Real transparency.

I entertained this idea for a minute, wanting to be open-minded, but I can't see how you can say that and not see the difference. Then again, if what you say is true I will never be able to see that difference. This is a tactic used by both sides, and what makes me wonder if all of us are wrong or none of us are wrong.

Still...really? :)

It is a reality that no one shares.

Yours, or others.

Neither side will see the others.

It will always be us against them.

You all are as wrong as those who are the same or different.

Our President sets the new standard for international relations with women... :D

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9414/r3356552547.jpg

I wonder how old that girl is. She looks like she is half his height.

:eyebrow:

She looks (to me) like her head is above his shoulder. If she isn't fully adult she is damn close. And she has a nice tush.

I like Sarkozy's expression, though... hmmmm, tasty ...

He certainly has set a great example... for the Gov of SC. :lol2:

Don't cost nothin' to window shop

[bluesbrothers]"How much for your daughter?"[/bluesbrothers]

Her name is Mayora Tavares, she is 16 and she comes from Brazil.

Mayora was at the G8 summit in Italy as part of the J8 – a group of 53 people aged between 14 and 17 who have been meeting in Rome since the start of the week.

They were discussing how the lives of young people around the world can be improved.

http://www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-en...-delegate.html

I can't wait until you start citing Weekly World News. See below. GASP!

Now Merc, you've seen hundreds of those types of pics...where camera angle makes it seem something it's not. There were many for Bush, what about the one where it looked like McCain was going to grab Obama's ass?

When I first saw this pic I giggled. Now that you won't shut the fuck up, because you have nothing else to hang your I Told You So Hat on, I would like to point out that I don't think he was blatantly watching some girl's ass go by. He might have been making sure she was on the step and her foot was out of the way before he kept going.

Obama is a man, but he has some class. Frankly, from what I've heard from your mouth (fingers) it seems more likely you'd disrespect a woman by drooling and staring.

Maybe he was quickly glancing at her ass. Who knows? But in this higher resolution pic, it looks like he could simply be caught while blinking. Oh, and here's another picture of the girl from the front.

(The photographer who took these pics, got some funny ones of Bush over the years, so at least he spreads it around.)

Really. Relax. I thought it was pretty funny someone caught the Savior looking at some 16 yr old girls ass. :D

(smacks Merc upside the haid) I'm so damn easy...mom always said I was "pickable."

;)

There's video.

Oh gee, in context we can see it was nothing. Quelle surprise.

Ah yes, butt the beauty of the visual (sound) bite. :D

She looks to be the about the same height as Sarcozy. :D

And clearly he is looking at her SHOES! :p

So were are the frigging jobs OBAMA?

The jobs that WERE are no more. Not so?

Don't be dumbasses.

I am no Dumb ass. Where are the job he and the Demoncrats promised with the spending bills that are nearly bankrupting this nation?

I imagine all the people whose jobs were saved would say, "right fucking here." :p

That's super easy. C'mon, try demanding more! If you can bear the result -- for we can be smarter than you can, and we are ready to show it off.

Sugarpop, I haven't heard any such reply. Unemployment in my county is presently 10.4 percent, though there has been a 600-job increase in the nonfarm sector of late. From over here, doesn't look like anybody could say "Right here!" yet. But it is being read as a hopeful sign.

Recessions and depressions seem to me to come and go on their own cycle and their own pace, regardless of anything Government does -- except for cutting taxes and expenditures.

Cool, show me how the stimulus money saved you a job. What is your full time job anyway?

There's a big sign on the interstate on my way here and home: project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. There are like, orange cones and everything.

Sounds like jobs to me.

Here.

I didn't say it saved ME a job. I was talking about some state governors who have said, on TV, that the stimulus money stopped them from laying off people.

Obama said, "This plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector, jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges, constructing wind turbines and solar panels, laying broadband and expanding mass transit."

3.5 million jobs... Where are they?

Nope, not 3.5 million jobs...

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

It's been 5 months. Are you really as obtuse as you pretend to be?

Why am obtuse? Because I disagree with the fantasy that Obama and the Demoncrats have sold the American people?

Because you're so busy nay-saying you can't see 5 inches in front of you.

Give it up.

