RIGHT WING issue.

Question for Van: I’m heading to the drug store in a minute. Should I get the Tampax, Playtex, or Kotex? I want to support the parent corporation that spends the most money on campaign contributions, lobbying efforts, and thanks to the recent Supreme Court ruling, special “free speech” commercials endorsing right-wing candidates. Can’t separate the t—t from government, you know, because we righties want them deeply, inextricably intertwined. In the name of freedom of course!

By getalife

July 12, 2007 11:44 AM | Link to this

Government report: Al Qaeda strongest since September 11, 2001

Cut and run to invade Iraq, open borders, training and planning in Pakistan, its just a matter of time before the next attack.

The gop are pathetically weak on national security.

By Wooten, we have a problem.

July 12, 2007 11:55 AM | Link to this

Jim Wooten wrote, “wages average 17.38 per hour, up 3.9 percent from a year ago”

We all know the problem with averages, don’t we? In a homeless shelter, the average net worth is almost nil. If Bill Gates steps into the room, the average net worth instantly jumps into the billions. That’s why economists prefer medians over averages when using statistics that describe sets with such wide distributions (e.g. sets including people with incomes ranging from $6.75 per hour [Wal-Mart “associates”] to those making millions upon millions [Wal-Mart’s C.E.O.]).

Mr. Wooten also forgot to adjust for inflation in his reporting. If wages increased by 3.9 percent and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 2.7 percent, which it did from 5/31/06 to 5/31/07, then real average wages actually increased only 1.2 percent. Such an increase of real average wages is pathetic by historical standards, especially when you consider that this average is becoming more and more distorted by a few at the top.

By JoeD

July 12, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this

Van, I’m still waiting for the example of the company that was expanded and added jobs and was called “an exploiter” by a “leftie”. Any company, any lefty will do. Surely you have facts to back up your diatribe.

By Galbert Aore

July 12, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this

That’s a decent average wage, until you consider how few are actually anywhere near it. Huge numbers are way below or way above. There is giant disparity in pay in society compared to the contributed work each member is contributing.

By Van

July 12, 2007 12:02 PM | Link to this

JoeD,

Try one of the largest private sector companies, Wal-Mart.

By JoeD is an Idiot

July 12, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this

Hey JoeD you moron, here’s a whole website devoted to Liberal bashing an employer that has expanded and added jobs.

http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/press/20060302.html

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 12:19 PM | Link to this

The concept of government control is totally opposed by the conservatives, whether they are lefties or righties.

Van two words: Terri Schiavo.*

By Gus Faucher Disagrees

July 12, 2007 12:23 PM | Link to this

Per Mr. Wooten, “…the economy is on a good, sustainable, roll. Employers added 190,000 jobs in May and 132,000 in June.”

Gus Faucher disagrees —

Gus Faucher, director of macroeconomics at Moody’s Economy.com noted that employment is a lagging economic indicator and that weakness in housing will probably show up in future [employment] reports.

“I think that we’re still seeing the contraction in housing, even if it’s taking longer to play out in terms of employment than we thought,” he said. “Everything (the Fed has said) and I agree, suggests that the economy has slowed enough to bring down inflationary pressure.”

http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/06/news/economy/jobsjune/index.htm?section=moneytopstories

lagging economic indicator - An economic or a financial variable, the movements of which tend to follow the movement of overall economic activity.

One can’t use job growth as leading economic indicator, as Jim Wooten did in his column today. Employment numbers are an indicator of where the economy has been…not where it’s going.

By JoeD

July 12, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

Okay, Van, you have a crackpot who doesn’t like Walmart. Is he somehow representative of all “lefties”? Are David Duke or Pat Robertson repesentative of all “righties” on everything they say? Of course not. You can probably find a complaint somewhere in the world on almost everything. Painting every other person in a group with the broad brush of idiocy is a favored tactic of the right, but it only shows the narrowmindedness of the person doing it. And thanks for the personal attack. That’s in keeping with the GOP conservative playbook as well. Congrats, you make the team.

By Van

July 12, 2007 12:27 PM | Link to this

Lily Toad,

Your right, where was my mind, the US has no right to put conditions on how the tax payers money is spent.

If Israel wasts to fund their populations abortions, so be it, do we, the tax payer have to pay for their medical procedures?

If the aim is birth control, then why is abortion even in the mix? That is not birth control.

The lefties also seem to think that their ideas are the perfect ones. They refuse to listen to other view points and lambaste anyone that disagrees with them, right Debbiedoesn’tdoright, she is a left over.?

Regarding birth control, where is it written that we should, at a federal level, even be involved in that issue? I agree that the FDA should be involved, but why is the federal government funding birth control of any type?

Galbert Aore, came up with an odd statement -

There is giant disparity in pay in society compared to the contributed work each member is contributing.

I think, it isn’t that clear, that this means everyone, on the low end, should be making a lot more than they are?

All the folks that work earn what they are worth, not to society, but to their employer.

The disparity between what the janitor makes and the CEO is not a valid comparison. The comparison is what are the janitors at other same sized companies being paid.

While I do agree, I am not paid enough for my self worth(at least twice the national average), in my opinion, the large company I work for only granted a 1.5% pay increase this year. A little above the “average” after inflation.

