Obama, what has he done for you??
 

I see the whining of some of you because the majority of America has turned its back on the Democratic Party under the leadership of President Obama.

I ask you, what has Obama done for you? Are you better off under his administration??

Yes. I'm unemployed (through no fault of this administration, the fault of my industry, so don't go there) but am able to afford MY OWN health insurance that I really need. Continuous care and medication that I need and am covered for even though pre-existing conditions. Without this care I'd probably be dead.

And I'm not making the taxpayers pay for my medical care by running to the hospital every time something happens like some folks I know.

And there are jobs that maybe aren't what I'm used to doing but i can damn sure work in this economy. When I want to, I will. (benefits of having saved money.)

So, yeah. Trying to figure out what the repubs have done for us common folk. I'll get back to you on that one.

You mean the single digit percentage of swing voters in a third of the states which were mostly red already who were slightly more motivated to actually show up at their polling place?

By quite a bit. I started my investment portfolio after Bush left.

So I suppose I could give some credit to Bush for tanking the economy, so I could buy stocks cheap.

Sarge - tell me, what would a republican president do for you?

Well, he shit on my country...

Yes, sweet Sarge, yes. Obamacare means that I can get health insurance with my new job IN SPITE OF THE FACT that I had a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2012. Never mind that I came through surgery and chemo like a winner, and have no further problems now, no evidence of any disease ... under the REPUBLICAN plan, insurance companies would be free to refuse me health coverage for the next 25 years ... as they have to many others in my situation in the past.

I see young people for pre-placement physicals every day, people who would never qualify for health insurance if the Republicans had their way. Young people who are healthy and willing to work, and who happen to have the odd medical condition like psoriasis, or childhood asthma with no current symptoms, or a diagnosis of cancer in the past with no recurrence.

None of these things are anyone's fault, and they should be covered by health insurance. I will always vote for a party or plan that intends to provide coverage for the slings and arrows that life deals us.

Right, I had a pre-existing condition when I got insurance last month and never even gave it a moment's thought.


But it's almost like the country wants the pendulum swing; today we'll focus on this side's issues, and next time we'll give the other side their issues. And all the while, two-thirds of our time will be spent criticizing, no matter who's in office. We can't have term limits, at least we'll have the never-ending swing. Could there be a country wisdom in it?

That's so easy to say, Grav. Now do me a favor, and explain specifics why you feel that way.

Remember, Sarge, half the US's IQ is less than average. Those, coupled with some gullible smart people and some greedy, callous, selfish, rich people, get you a majority.

The difference between you and me is that I care what it's done for others. I didn't really need help, and don't expect help, but I see that others, like you, Infi, Ortho, do. Obama expanded the care that veterans receive, after the repubicans cut funding for you.

Obama would have done much more if the repubicans had not cock blocked him at every turn. How much can a party really want to do what's best for Americans when the first thing McConnell said after the election was (to perephrase) "Our goal is to make Obama a one-term president?"

The thing that drives me absolutely NUTS is when people complain about how the economy is NOW and blame Obama. And when you dare to remind them that the problems were created by Bush, EVERY SINGLE ONE will respond with "Stop blaming Bush! He's been out of office for 6 years!!!". SO THE FUCK WHAT?!!! My reply is: "Hitler died in 1945. Should we stop blaming him for WWII and the concentration camp deaths?"

Obama hasn't done a lot for me personally that I can directly point to, but there is this:

Under Obamacare, insurance companies can only take 10% of the money they collect in premiums and use it for administration and profit. They must spend at least 90% of what they collect on actual patient healthcare. If they don't, they are required to give refunds to their customers for the difference. Each of the last three years under Obamacare, my insurance company has given me a partial refund of my insurance premium because they didn't meet that 90% requirement. It's never a lot of money, but I love it that Obama is keeping them honest.