Never. I will be here to point out his failures for the next 8 years. Or 4 if he really screws up. :D

I hear ya bitchin' Merc, but without a time travel machine, there's no way to go back in time and not spend the stimulus money to see how bad things would have gotten if we hadn't spent the money.

Maybe Obama's right and 3.5 million jobs have been saved. Maybe unemployment would be at 50% if the spending hadn't been done. No way to know for sure.

I went to the mall yesterday with my wife because we were near there and had to kill some time. The place was packed with people, and most of them were carrying shopping bags. From what I could see, there was no recession. My wife even bought a pair of pants.

Immediately prior to that quote, as part of the same sentence in fact, he said, "Over the next two years".I'm not sure who you're trying to refute here. If you want to assume the stimulus was supposed to save or create jobs at a linear rate (probably not a good assumption), I guess you could complain "Nope, not 730,000 jobs." (5/24ths of 3.5 million).

It reminds me of the Y2K problem. We spent billions fixing Y2K bugs, and then people complained about the hype when we hit Y2K and the bugs were already fixed.

Ok. :D

Not even close to 730,000 jobs yet.

glatt and HM,

[ohrant] that is the point, it is all smoke and mirrors and yet we continue to bleed over 500,000 jobs a month. In the mean time our deficit rises to the TRILLIONS. Well hell, who is going to pay that off? Our great great great grand kids? Look, if I could have just seen some restrained defined spending in these "stimuli bills" I would not be bitching so much. I truely held out hope for Obama, not so much the Dems in Congress, but I really had a little hope that they would all do what they said they were going to do. He is rubber stamping this shit. And Obama and the Dems are in this together. There is no separation of powers. The Repubs were no different, but he could have significant influence over what the Dems produce. But no, they have fucked us over and over. Look at the bills coming from Congress, they are filled with pork and they have ram rodded the legislation through Congress will little other than "my way or the highway". There is no frigging transparancy till it comes out of Pelosi's ass. And then few changes are made. Granted the Republickins were not much different but is that an excuse? They had a historic opportunity to straighten this shit out in a concerted and pinpoint way but instead they have just thrown our frigging money at it and really have had little idea if it was going to work, if it worked a little, or even if it will really work in the long run. I am a bit more wrapped up over the health care issue because I have been in it for 30 years and I know the issue pretty well. And what they are proposing and how they think it will work is filled with holes, uncertainty, and more smoke and mirrors. And if you really look closely it is all being INFLUENCED by the darlings of the DEMS, the big pharm and insurance corps and we are about to be royally butt fucked. So yea, I am a little more than wrapped on the issues. [/endorant]

thanks.

Another fine example of the Double Standard....

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...ZlbIQD99J2DQG1

Where is this double standard? Levees are failing everywhere because of wacko extremists who loved George Jr and Rush Limbaugh. We are still patching the destruction. Today's jobs losses now and for years to come are directly traceable to wackos who stifled innovation, created enemies where none existed, tried to even get into a shooting war with China, spent so much money as to both destroy a surplus and run up record deficits, turn even our allies adversarial, subvert innovation and science by even having White House lawyers rewrite science papers, all but try to destroy Hubble, encourage GM et al to destroy even Hybrid technology (because anything done by Clinton has to be destroyed),so encouraged he destruction of education that now something like 50% of designers in the Silicon Valley are immigrants, ‘Mission Accomplished’ which we have yet to pay for (wacko George would not even put those bills in the budget), gave Afghanistan back to the Taliban (because only the dumbest would say "America does not do nation building"), enriched big pharma with laws that protect their 40% price increase for drugs, inspired hate of immigrants, gays, and other minorities, even refuse to prosecute Enron, encouraged fraud at the highest levels of the economy, even subverts the Security and Exchange Commission, refused to prosecute those who created the CA energy crisis, refuse to condemn or address those who intentionally created the NE blackout, ignored the lessons of ‘Long Term Capital Management’, protected industries so that they remain unproductive (corporate welfare), continued to destroy American jobs by protecting enemies of America such as big steel, encouraged fraud and deception across the entire financial industry - AIG, Merrill Lynch, et al, ....

But none of these stupidities caused today’s job losses? Ostrich thinking is alive and well. Job losses today are directly traceable to wacko politics and Rush Limbaugh diatribes that replaced intelligent thinking.