While some loopy lefties will think I make too much money, please remember, the average work week is a little over 33 hours, I haven’t been under 45 hours in many a year and 50 hours is not unheard of. One of the downsides to being a salaried employee, no overtime. I get paid the same whether I work the average 33 hours or put in 50-60 hours in a week.

Buck up, get a life, do right and get a better job.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 12:35 PM | Link to this

Dear jm @ 10:35, you cynically overlook the recession W inherited from his predecessor. If only his predecessor had enjoyed the wisdom to implement W’s tax cuts; we may have averted the destructive downturn of 2001. I fear his successor, if a Democrat, will similarly lack the wisdom to retain the tax cuts, and will again plunge the economy into recession. Is that cynical or realistic?

Dear mo @ 11:25, well-written and thoughtful post. Similar argument in Monday’s WSJ @ http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010312 ,and indeed in every edition this week. Not bad, if you are thinking on a par with WSJ editors.

Dear vanp @ 11:28, you err. Only increase in government spending (in excess of the economic growth rate) is a formula for inflation. You’re welcome.

Dear lilytoad @ 11:38, you argue, “This prohibition of funds was first instituted by Reagan. And how is this not governmental control of people’s rights?” I understand your great affection for programs designed to kill the most helpless among us – I noted that leftist “cult of death” principle in my 9:30 post yesterday morning. As abortion is almost exclusively used by the “progressives,” it is difficult for me to posit an objection to such spending; anything that reduces their numbers would seem beneficial to society. Nevertheless, I doubt that killing babies is the highest and best use of taxpayer funds. That is not remotely related to any argument that the Bush administration wants to control your reproductive rights – that is a loony left position. The “absence of subsidy” is not a prohibition.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this

Dear Debbie @ 12:19, good example of conservative opposition to the death cult in control of today’s leftists.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 12:40 PM | Link to this

Dear Gus Faucher @ 12:33, so you would argue that the recession of 2001 reflected where we were before that? Who was in control before that?

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 12:43 PM | Link to this

Dear JoeD @ 12:24, you inspire me. Roll call for leftists who agree that WalMart is not an “exploiter.” Sign in here with your affection for WM. JoeD cannot abide crickets chirping, so don’t let him down!

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 12:45 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw: Sometimes I wonder if you’re insane.

good example of conservative opposition to the death cult in control of today’s leftists

Terri Schiavo right to life issue was a REPUBLICAN tool used to push their agendas through the courts; not the democrats. I can google up SO MANY links right now to support this, but why bother? I think you’re slowly loosing your mind.

Buck up dude, It’s gonna get better. I’m sure if you go down Peachtree this p.m. you can find an ambulance to chase — potential customers may be inside!!! Keep Hope Alive!!! :)

By Average Americans and Poverty

July 12, 2007 12:46 PM | Link to this

How much does it take to make ends meet? Considerable research has been conducted on better methods to measure income poverty, but to date, the political will necessary to implement change has been lacking. In the early 1990s, Congress asked the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to investigate alternative measures. The NAS panel of experts issued a report in 1995 that recommended revising the poverty level and the method of determining which families are poor. The panel’s recommendations included the following:

Using the average hourly wages reported by Mr. Wooten and assuming that all wage earnings work full-time (they don’t), the approximate average/pre-tax/wage income would be $34,760 per year ($17.38 x 2000 hours per year).

Given that the federal poverty level grossly understates how much it takes to support a family, researchers have developed budgets that realistically quantify basic living costs in specific localities. Across the country, families on average need a post-tax income of about twice the official poverty level, or roughly $40,000 for a family of four, to meet basic needs (e.g. housing, food, transportation). In a high-cost city like New York, the figure is over $50,000, whereas in rural areas, the figure is in the low $30,000s.

In short, even if the official poverty measure is revised along the lines suggested by the NAS, the poverty rate would remain a measure of deprivation and severe hardship rather than a measure of a minimal, decent standard of living.

By Gus Faucher Disagrees

July 12, 2007 12:57 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw at 12:40,

If you want to take my earlier post and turn it into a debate about job growth under Clinton vs. job growth under Bush, then go ahead.

However, I suggest you perform a little research first. Something tells me you won’t like what you find.

By Van

July 12, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this

DebbieDoRight,

Hmmm, it seems to me that letting someone starve to death, regardless of their condition, is right up the lefts alley. When you are no longer valued by the left’s society, kill them all.

I did not think that Terri Schiavo deserved to be terminated like that. I condemn the lefts feeling it is their right to kill for any reason.

I condemn the folks that feel that human life is not something valuable and sacred.

Personally, I think you are lower than the stinky stuff on the bottom of my shoes.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 1:08 PM | Link to this

Dear Debbie @ 12:45, “Sometimes I wonder if you’re insane.” I ceased wondering years ago and just go with the flow. I suppose, from the perspective of those who wanted the poor woman dead (i.e., most of the news media and all elected Democrats except Lieberman) Republican efforts to save her life did look extraordinary. Just our innate compassion for the victims of Leviathan. (I was under the impression that people strolling down Peachtree were expecting the ambulance to chase them – or is that an OTP mth?)