The thing is, the economy is doing well. Unemployment is not as low as we'd like, and wages aren't as high as we'd like, but it's the repubican philosophy that's causing it. Corporations are maintaining huge cash reserves. They're not hiring because demand is not increasing. Demand is not increasing because wages are low. :facepalm:

Otherwise, the Stock market is up, GDP is up, exports are up, inflation is below 2%, what more do you want that the POTUS can be blamed for not providing?

I know. But no matter how much proof you show them, they just ignore it and stick to their script. I had one twitter war yesterday with some knuckle-dragging she-ape because I posted how the GOP blocked the vote for equal pay for women in April. When I posted a link to the NYTimes from April 2014, she replied "LOL THAT article is from April! LOL THAT'S your proof?!! LOL. No matter how many times I pointed out it was FROM April because it HAPPENED in April, she just ignored it and kept to her script. It's like GOP stands for Gone Off Point.

Why do people stick to their vast oversimplification every time? It would be much simpler if they agreed with *my* vast oversimplification.

Wrong. My vast oversimplification is not only vaster than yours, it's simpler!

I'm not into vast oversimplifications.;)

I just feel like my country, here at home, and perceptions abroad, is not nearly the country we were before Obama took office.

I truly believe it was his intention from the getgo to make America less.

I also believe it will take at least a generation to undo what he's done.

That's just how I feel.

Righties often call the left unpatriotic, but if the country you love could be squashed so hard by a single President in a few short years, how is that not unpatriotic? Isn't that saying it wasn't much of a country to begin with?


I love sitting here in the middle where I can take potshots at everyone...

But why? Why would he intend to do that? What possible reason could he have for wanting to diminish the nation he is president of? That makes no sense at all. Whatsoever. On any level.

Your play is better than mine. I just shake my head at the self-delusion. Oh wait, that's a potshot! Winner winner chicken dinner.

Because half the world was pissed off about Iraq and Afghanistan, he tried to back the country out of bully mode. That way we wouldn't have to watch our back as hard, and could actually broker peace in hot spots. But the right wing, kill-'em-all-and-let-God-sort-'em-out crowd resents that.

I see a recurring thread on here about health care and Obama's not responsible for the economy My, my.

In regard to the Affordable Health Care, it has created a nightmare in my area. Many jobs have become part-time to skirt the health insurance benefits. I know a lot of people who have ended up having to pay more for health insurance. Plus, my son is a Medicaid Eligibility Specialist. He sees large numbers of people who had health care from work, but are now forced to purchase their own or go on Medicaid. Many lower middle class and working class families can't afford the insurance but make too much for Medicaid.

Obama is not responsible for the economy? He's only been president for 6 years during which the Democrats controlled the Senate and for awhile the House. We have the highest national debt ever. Remember when he called Bush un-american for having a 5.4 trillion debt during his 8 years? What is the debt now? I wish all of you would truthfully ask yourselves would you have cut a Republican president this much slack??

"We have the highest national debt ever."

You could have said that at any time in the last 30 years and that would have been true, and if we get a Republican president next term you will also be able to say that then too. The debt only grows.

Maybe you mean deficit, and not debt.

Two things impact the deficit. Revenues and spending. When the economy tanked (under Bush, if you are going to take the position that presidents are to blame) tax revenues went down and so the deficit increased. Obama initially pushed a stimulus package through, but then he stopped the spending increases. It's been 5-6 years that Obama has held spending down. It's the lack of huge tax revenues that is driving the deficit. And if you have been paying attention, the deficit is shrinking because the economy is slowly improving.

Yes, I did say the American public has sent a message on it's approval for the Democratic Party. I guess the public does not reflect the liberalism so many in the Cellar demonstrate.

Mississippi is right on the bottom, (50) because your Governor refused federal money to help those very people you're talking about.

Mississippi also ranked last or next to last in...
Economy > Median Family Income
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Advanced > Grade 8 Math
Education > Percent of People Who Have Completed High School (Including Equivalency)
Health > Oral health > Visits to the dentist
Lifestyle > Best States to Live
Transportation > Public Transportation > Federal funding, 1995 (per capita)
Transportation > Seat Belt Use
Economy > Personal income (per capita)
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Advanced > Grade 4 Math
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Proficient > Grade 8 Writing
Education > Best Educated Index
Health > Health Index
Health > Physical exercise
Housing > Median Housing Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units
People > Sex Ratio
I don't think you can blame the federal officials for all those problems, best get your own house in order.