Even lessons from Nixon and Vietnam are déjà vue. Lies, mismanagement, spending, and denials in 1968, 1970 and later resulted in massive job losses, stagflation, and even destruction of US military power in 1975 and years later. We have yet to see damage created George Jr and wacko extremist. As intelligent people have warned long ago, we will be paying for these disasters for the next ten years. We are reaping disasters created when wacko politics were spouted here by the brainwashed. Fortunately, this time we have intelligent leadership that has apparently minimized much of the damage. Things were that close to near disaster.

Never forget the faces on those Congressmen as they left the briefing by Bernanke and Paulsen. We were that close to an abyss that was that deep. And we will be paying for years for damage created by wacko extremist politics.

How much damage? Australians are learning how that destruction has yet to affect their national security. America will suffer significant military weakness in the next decade because of wackos like Cheney. Whereas Clinton would even send two carrier groups to Taiwan to confirm their protection. Today and in years future, the US will no longer be able to do that with confidence. America military strength will diminish tomorrow due to the disasters both financial and military created by yesterdays wacko extremists. Even deja vue Nam. Australia must reassess their national security today because America’s military strength must diminish tomorrow. Thank you Cheney - who claims he was one of history's greatest military tacticians. Who even all but protected bin Laden for a politcal agenda.

Thank you George Jr for being so destructive as to do absolutely nothing useful (but sit in a child's chair) even on 11 Sept 2001. When told "America is under attack" by his chief of staff, what did the dumb man do? Sat there in a child’s chair for 15 minutes. Did not even ask one question. Did on 11 Sept what he continued to do to even harm American jobs today. Sat their so that innovators and other partiots would do nothing. Went to CA for a campaign fund raiser so that even the USS Bataan could not help save Americans in New Orleans.

Job losses directly traceable to people with too much politics, too little intelligence, and now in denial about why jobs are being destroyed.

Jobs losses today are but another trophy of wacko extremists and those who are told how to think using only a political agenda. Even Australia must change their strategy; to make new plans for their national security due to the stupidity of those who worshipped wackos extremism and overt military crusades this past decade. So dumb as to even try to get into a shooting war with China over a silly spy plane. We have yet to see all the damage created by those so dumb as to vote for Cheney.

Wacko politics says, "Blame Obama". Then we will not blame the real reason why jobs will continue to be lost. Fortunately we have leaders who use intelligence (not politics). So a near disaster has been averted. Can you imagine where we would be today if George Jr had a ninth year? That should make every intelligent person tremble. Worse, wacko extremist already miss George Jr. Even make speeches hoping that Obama will fail. Wacko extremists never worked for America - which is why they cannot admit how many more jobs will be lost due to their politics.

Thanks Tom - I needed a good laugh - you actually made me smile today.

I can't read it but let me guess, it said something about blaming Wacko Extremists.:D

I like tw. :)

No. It blamed you (in font=0). I was taught by White House lawyers and Cheney.

Meanwhile, we were that close to the abyss. Only one of the stories is told by PBS Frontline in June 2009 at Breaking the Bank or Breaking the Bank video. Once we eliminate all so many political cheapshots now being fired by extremist Republicans, bottom line, our leaders who did something deserve great praise for averting disaster.

Fortunately George Jr did absolutely nothing - therefore did not make things worse. Oh, he did go outside to make 20 second statements to the press about how our economy was sound. But everyone - even Republicans - acknowledged he had no idea what was happening let alone know what to do. George Jr was the classic example of an extremist who created these problems and could only make things worse.

More of the double standard by the Obama administration....

Remember the outcry, which continues, about the people from the energy industry coming to the White House and supposedly meeting with Cheney et. al.?

Where is the transparency everyone likes to spout off about?

Where are the protests?


continues:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,7434392.story

Another great view:

continues:

http://clivecrook.theatlantic.com/ar...cide_march.php

ummmm, what happened to the transparency?

IMO, anyone who is involved in helping make policy, ESPECIALLY IF THEY BENEFIT FROM IT, should be open to public scrutiny and their names should ALL be disclosed.

Oh no! You find this to be a "great view"?

But its based on polls:

Obama is falling out not with them but with the party's moderates. ...Obama remains well-liked overall, but his support among independents is slipping, and his policies are less popular than he is...

And we know that polls are worthless and have no validity, because you said so repeatedly!

Or perhaps, that only applies when you dont like the polls.

