Recently in Recession News Category

Gustavo Arellano on the importance of supporting Mexican trade crafts, especially in this time of recession and narco wars down there.

I'm sure a pack of nativist bastards will attack him for the article, but it's a good sentiment, as well as good for the folks who work hard and are having a hard time gaining any benefit from it.

Even Bloomberg News knows that Republicans are two-faced lying hypocrites when it comes to Recovery Act money.

I mean, hell, if Bloomberg isn't shy about reporting about Rethugs sucking at the stimulus teat, that must mean it's real. Right?

Here's a nice video concerning the hypocrites the GOP are full of. They damn near all voted against the Recovery Act and yet fight like mad to get money and then claim credit for it.

Bastards.

Over at the DCCC, they have the Hypocrisy Hall of Fame, listing the top Rethug House hypocrites.

Bob evaluates the success of the Recovery Act, as well as the horrible marketing campaign that should be informing Americans of the good their government is doing.

We as a national have done better in the stock market:

...in job creation:

...GDP growth:

...and in legislative achievement:

The New York Times figures that 1.6 million jobs have been created by the stimulus. Here is more on their reporting plus their sidebar graph info:

From my driving around from California to Colorado to Illinois, I've seen plenty of work being done. It isn't a boondoggle. It isn't waster (except for maybe some of the work here in Vegas but that's a local - re:GOP - choice). Perfectly deployed and explained? No. But a damn sight better than the sitting on our hands Hooverite approach the Rethugs suggested? Hell yeah!

So basically you've got the GOP against jobs and growth. Also in this is the reality that the GOP voted against 25 different tax cuts. Yep, they are even voting against things they say they are for when Democrats propose them.

The stupidity and lies continue from the tea baggers.

A glimpse of how bad things are in California. Glitzy, wealthy, opulent buildings and a completely broke state government.

In short, there are a lot things that need fixed in the old Bear Republic, but I'm not sure that is an easy fix by anyone's imagining.

How does one correct someone who is on your side but has bouts of straying like President Obama? Offer constructive criticism, rather than throwing his clothes on the lawn, for one. You've got a perfectly good right to bitch as well as moan about things, but the equivalent of crying "fire" in a crowded theater just makes for a crappy moviegoing experience.

Barack Obama is the center-left, charismatic politician he has been for most of his life in the public. There are numerous issues on which he should be much more progressive, not just for the overall fortunes of the progressive movement, but for the future strength of the country. But we won't get there if every perceived misstep (especially one based on a less than clear story that is slowly being filled in) is greeted as if he kicked a puppy in the teeth. We shouldn't help a media environment that already favors Democratic politicians wagging their finger at the base, nor should we allow Democratic pols to get away with conservative nonsense.

Measure pols like Obama on their words and hold them to high standards, but don't profess anger at them for not holding up to a caricature you dreamily doodled in your Trapper Keeper.

Good, strong, honest, and thoughtful words from Oliver Willis.

I tend to agree with the premise. The downside of being a liberal is that you have to associate with really, really progressive liberals. They eat their young just as quickly as rabid, racist teabagger types...just for different justifications, if not reasons.

Look, overturning Don't Ask, Don't Tell is important. Just not as important to as many people as, say, reforming health care. Also, Obama isn't a liberal. If you believe this, you are as stupid as the Dittoheads who fervently believe this. No, you are actually MORE stupid than those morons. They at least have the excuse of not thinking. You probably don't.

Point is, the concept of even considering to object to EVERYTHING Obama does reactively is just as inane coming from a Rethug or a Progressive. Stop. Think. Wait for the details. Think some more. If it still offends you, fine, take a stance.

That said, I'm not a fan of the budget freeze thing, but more of from a historical 1937 perspective than some "he's taking pages from the McCain handbook!" kind of crazy. I just think it's a bad idea. Hell, if both Bob Reich and Paul Krugman are against it, it might not be that hot of a plan.

Food stamp use is up and has become more acceptable.

And yet conservatives rail against "socialism" whilst their followers rely on government assistance to put food on the table. Pathetic.

I've had this link laying around for months and forgot to post it (mostly because our firewall blocked every kind of video for awhile). I was thinking of it again when reading that the city of Detroit has something like 50% unemployment.

I mean, I like Kid Rock, I think he's a musical genius, but there's no way in hell he's going to fix that.

"I can't take responsibility for the legacy of crises you bequeathed the country...."

The "worst financial crisis in generations" happened after "almost a decade, certainly eight years, of basic neglect of basic public goods, in health care, in education, in public infrastructure, in how we use energy."

Tim Geithner, say what you will about him, seems to have had enough of Republicans acting like this shit economy isn't a direct result of their stupidity.

Yes, he's a tool of big money and I truly wish someone else had his job, but he's right on this one.

Check out some of the vid of this early in this clip:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

(W)e were forced to take those steps largely without the help of an opposition party which, unfortunately, after having presided over the decision-making that led to the crisis, decided to hand it over to others to solve.

- President Obama, calling out Republicans for creating the mess they are yelling at him for trying to fix

More please. The President gave a speech on the economy and what he hopes to do to help it along. In it, he acknowledged - finally - that Republicans have done nothing but try to obstruct anything he tries to do to fix their screwups.

Seriously, until they start playing a part in fixing the country they broke, call them out on it. They weren't going to support you anyway.

A frightening look at the job losses incurred during the Bush Recession, by both time and location.

Ironically, and somewhat pathetically, the states who are seeing the most new jobs from stimulus money are the states that voted against Barack Obama.

I mean, yeah, they are Americans and all, but most of those jackoffs would never thank the president for putting food on their table. And that's the pathetic part.

Time is focusing on the death of Detroit and hoping to find stories of rebirth as well.

They even include some really, really depressing photos.

I heard about the project on Here and Now today so check out the interview.

As a bonus, ESPN is carrying a story on the Tigers making it to the playoffs and that is inspiring their fans to hope for better things, as sports at it's best will do.

More wisdom from Robert Reich. This time he ponders the hypocrisy of Wall Street decrying "socialism" while getting rich off of it, while the rest of the country still faces real issues that remain unaddressed.

Surprise! Between George Jr. and the recession, we have a lot more families living in poverty these days.

Strangely you'll notice most of the states with the hugest margins of the poor being those represented by right wing idiots.

Merely an observation.