Oh Bruce thinks little ole' me can rush in and save the State of Mississippi after it was destroyed by repressive Democrat regimes? I thought y'all yankees came down here and saved everything in the 1960's.

I'm so glad Obama has turned our economy around. Who knows where we would be without him. Through his guiding hand we are ranked 12th and falling in the index of economic freedom. Bush is responsible for our economy? Hmm, I thought Obama was at the helm when our country was downgraded.

I was speaking about our national debt earlier. I'm concerned about the spiraling debt under this administration. As I said before, Obama denounced Bush as un-american for having a 5.2 trillion debt. I wonder what that makes the POTUS??

Interesting read: http://wolfstreet.com/2014/10/05/dwi...n-fiscal-2014/

When it comes to the Federal deficit, reliable numbers are as elusive as unicorns. Not that there aren’t plenty of numbers out there, but they don’t match reality. And reality is ultimately the change in the gross national debt which shows in its unvarnished manner just how much money the federal government actually had to borrow to fill the fiscal holes.

Regardless of what has been proffered by the White House, the Congressional Budget Office, and others, the total gross national debt outstanding of the US of A hit $17.824 trillion in fiscal 2014 ended September 30. A jump for the fiscal year of $1.086 trillion.

It could have been worse: note how it jumped on October 1, the first day of fiscal 2015, by another $51 billion. That’s certainly one elegant way of putting some lipstick on the debt in fiscal 2014 – by kicking part of it into the next fiscal year. But hey, we all do that. From the Treasury Department:

US-gross-national-debt-jumps-51billion-1st-day-fiscal-2015

The fact that the total debt taxpayers will have to deal with in the future soared by $1.1 trillion in fiscal 2014 is in part due to last year’s debt ceiling charade in Congress.

Starting in March 2013, when Treasury debt outstanding hit the debt ceiling, the Treasury Department couldn’t sell additional debt to bring in the money that the government continued to spend. So it borrowed that money via “extraordinary measures” from other accounts, to be repaid later. Then on October 16 last year, so in fiscal 2014, President Obama signed a deal into law that avoided default. The next day, the gross national debt jumped $328 billion to $17.075 trillion.

Most of the $328 billion should have fallen into fiscal 2013. If subtracted from the $1.086 trillion by which the debt ballooned in fiscal 2014, it reduces the increase in the debt to $758 billion.

The chart below summarizes the glorious fiscal condition of the US over the years. Note the exponential increase since 2001, after four fiscal years of so-called “surpluses.” In quotes because these “surpluses” between 1998 and 2001 that at one point exceeded 2% of GDP should have brought down the gross national debt by the amounts of the surpluses. But not these “surpluses!” The debt increased in every one of those four years, in total by $394 billion. That’s how much real money it took to cover these government accounting “surpluses.”

Since 2002, the US government borrowed $12 trillion, or two-thirds of the total debt outstanding! Since 2008, the government borrowed $8.8 trillion, or about half of the total debt outstanding, at an average rate of $1.26 trillion per year. Come to think of it, not all that much as changed in fiscal 2014.

US-Gross-National-Debt-1972-2014

The Fed has been the enabler. After years of QE, it currently owns $2.45 trillion or 14% of the gross national debt, in addition to a couple of trillion in other securities. The Fed’s asset purchase binge with newly printed money allowed the US government to go on a borrowing spree and blow this money. There have been some big beneficiaries: Wall Street, the corporate elite, Warren Buffett in particular through the bailout of this financial and insurance empire, the military and intelligence complex, and others. And there have been millions of small beneficiaries: people receiving federal subsidies of some sort. But for the economy, which is going to have to pay for this debt one way (taxes) or the other (inflation), it has been a slog.