By Southern Democrat

July 12, 2007 1:09 PM | Link to this

Jbmlaw,

My brother-in-law a special ops EOD diver said that EOD (similar to SERE) training was one of the most useful exercises in his life because it taught him that not only his body, but his mind could withstand much more than he ever thought possible. He said at the end they played a medley of songs, Star Spangled Banner, God Bless the USA, and God Bless America, with nary a dry eye in sight. He has always given McCain the benefit of the doubt due to McCain’s experiencing in full effect what was only simulated for him. I am sure that the Ensign, if half as tough as you, will make it through with flying colors.

As for the topic today, I’m a little baffled… is the economy simply cyclical (good fortune during the Clinton years) or is it politically controlled? Can bad economic policy (voodoo economics) cause a recession or not? The story seems to change on both sides of the aisle. Those with more advanced knowledge of economics (Jbmlaw, etc.) may be able to educate me or point out the flaws in my thinking, but it seems that the all-time high trade deficit with China (coupled with health/safety scares), the artificially weak dollar, the incredible rise in foreclosures and mortgage defaults, as well as the continued increase in earnings disparity between the top 10% and the bottom 10% do not bode well for our short term economic future.

One final thought… so, Jim Wooten thinks that excessive government spending coupled with tax cuts and a large budget deficit are sound, conservative policies?

I found an alternative source of energy! Hook up a generator to Barry Goldwater’s coffin as he continues to turn in his grave.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 1:09 PM | Link to this

Van: DebbieDoRight, Hmmm, it seems to me that letting someone starve to death, regardless of their condition, is right up the lefts alley. When you are no longer valued by the left’s society, kill them all.

I’m beginning to be very worried about you. Your thoughts / sentences are unclear and distorted. Your responses to questions are vague and you’re slurring your “typing”.

Van, seriously, I need for you to get up slowly, walk quickly to your door, open it and step outside. I think you may have a gas leak in your house.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 1:12 PM | Link to this

Dear Gus @ 12:57, suggestion, what happened in March 1995? (The economy was flat from around June 1992 until then.) I know. And it wasn’t midnight basketball.

By C.Weller

July 12, 2007 1:13 PM | Link to this

Average Monthly Job Growth 172,100 in 2004 211,800 in 2005 188,600 in 2006 145,200 in 2007 (to date)

As you can see, job growth peaked in 2005 and is now below 2004 levels. In addition, job growth has not kept pace with population growth.

This comparatively weak job growth has also contributed to slowing wage growth. Hourly wages in June were 3.9 percent higher than a year earlier (not adjusted for inflation). This is down from a monthly growth rate of 0.4 percent in May and a year-over-year change of 4.0 percent in May.

This slower wage growth comes after inflation-adjusted hourly earnings already declined in March, April, and May. In fact, after accounting for inflation, hourly and weekly earnings in May 2007, the last month for which CPI data are available, were the lowest since September 2006. That is, because of weak job growth, workers do not have the bargaining power to keep wage growth at least in line with price changes.

So, just because job growth is better than expected doesn’t mean that it is strong. It is certainly welcome news that the economy is seeing some unexpected employment gains, but these are happening in a labor market that has been struggling for years to find a foothold. Workers who are burdened by high prices and declining real wages need faster job and wage growth, not lowered expectations.

By Curious Observer

July 12, 2007 1:17 PM | Link to this

It is a testimony to this nation’s greatness that someone as utterly obtuse as Van can nevertheless find and hold a job here. He can’t write, he can’t read, and he can’t think, but he still manages to issue economic pronouncements in the vein of the Delphic oracle.

By RCH

July 12, 2007 1:17 PM | Link to this

Dear Van Lets not sink that low about Debbiedoright. If this was Heaven and George Bush was God she and getalife would still find complaints. I guess it is in their nature. If another Republican is voted in office, I would not be surprised to find her and getalife threatening to jump from the 10th ave. bridge. I will buy you a V-dog while we watch.

By JoeD

July 12, 2007 1:20 PM | Link to this

Actually, I like the sound of crickets chirping. Now, the sound of Ann Coulter’s voice, that I can’t abide.

By Van

July 12, 2007 1:21 PM | Link to this

DebbieDoRight,

As I said earlier, the left has this need to blast anyone that disagrees with them.

DebbieDoRight, if you think it was okay to let her die like that, then I pity you. You may be beyond recovery. Pray to whatever deity you believe in that you never wind up in that situation. A so-called husband saying you want to die and a family that wants you to live.

Gee, I would always go with life myself. I think the conservatives did the right thing in trying to prevent her death, sorry you do not share that sentiment.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 1:32 PM | Link to this

Dear Southern @ 1:09, thanks for the encouragement. The Ensign is tougher than I, and I do not lack confidence. It is sorta like knowing you are going to have a prostate exam, sounds worse than it really is.

On to economic arguments, I agree in part and disagree in part. Trade deficit is meaningless, I demonstrate in the next paragraph. I fear the weakness in the dollar is not artificial, and that is a real concern. Rise in foreclosures and mortgage defaults are a consequence of a good economy (to borrow Alan Greenspan’s 10 year old phrase, “excessive exuberance”) – widespread bad judgment assumes that markets only rise, and too many people operate without a plan B. One reason the shakeout shows up in residential lending, and not in other areas, is the excessive exuberance at FNMA and FHLMC – they funded without limit, and their bonuses were tied to production. Earnings disparity is not an economics “issue” – that is a matter for the preachers and shareholders – nobody else has a stake, it’s not like that money would be spent on charities or minimum wage employees. If you doubt, let’s impose wage controls on the two most visible industries as a test – Hollywood and Professional Sports.