The poll emphasis is minor in this Op-Ed bit. I enjoyed his insight and opinion into what the Demoncrats are doing in Congress.


See it is not about the polls themselves but how they are twisted and inaccurate from the outset. :D

Merc..you continually crack me up with your dodging and weaving.

You don't believe me? Polls are worthless.

Perhaps you should tell that to Clive Crook, whose insight and opinion you like, but who was compelled to link and cite David Brooks op ed, that was all about polls, in order to make his point.

Waiting for the "whatever" defense.

Maybe you missed it.

The poll emphasis is minor in this Op-Ed bit. I enjoyed his insight and opinion into what the Demoncrats are doing in Congress.

See it is not about the polls themselves but how they are twisted and inaccurate from the outset.

I love it. "Hello Kettle, meet Pot."

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gla...ut-allowing-ti

:lol:

Obama has had numerous WH meetings (and a few on the Hill) where Republican leaders were invited to participate. It might even be fair to say that Republicans have been invited to WH meetings more in the first six months of the Obama administration than Democrats in eight years of the Bush administration (no, I dont have a link..just a gut assement).

It seems to me the health reform proposals have been subject to a quite of bit of debate in the various committees to-date...and numerous opportunities for the Republicans to offer amendments...and is likely to continue into the fall.

The Senate Health and Labor Committee took up every amendment offered by the Republicans...same is happening in the Finance Committee, along with a likely bi-partisan proposal to emerge from that committee....and on the House side, the rules will allow more amendments than the Republican-controlled House, under the Hastert rule, ever allowed the Democrats to offer. The best (or worst) example, if you really want to look back, was the Republican medicare prescription drugs legislation...where Tom Delay actually bribed a Republican House member right on the floor during the vote...after extending the voting time beyond the allowable time in order to ensure passage.

Just the facts :)

I doubt that seriously. So it is most likely bs...

Opinion, not based in fact. The Demoncrats control all the committees.

Not important, the Dems are in charge.

When I have time, I will search out the number of Bush WH meetings with Dems in eight years. They were scarce and I can count at least 5-6 meetings that Obama had with Republicans in six months.


Its not an opinion that the Republicans have had numerous opportunities to have their amendments presented in committee...its a fact and its a fact that the Republicans will have the opportunity present amendments on the floor.

Of course the Democrats control all committees and ultimately, the final outcome...it's called majority rule.

And the first thing Pelosi did was end the Hastert rule...a fact.

I get it....the majority party has more influence on shaping legislation and you find something wrong with that because you dont like the party in power.

I get if further...the only opinions that are valid to you are the ones from partisan right wing editorial writers and bloggers...a double standard?

They control all the committees that the Republicans are also members of. There are Republican ammendments on the bills. So, even knowing that it is unlikely that any Republicans will vote for the bill, they are letting the Republicans help shape it.

I have no problem with the Majority rule. And for you to defend the practices of that scumbag Pelosi states much about how you see the world in your rose colored glasses. She has Rahmrodded the legislation through with very little input from Republickins. She promised change and nothing has changed. The Demoncrats are no better then when the other party was in charge.

People talk about using scare tactics to get things done?!?! In an effort to ram her bill through Congress she said this:
It was total BS. And on top of that no one could read the damm thing it was so long and filled with pork.

After the vote on the bill:
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articl...5325205_01.txt

Great so where are all the jobs?

You must still work for the Demoncratic Party right?

Token shaping. Very little input on the more important bills to come out since Jan.

I dont defend all of Pelosi's actions but it is a fact that the minority party in the House has more rights now than under the Hastert rule...compare the House rules.

In case you dont understand what the Hastert rule was, it required support of the "majority of the majority" (ie a majority of Republicans at the time) in order for an amendment to even be considered.

Pelosi's first action as Speaker was to end that rule. The Republicans have had opportunities to offer amendments on every piece of legislation to reach the floor of the House....a fact.

The practical result of the end of the Hastert rule? Here is one example from last year. The FISA reform enacted would NEVER have passed if Pelosi had kept the Hastert rule in place because it NEVER had a "majority of the majority" (Democrats) support . As a result of the no-Hastert rule, a bi-partisan bill passed.

Most objective observers recognize that the recovery bill projections are for an 18 month - 2 year time span.

Don't you think the "Demon"izing is little childish?