How fast will the debt balloon from here? The Congressional Budget Office has its own ideas. Relentlessly over-optimistic, it never sees any recessions in the future, nor further bailouts and similar shenanigans that Congress may inflict on taxpayers. In its annual update in the spring, it figured that the budget deficit for fiscal 2014 would be $492 billion. In reality, the US borrowed 121% more than that to cover the fiscal deficit. Even if we subtract the $328 billion from the total to lower the debt increase to $758 billion, the US still borrowed 52% more than CBO’s deficit projection.

Even based on these iffy numbers by the CBO, the deficit is expected to decline only for fiscal 2015 and 2016, with the total debt rising at a slower rate than in recent years. That assumes that the next recession won’t wreak its havoc. That’s the good part in those projections. But then, the deficit will rise again, and the debt will pile on even faster.

But heck, that’s government accounting. Corporate accounting is similar. It’s a mix of revelation and obfuscation. In the end, real money is spent on real expenses, and if real receipts don’t suffice to pay for them, the government borrows real money. It all coagulates in the moment of truth: changes in the gross national debt. And if history is any guide, the national debt will increase far faster than the rosy projections by the CBO.

Of the 206 million eligible voters, 70 million are not registered. Then 63% of the registered voters stayed home, or pushed the "fuck you" button.
So the Republicans got a little over half about 54 million votes cast. That's the "American public" you speak of? Have some more Kool-Aid.

It ain't Yankees, and it ain't the party, it's Mississippians who have dragged the state into the gutter.
Congress makes the laws, collects and spends the money, and gets us downgraded. Guess you missed US Government class.

I think Obama improved our standing in the world. We're not perceived as that asshole bully anymore. If that was his intention, good for him. Fewer of our young people and less of our money are are being wasted in an unwinnable (at least through violence) cause.

That's not the ACA, that's a greedy, selfish business owner putting more money in his pocket at the expense of his fellow Americans. And what Bruce said - If your state had participated, they'd had more covered at lower expense.

“[Governor Phil] Bryant made it clear Mississippi would not participate, leaving 138,000 low-income residents, the majority of whom are black, with no insurance options at all. And while the politics of Obamacare became increasingly toxic, the state’s already financially strapped rural hospitals faced a new crisis from the law’s failure to take hold: They had been banking on newly insured patients to replace the federal support for hospitals serving the uninsured, which was set to taper off as people gained coverage. Now, instead of more people getting more care in Mississippi, in many cases, they would get less."

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/1...ng-states-poor

Oh and it looks like repubicans are continuing their racist behavior

Republicans don't want to raise taxes. Veterans need better care. Better care cost money.

Sarge, do you choose to not give better care to veterans, or do you go into debt to provide better care for veterans?

"In February Attorney General Eric Holder indicated in a press conference that the Obama Administration -- which favors physician-recommended access to medical cannabis -- would abate from what had been an aggressive law enforcement (and propaganda) campaign against medical access to cannabis."

Sheldon can marry the man of his dreams and be just as unhappily married as the rest of us. :eek:

He killed Bin Laden

Tsk, tsk so many trying to cast stones at one little state. My goodness all we need is Bruce & Spexxvet to mount their mighty chargers and come to the rescue. I had no idea you were responsible for the success of your own home states. Pray tell, please identify your state so we can all bask in the glory of the Democrats.

Obama killed Osama?? He was the number 1 in the stack & pulled the trigger?? A man with no military service who has ravaged our senior command? Now y'all must be snorting your koolaid. Osama was eliminated due to the efforts of the intelligence community that culminated with a tactical excision. I think Admiral McRaven was responsible for planning and executing the mission. Obama watched a computer screen.

Maybe you should consider the Obama administration vetted commander of the Inter-Services Intelligence knew Osama's location and withheld the information. The 9/11 events and War on Terror lay at the feet of President Clinton. He withheld the permission to eliminate bin Laden when he was was successfully targeted at the end of his administration.

Our Glorious Leader has saved the economy and the unemployment rate is shrinking. Wait a minute, we might need to check that.