Trade deficit is a good thing. That is counterintuitive for most of us, unless you follow the money trail. We give China $100, and they send us a widget. We have a trade deficit. What will China do with the $100? There are only four things they can do:

(1) They can buy something somewhere else, and someone else with have $100, and we are still holding that old widget, so the vicious circle continues, no resolution. Someone else will have to do either step (2), (3), or (4).

(2) China can take the $100 and invest it in the US economy, either in the stock market or in an interest-bearing instrument. Net effect is that it increases the amount of lendible funds with no effect on demand for such funds, thus lowers cost of borrowing, tends to expand the economy.

(3) China can take the $100 and invest in plant or equipment, to build widgets in the US. Net effect is to increase employment and wages for Americans, tends to expand the economy.

(4) China can take the $100 and buy American goods. That tends to inflate costs of goods for all Americans, although it is the only thing China can do that extinguishes the trade deficit.

I just thought of a (5). I suppose China can take the $100, grind it up and eat it as a breakfast cereal, or perhaps turn it into pet food or toothpaste for sale abroad.

By Van

July 12, 2007 1:34 PM | Link to this

Curious Observer,

So, is it my style, or lack there of, or my opinions that you find not up to your standards? Your a little vague on that one.

By getalife

July 12, 2007 1:41 PM | Link to this

“I’m aware of the fact that perhaps somebody in the administration did disclose the name of that person,” Bush said. “I’ve often thought about what would have happened if that person had come forth and said, ‘I did it.’ Would we have had this endless hours of investigation and a lot of money being spent on this matter? But, so, it’s been a tough issue for a lot of people in the White House. It’s run its course and now we’re going to move on.”

Guilty!

By jm

July 12, 2007 1:42 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw@12:35 - the traditional definition of recession is a decline in the country’s real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for two or more consecutive quarters. The US experienced negative growth in the 3rd quarter of 2000, the 1st quarter of 2001 and 3rd quarter of 2001. While the fact that the US economy was sluggish during that time, it was not in a “recession”. Of course, politicians tend to change definitions to suit their purpose.

By Southern Democrat

July 12, 2007 1:43 PM | Link to this

The problem, though, is based upon what friends tell me, China is doing (6), taking the $100 and using it to hoard enormous dollar reserves while investing the remaining profit in their still woefully underdeveloped infrastructure. At some point, China will become its own market, finance, and trade center, no?

As you and I have discussed previously, I am very concerned that without a drastic alteration in our immigration policy, we will lose not only cheap labor, but our engineers, biochemists, and computer experts as they return to their home countries after schooling.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 1:48 PM | Link to this

Dear Southern @ 1:09, I realize my “answer” side-stepped your real question. Disingenuity is my specialty. “… is the economy simply cyclical (good fortune during the Clinton years) or is it politically controlled? Can bad economic policy (voodoo economics) cause a recession or not? The story seems to change on both sides of the aisle.”

The economy is partially cyclical. Politicians can do nothing to make an economy good – after all government produces nothing of value – but they certainly can do things to ruin a sound economy. Government actions influence the economy with a lag (Friedman said it takes two years, I think closer to 18 months), but sometimes the coming ruin is so apparent that the markets react well in advance (e.g., the 1929 stock market crash in anticipation of the Republican’s destruction of international trade, the Smoot-Hawley tariffs.)

Thus, if you catch me in a candid moment, I will acknowledge that (after the Hillary-care debacle) Wild Bill really did nothing to damage the economy until his last 90 days in office (when the agencies went wild with new regulations that crippled an already-weak economy.)

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 1:52 PM | Link to this

Dear Southern @ 1:43, partially agree, China is mostly doing (2), investing in US securities for now. They will still have to do either 3 or 4 eventually. The most beneficial thing they could do is invest in US plant and equipment; the most damaging thing they could do is buy American goods, as that would set off a demand-pull inflation the likes of which we have never seen.

By Gus Faucher Disagrees

July 12, 2007 1:56 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw at 1:12,

I think I understand you now.

You’re implying that the Republican-led Congress that began two-years into Clinton’s presidency deserves the credit for the job growth that occurred during Clinton’s presidency.

At the same time, you’re telling us that President Clinton, but not the prior Republican-led Congress, deserves the blame for the recession that took place at the beginning of Bush’s term.

You also appear to believe that economic policies, when implemented by Republicans, have an immediate impact while economic policies implemented by Democrats have a bit of a waiting period. Interesting.

By the way, you’re wholly mistaken when you assert that the economy was flat until March 1995. Compare the 1993 job numbers reported here with those provided at the top of the post at 1:13.

Sir — The fact that you introduced this topic, your inconsistent assertions, and your difficulty with facts leads one to believe that you are biased — at least I hope so. Bias is preferable to the alternative.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 1:59 PM | Link to this

Dear jm @ 1:42, I would be satisfied with a “progressive” acknowledgement that President W inherited a sluggish economy. He campaigned on that, and was rebuffed by the left. Reagan’s aphorism on “recession” is the classic definition.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 2:02 PM | Link to this

Dear Guy @ 1:56, if I read your post correctly, you argue that government policies have an instantaneously-only effect, with no predictive nor lagging effects. (Otherwise your argument has no defintion of economic effects.) That perspective would be unique to you.