Here is the stunning statistic on the economy that tells the whole story about why we aren’t growing faster. Since Barack Obama entered the Oval Office in January of 2009,the percentage of the working age population actually part of the labor force (either working or looking for work) has plummeted by 3 percentage points – to 62.7%. Not since early 1978 has such a low proportion of the working-age population been in the labor force. In effect, the labor force is 7.4 million smaller than it otherwise would have been had people either not stopped looking for work or, particularly with the case of younger Americans, simply failed to start looking for work. In effect, nearly as many Americans have either left the work force – or never entered — in this recovery than have found a job. That’s a very distressing trend. It also explains the big dive in the official unemployment rate to 5.9%.

Maybe we should check some of Glorious Leader's accomplishments a little closer. http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevemoo...e-found-a-job/

McRaven needs to close some blabby mouths, like he said he was gonna. Seals shouldn't be giving details of seal raids.

The number 1 in the stack missed, the number 2 aced Osama according to No. 2 and corroborating witnesses.

Meh, they told Delta Force operators to be humble and keep everything to themselves only to have the retired CO write a book and market the rights to a movie. Trade secrets are one thing; but, the majority of what happened doesn't need to remain classified until the Admiral gets around to releasing HIS book. He's just upset because he can't while still on active duty whereas others who left the military can.

Nobody's casting stones, just showing you why you blaming Obama and the Affordable Care Act for the troubles of all those Mississippians is wrong. Their woes, which go way beyond health insurance, are generated by the politicians in Jackson.

Sexobon - It has now come into question as to whether the first in stack hit Osama with one of his 2 rounds that were fired. The #2 followed with a round to the head upon entry into the bedroom. Seals are arguing whether he was already dead and which one of the operators was in the second position.

Personally, I feel the members of the mission and roles they played should remain classified. I don't understand how any of this has been released. These men had TS/SCI with dual scope, a read on for Gamma and others. Upon transfer of station, they are required to be read off and sign an NDA. If any of us had opened our mouths on our target packages, we'd probably be playing dress up with Little Miss Chelsea Manning. This whole shit storm started because the White House wanted to play look what I did with Hollywood.

It's not hard for those who weren't in the military; or, are no longer in the military to get away with it. An NDA won't put anyone behind bars. This was covered in a previous discussion about Snowden:

Can you imagine the political fallout if the government tried to criminally prosecute the Seals who got bin Laden. Sue them, maybe.

Right, now we're perceived as disloyal and untrustworthy. Some improvement.
:runaway:

By whom?

This is why I love Marines. They don't look for glory, they have it within themselves. Marines just ARE.

They're not running around trying to remind us of everything they've done for us. They don't look for glory in their actions. They know it. We know it. The few, the proud...there's a lot to be said for that.

I'm not negating what the SEALS did. I'm just sayin'...

Semper Fidelis

Obama killed Bin Laden just as much as he's responsible for the economy, unless you have a double standard.

Sarg, how about answering the question?
The government has used the same measurement for unemployment for a long time. The Cellar discussed this same argument during the bush administration, IIRC. I can't find the thread, though.

I disagree. The Commander in Chief has direct control of the military, so he can order an operation like the Bin Laden one, and it will be carried out.

Fixing the economy requires herding the cats in Congress to pass stimulus packages and other fiscal policy laws. He can do a little by executive order, but mostly relies on Congress. And the Tea Party at the time was all about cutting government spending and sequestering and furloughing the government workers. They were doing anti-stimulus stuff.

They aren't remotely equal.

One he has direct control over, and the other requires cooperation with Congress.

If this gets deranged in the middle it's because I'm trying to post from my phone. Next to impossible to go back and correct.

What Obama gave me was what the Cellar does. Faith and hope in Americans and the fact you're not just paying lip service to that poor old bit of paper that has been used and misused and callen to excuse some sorry shit but also some wonders of the world besides.

Be proud. Be American. The rest of of don't always get you. But you elected a mixed heritage man, with a middle name which is suspect in your country. Don't be short term. The rest of the world maybe doesn't hold you in as high esteem as you think but that applies to every continent, country, principalities, capital, etc etc

From a foreigner's pov Obama seems about all Americans being equal. And yes, I am an admitted (again and again) bleeding heart liberal. I think he is bringing the US into line with European thinking and ideals. And yes of course I think that's good.

If you don't, it's your country. I wouldn't want anyone from outside to change orld and you really are. But only when you say Sains

Crap. I typed out a long response and outlined how the current administration had affected me personally. I posted it and the Cellar ate it!

Fuck. Hate when that happens!

I blame Obama.

I do favor an overhaul of the VA and a general reduction in benefits. This is what I would like to see.

Elimination of the Post 9/11 education benefit. The Montgomery GI Bill and the Veteran's Re-education Program is more than sufficient.

No medical services for non-rated veterans. If you do not have a service connected disability, you are not covered.

Elimination of VA hospitals. Disabled veterans would receive a voucher that would enable them to have local care providers of their choice. Also the voucher would permit the use of local pharmacies.

I think you get the picture.

Single payer health coverage covers it.

I think there are merits to the single payer health cover.

How difficult would it be to prove an injury was service related? I'm thinking of cancers that may or may not be related to Agent Orange or depleted uranium shells.

It took an acquaintance of mine about 30 years to get his diabetes recognized as being agent orange related.

I'm dropping the Freedom Hills vernacular and the rabid quotes of the conspiracy theory groups. This is my attempt to explain why I am displeased by the current administration.

1. My income is app a third of what it was 4 years ago. I went through a horrible period of nothing at all until the Wounded Warrior Project and the office of Rep Nunnley intervened with the VA.

2. The cost of insurance for Addie more than doubled this year. I had to drop it. Can't afford it.

3. Under Bush, I received above average medical care, meds sent to me always on time, and a dedicated group of care givers. Under Obama I have waits up to 6 months for appointments, my meds are routinely late for up to 10 days, and I never see the same care provider. I haven't been able to see a dentist to fix missing crowns and broken teeth since 2010.

4. I have to seek permission to use my education benefits under Obama. I never have the same education benefit adviser when I call. Under Obama, I can't transfer my education benefits to my children. Bryanna was forced out of school when I could no longer pay her tuition.

5. I applied for Social Security benefits in 2012. I am still awaiting my hearing. I am frustrated by minority and special circumstance individuals being front loaded.

6. Race relations have plummeted. Obama has made statements that unnecessarily added to the turmoil. I live in a town where whites are a minority. I'm a member of the NAACP. It makes me sick when I hear our local chapter calling for the replacement of government officials based only on race.

7. The shortages of reloading components and ammunition was caused by the massive purchases of Homeland Security drying up the market. At one point, more ammo was purchased by Homeland Security than the Marines. Local law enforcement agencies had to halt firearms training because of the shortage. This may seem like nothing to you, but in my area hunting supplies a lot of meat for families during the winter. No ammo, no meat.

That's my feelings.

Does anyone even attempt to understand my frustrations??

I think your frustrations stem not from what's happening, but being clueless as to the causes.

Dana - You have to resort to clips from a liberal comedy show based upon political farce to express your views?

Bruce - So if I was as "informed" as you, all my problems would disappear?

No. I think I express my views often in here, on a number of issues, often at great length.

I saw that clip and thought of this thread.

Exactly, Bruce. Sarge, you have the internet. Google and find the facts. You'll find that it's the republicans who are trying to cut spending - on EVERYTHING. That includes Veterans benefits, and Medicatre/Social Security (which they'd like to eliminate entirely).

Sarge, how can you accuse Democrats of spending too much, and then accuse them of cutting spending.


GET THE FACTS, DOUBLE CHECK YOUR FINDINGS.

Sarge, don't dismiss the message because of the messenger. Do you deny that the point is valid, regardless of the source?

No, Sarge - voting in a Democratic House, Senate, and POTUS will.