By Larry B.

July 12, 2007 2:05 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw wrote, “Earnings disparity is not an economics “issue” – that is a matter for the preachers and shareholders – nobody else has a stake…”

jbmlaw is wrong again.

Earnings disparity has been shown to negatively impact any economy’s human capital in the long-run and consistently leads to redirecting both private and public expenditures. The result is reduced long-run productivity growth.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 2:06 PM | Link to this

Van:Gee, I would always go with life myself. I think the conservatives did the right thing in trying to prevent her death, sorry you do not share that sentiment.

OK Van, I can help you out with that — what I’ll do is bash you over the head with a steel pipe a couple of times until you go into a non emerging coma, (just to be sure of course, not because I abhor you or anything), you’ll become brain dead, (again), then I’ll let them leave you in a vegetative state for the rest of your life. Every other year, we’ll take pictures of you and send them to the media and we’ll say “Van wanted this, even though he was brain dead before Debbie bashed him over the head, he wanted this coma and prefers to live this way forever”.

All your repuglican senators, reps, etc.; can come over yearly, stand in front of your hospital bed while you drool and crap all over yourself and the cameras are rolling and campaign on how they’ve enacted legislature to keep you in a vegetative state and how they’ve placed the ten commandments outside your door for good luck.

So, I’ll be over say around 8:00 tonight? We’ll have wine, some laughs, I’ll wear my little stalker outfit, then I’ll bash what’s left of your brains in! Sounds good to you? I can hardly wait!!!

By deatn to leftist cut and run surrender monkeys

July 12, 2007 2:06 PM | Link to this

come on curious PEEPING TOM … you generously puke up your witless, ludicrously supercilious emotive vacuous bile at Van … so in the rarefied spirit of selfless endless leftist charity and the anal socialist compulsion of always giving of oneself to further the commie creep cause please please please please (snigger - like I give a sh!t) pompously and biliously insult me one more time again … PLEASE!!!

I can write - you snivelling bigoted hateful cut and run surrender monkey dogturd!!!

I can read - and sadly every damn day I see the leftist surrender monkey’s lies and treasonous sullen obsessive dullard cowardice on Iraq and towel head terror.

I can think - which is why I am always so easily able to succinctly and astutely paraphrase the brain dead abject imbecility of the hate America surrender monkey left.

smirk

Now GFY …

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 2:08 PM | Link to this

Dear Gus @ 1:56, let me present you a hypothetical. King Clinton I inherits an economy from King Bush I, that is purely on the upswing. During his first two years Queen Clinton proposes something that all realize would screw up 15% of the economy. Although employment continues to improve, the stock markets are gravely fearful of what the new insane king is plotting for the economy. Then Sir Gingrich arrives in town with a large army, and the king is so chastened that he does nothing screwy with the economy until it is too late for any consequences. The economy, thus unencumbered with fears of government screwups, thrives.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 2:11 PM | Link to this

Dear LarryB @ 2:05, I’m gullible, “Earnings disparity has been shown to negatively impact any economy’s human capital.” When and where?

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 2:12 PM | Link to this

Dear Van Lets not sink that low about Debbiedoright. If this was Heaven and George Bush was God she and getalife would still find complaints

If Dumbya was God then we’d be in hell. OH wait, we’re living in hell now with Dumbo as our president! My bad.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 2:14 PM | Link to this

Dear jmblaw: Don’t you have an ambulance to chase?

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 2:15 PM | Link to this

Dear LarryB @ 2:05, one follow up question: when you say “Earnings disparity has been shown to negatively impact any economy’s human capital,” are we talking about real hard economic data, or is this touchy-feely social science?

By death to leftist cut and run surrender monkeys

July 12, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this

now crackpipe debbie turd is threatening Van with a steel pipe and even worse its official little XXXXXXXXXXL ho stalker number … lets hope Van has wisely renewed his concealed carry permit!!

much later tonite - crackpipe hears the reassuring heavenly sound of a Glock being cocked … snigger

By RCH

July 12, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this

Debbiedoright I am living rather well. Education, hard , work and a winning attitude have been good to me. What happened to you?

By Gus Faucher Disagrees

July 12, 2007 2:24 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw at 2:02,

You do not read my post correctly, and I made no such argument.

You’re arguing with yourself, sir.

By Curious Observer

July 12, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this

I would happily respond to TFTT, but the absence of proper punctuation and capitalization in his screed and the presence of numerous split infinitives both make his caterwauling impossible to read. I’m positive, however, that he feels better now.

By death to leftist cut and run surrender monkeys

July 12, 2007 2:27 PM | Link to this

Dear jmblaw: Don’t you have an ambulance to chase?

He’s making damn sure the one taking crackpipe to the Central State Mental Hospital in Milledgeville doesn’t break down or otherwise fail in its court ordered “quest”.

By Jackie

July 12, 2007 2:42 PM | Link to this

The CIA informed Dubya in November that the Iraqi govt. is not workable, yet, he persisted with his surge in Jan. that has only increased the exposure of our troops to death and injury. The 18 points laid out by Dubya was deemed to have ZERO compliance, yet, he stood before us and said there has been progress on 8 of the 18. This man is delusional and the Repubs (to the rear march…) can not get away from him quickly enough. When will this morally bankrupt criminal administation be removed from office. We know the landslide for the Senate and House will occur in November ‘08. We will all be able to watch the revolution.

By death to leftist cut and run surrender monkeys

July 12, 2007 2:43 PM | Link to this

so the gutless far left pu$$y peeping tom, like the archetypal gutless cut and run lefty selfishly deprives its fellow surrender monkeys of a fleeting, almost masterfully (smirk) contrived snigger at death to leftist cut and run surrender monkeys’s expense.

ITS just A BLOODY BLOG you pompous craven tw at. Surely as a proto-lefty wanker you fully subscribe to the dominant trendy lefty educational practice that so long as the message/intent can be gleaned then the actual ‘prose’ and its grammatical structure etc is of secondary import?

I always knew these anal arrogant lefties were linguine spined pu$$ies … cheers for preDICKtably reinforcing such a richly deserved ‘stereotype’.

By Katie

July 12, 2007 2:45 PM | Link to this

The more I read, the more I see that jbmlaw is entirely full of $hit. His made up facts and economics are twisted to support any bizarre argument he wishes to make (usually to support Republicans).

Debt to the Chinese?…good. Trade surplus?…bad. Budget deficits?…good. Decline in housing market?…sign of a strong economy. Earnings disparity?…not an economics issue. Great depression?…Hoover had nothing to do with it.

What a creep.

By death to leftist cut and run surrender monkeys

July 12, 2007 2:49 PM | Link to this

Katie dear … like virtually all surrender monkey liberals - if you had a sh!t there’d be NOTHING left (of you)!!

By The Truth Hurts

July 12, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this

Haven’t check in here for awhile, but looks as though things haven’t changed. TFTT is still filling the blog with the usual vile, disgusting, threatening material.

For the life of me I do not see how Wooten allows such filth.

Says alot about his blog, I guess.

By death to leftist cut and run surrender monkeys

July 12, 2007 3:14 PM | Link to this

Haven’t check in here for awhile, but looks as though things haven’t changed. TFTT is still filling the blog with the usual vile, disgusting, threatening material.

funny how these rabidly intellectually dishonest lefties always hypocritically IGNORE their own copious hate/abuse/bile.

so one naturally surmises from this uber selective drivel from “Hurts” that from any lefty surrender monkey abuse or worse - of conservatives is perfectly reasonable and acceptable.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 3:17 PM | Link to this

uh-oh, Katie’s off her meds again. She sounds so cynical.

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 3:20 PM | Link to this

Poor Katie @ 2:45, I have distressed you, in that my arguments do not match the headlines on tv news. I have a three point program to save you: (1) turn off the television, when the news comes on, (2) leave it off, and (3) enroll in Econ 101 at your local community college. Not that I am cynical.

By Nurse Ratchit

July 12, 2007 3:25 PM | Link to this

Dear Time for Truth, Now you are delusional and calling yourself Death to …. We have decided that the meds are not working and shock therapy is called for. Nurse Debbie will be right over with her steel pipe.

By RCH

July 12, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this

*By The Truth Hurts *

I have been called every name in the book by the so called “progressives”. I try not to play in that sandbox. Reference my defence of Debbiedoright, who I battle with every day. But it is called free speech. Would you really want Jim to edit comments more strictly? If so this site would become very boring, very quickly.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 3:27 PM | Link to this

Time For The Straight Jacket, found a pic of you at the Gay Pride Parade, thought you might like it. Enjoy

By jbmlaw

July 12, 2007 3:38 PM | Link to this

Dear Katie @ 2:45, to help you with your reading comprehension, let’s review your analysis against the idea I presented.

Debt to the Chinese?…good. (At 1:52 I wrote, “China is mostly … investing in US securities for now. They will still have to do either 3 or 4 eventually. The most beneficial thing they could do is invest in US plant and equipment; the most damaging thing they could do is buy American goods, as that would set off a demand-pull inflation the likes of which we have never seen.) In Acct 101 you will learn that “debt” is merely a funding source, it has no “good” or “bad.”

Trade surplus?…bad. (We did speak on trade deficits @ 1:32, which I alternately asserted as meaningless and as fundamentally good. I also explained why, but we don’t want to worry your pretty little head with logic and such. If you have any really smart friends, show them the argument and let them discuss it with me.)

Budget deficits?…good. (I don’t remember talking on this. I agree non-military government spending is bad, but “budget deficit” is an artificial construct. The economic effect of a budget deficit is, at worst, indistinguishable from a tax increase, except that the economic damage from a tax increase is harder to conceal.)

Decline in housing market?…sign of a strong economy. (I think my actual language was “Rise in foreclosures and mortgage defaults are a consequence of a good economy. Again, I explained the argument, but I don’t expect you to wade through stuff designed to make people think.)

Earnings disparity?…not an economics issue. (You read correctly. Only in the faux-economics world of CNN and Kos would that be an issue.)

Great depression?…Hoover had nothing to do with it. (I don’t know who you think signed the Smoot-Hawley tariff, but let’s not confuse you with facts. Suffice it to say conservatives now understand the damage that arise from government constraints on the economy, and “progressives” remain mystified.)

But I am not cynical - you can learn.

By RCH

July 12, 2007 3:39 PM | Link to this

DebbieDoRight Even though we battle every day(Are we married?)I did have a genuine love for you. Until now. Why did you have do bust my buble? Forgive me but Yikes thats ugly man, woman, or imbetween.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 3:51 PM | Link to this

Debbiedoright I am living rather well. Education, hard , work and a winning attitude have been good to me. What happened to you?

Dumbya, Chimpy, Scooter, Abramahoff, shipping $300M into a war zone and loosing it, Iraq, Foley, Afghanistan, “Mission Accomplished”, outsourced jobs to India…. just to name a few.

Oh, and I found out that Time For The Straight Jacket is uglier than Marilyn Manson in drag. That was the hardest thing of all to accept; I still have nightmares about that one.

By RCH

July 12, 2007 4:00 PM | Link to this

DebbieDoRight After seeing that, Hillary and Nancy look pretty good. LOL Scared the Republican out of me.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 4:06 PM | Link to this

Sorry RCH, didn’t mean for you, or anyone else, to click on that. I like to give Straight Jacket his/her/its own personal tribute. If I could I’d give it the middle finger, but since I can’t I try for the next best thing.

Between It and I, those pics, are our own personal “conversation” pieces.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 4:08 PM | Link to this

DebbieDoRight After seeing that, Hillary and Nancy look pretty good

That was funny!! Cruel, but funny!

By RCH

July 12, 2007 4:16 PM | Link to this

Debbiedoright I knew you had a sense of humour. Once and a while you can put those killer claws away and be very cordial. If this keeps up I may even ask you to accompany me to the next “Freedom Concert”. I am sure Shawn, Neal, Newt, and Fred Thompson would be honored by your presence.

Or should I be more realistic. We would kill each other before we got out of the driveway?

By death to leftist cut and run surrender monkeys

July 12, 2007 4:23 PM | Link to this

@ Nurse Rabid

You get the trollop to bring the “steel pipe” and I will ready my made imported Austrian GLOCK-enspiel with some extra special 9mm bells so we can make sure this goes right!

By death to leftist cut and run surrender monkeys

July 12, 2007 4:23 PM | Link to this

@ Nurse Rabid

You get the trollop to bring the “steel pipe” and I will ready my imported Austrian made GLOCK-enspiel with some extra special 9mm bells so we can make sure this goes right!

By Katie

July 12, 2007 4:31 PM | Link to this

jbmlaw at 3:20,

Heed your own advice. Your so-called economics is ideology in disguise.

By Jim Wooten

July 12, 2007 4:34 PM | Link to this

Thanks to all of you who took today’s Thinking Right affirmation of the economy’s health as a signal to call your brokers to invest in America. The stock market had its best one-day gain in more than four years.

By Nurse Ratchit

July 12, 2007 4:36 PM | Link to this

Dear Death to the Truth,

But, my dear, you’ll be in straight jacket.

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 4:45 PM | Link to this

Have no fear Nurse, Straight jacket wouldn’t know how to work a glock , (kinda like that useless piece of gray matter between its ears [and legs]); if one bit him on his feverish head. Most glocks are semis; you need a clip to load and don’t have to c** it. Debbie knows guns and how to hunt — Straight Jacket grew up in England, Debbie grew up in the NE with lots of woods for hunting.

(I’m beginning to sound like Harold!!)

By DebbieDoRight

July 12, 2007 4:49 PM | Link to this

If this keeps up I may even ask you to accompany me to the next “Freedom Concert”. I am sure Shawn, Neal, Newt, and Fred Thompson would be honored by your presence.

[Debbie, shaking with fear and revulsion at the thought of going to see a repuglican hallejuah fest; had to run to the ladies room to throw up her lunch]

RCH: I’d LOVED to go, unfortunately I’ll be washing my hair that night……..

By Curious Observer

July 12, 2007 4:58 PM | Link to this

Careful, Debbie. We all know about the immoral behavior of those Republicans.

By Ashley

July 12, 2007 5:11 PM | Link to this

Thank you Mr. Wooten at 4:34. When the Dow is doing well (relative to the last four years), what once were big problems somehow seem so small.

By Rob

July 12, 2007 5:20 PM | Link to this

Earnings disparity has been shown to negatively impact any economy’s human capital in the long-run and consistently leads to redirecting both private and public expenditures. The result is reduced long-run productivity growth.

— Where do socialist liberals come up with their idiotic cockamamie thoughts like this? I suppose earning equality in places like North Korea are what we should be modeled after? The wealthy and successful in this nation don’t become so by sitting around complaining why someone else has what they don’t. Does foolish thinking like that start at an early age or does it occur when someone is so weak minded he allows his mind to be manipulated with socialist draconian beliefs?

By RCH

July 12, 2007 5:20 PM | Link to this

** DebbieDoRight “

Now that’s`my girl. It did raise money for scholarships for the children of fallen soldiers. That should be a bipartisan fundraising.

By We're Becoming a Third-World Country

July 12, 2007 5:27 PM | Link to this

The dollar was generally lower against other major currencies, dropping to a new record low versus the euro and a 26-year low against the British pound.

Characteristics of Third-World Countries 1. Relatively high national debt. 2. Large disparities in income. 3. High levels of smog and other forms of environmental destruction. 4. High concentrations of wealth. 5. Small middle class. 6. Weak currency. 7. Low savings rates. 8. Large trade deficits. 9. No infrastructure or frail infrastructure. 10. Relatively low levels of investment in education. 11. Limited access to quality health. 12. High poverty rates. 13. High incarceration/recidivism rates. 14. High levels of violent crime.

But hey — the Dow is up today. Yippee.

By Rob

July 12, 2007 5:34 PM | Link to this

Third World - you are free to move to another nation if you think it’s so bad here. Your negativism would be most welcome in a real third world nation like Venezuela.

By Amber

July 12, 2007 5:39 PM | Link to this

Rob,

For me, there’s no need to go all the way to North Korea.

With regard to earnings equality, I’m thinking more along the lines of the kind of the kind of earnings distributions that my parents experienced in the 1950’s and 1960’s when a working parent could support a family with four children, a 2500 sq. ft. house and two cars on one income. Dad, a salesman and then a middle manager, also received a defined-benefit pension plan, fully paid health insurance for the family and job security. The CEO of his company was paid around 20 times more than the average worker — not 300 times more than the average worker (there’s less to go around when upper management is hogging it all for themselves).

If dreams of the kind of stable, secure middle-class that my parents enjoyed post-WWII make me and my Dad, who has the same dreams for his children, socialist liberals, then so be it.

As far as mind manipulation goes, you might want to stay away from Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. Yes — it’s that obvious.

By Rob

July 12, 2007 5:49 PM | Link to this

Amber - it is not up to you, me, or the government to decide what someone else is paid. Perhaps you need to move beyond the NYT and PBS to get your information and view of your perfect world from. Yes, it’s that obvious.

The middle class has disappeared because they moved up.

Now can you Amber or any other socialist show me where in the US Constitution it protects or even grants the right for someone to have as much money as someone else? I’ll let you look it up, while you look up what I’ve posted that Rush or Fox said as well.

By We're Becoming a Third-World Country

July 12, 2007 5:53 PM | Link to this

“Your negativism would be most welcome in a real third world nation…”

Rob,

Denial is not a river in Egypt.

With regard to Venezuela, I’m going to stick and do my part to make things better. You might like to check it out though — the prostitutes down there might be more affordable for you.

By Rob

July 12, 2007 5:58 PM | Link to this

Third World - your thoughts of personal perceptions are not important to me. What is important to me is your pessimism and sky falling negativism. You are free to leave if you are so miserable here. Everyone I know is more than happy being here. Perhaps you are one of those intelligent lib types who never even experienced the world outside of US soil. You sure sound like one.

By Rob

July 12, 2007 6:02 PM | Link to this

It appears I gave the wrong link to the shrinking middle class. Yes the middle class is shrinking. Because they are moving up. You will not find any Democrat talking points over that. The truth - it be out there.

By Amber

July 12, 2007 6:10 PM | Link to this

Okay Rob,

You’re an idiot, but I’ll bite anyway.

First, thank you for the link. It did confirm that the middle class is shrinking. You might want to read your own articles in their entirety before you post them claiming that they somehow support your argument.

Second, in answer to your ridiculous question, nowhere in the Constitution does it protect or even grant the right for someone to have as much money as someone else. My post did not have to do with Constitutional rights; it had to do with what is morally right.

Let me ask you a ridiculous question — does the Constitution give a corporate Board of Directors the right to pay upper management more than 300 times more than the average worker in the company gets paid? I don’t believe it does.

If I’m correct, then I’ll continue to use my Constitutional rights to speak out against such behavior and cast me ballot for legislators who will support laws against such behavior.

God bless America.

By Rob

July 12, 2007 6:14 PM | Link to this

Here’s an actual mythbuster on the shrinking middle class.

Posted by: Bob | 13 June 2007 at 07:01

“The longer I study the issue, the more I agree with the libertarians on this ground: The best thing government can do to promote prosperity among all income levels is nothing.”

Amen. Socialist liberals just don’t get it, but that’s what happens when emotions run high and reasoning runs low. Sink the ship to create equality for all.

By Rob

July 12, 2007 6:21 PM | Link to this

Amber -

You might want to read your own articles in their entirety before you post them claiming that they somehow support your argument.

I posted the wrong one. Twice. I always have both sides available unlike you liberals.

Second, in answer to your ridiculous question, nowhere in the Constitution does it protect or even grant the right for someone to have as much money as someone else.

Well you socialists on the left sure are acting like there is protection and guarantees somewhere out there. I just thought I’d cut to the chase.

My post did not have to do with Constitutional rights; it had to do with what is morally right.

Fine. I find it morally wrong to take from someone who has more and give it to those who have less mandatorily. One man’s morals are another mans chains. Think about that, Ms. Amber.

Let me ask you a ridiculous question — does the Constitution give a corporate Board of Directors the right to pay upper management more than 300 times more than the average worker in the company gets paid? I don’t believe it does.

Nor does it prevent it from happening either. You socialist liberals prove your idiocy here bigtime. Keep your McCarthyist communist wishes out of private lives and private companies, you foolish idiot.

If I’m correct, then I’ll continue to use my Constitutional rights to speak out against such behavior and cast me ballot for legislators who will support laws against such behavior.

God bless America.