Obama - I Didn't Say What I Said, And Anyway, I Meant The Opposite

Who are you going to believe, Obama or your lying ears? Obama has a new ad out "explaining" his infamous "You didn't build that" Kinsley gaffe:

"Those ads taking my words about small business out of context - they're flat out wrong," the president says in the 31-second pitch. "Of course Americans build their own businesses. Every day, hard-working people sacrifice to meet a payroll, create jobs and make our economy run."

"And what I said was that we need to stand behind them, as America always has, by investing in education and training, roads and bridges research and technology," he says. "I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message because I believe we're all in this together."

Stand behind small business? I think Obama means, kneel behind small business and wait for someone to deliver a push, so that money falls out of their pockets on the way down.

Let's have a bit more of that "stand behind" context:

But you know what, I’m not going to see us gut the investments that grow our economy to give tax breaks to me or Mr. Romney or folks who don’t need them.  So I’m going to reduce the deficit in a balanced way.  We’ve already made a trillion dollars’ worth of cuts.  We can make another trillion or trillion-two, and what we then do is ask for the wealthy to pay a little bit more.  (Applause.)  And, by the way, we’ve tried that before -- a guy named Bill Clinton did it.  We created 23 million new jobs, turned a deficit into a surplus, and rich people did just fine.  We created a lot of millionaires.

     There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me -- because they want to give something back.  They know they didn’t -- look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own.  You didn’t get there on your own.  I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart.  There are a lot of smart people out there.  It must be because I worked harder than everybody else.  Let me tell you something -- there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.  (Applause.)

     If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help.  There was a great teacher somewhere in your life.  Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive.  Somebody invested in roads and bridges.  If you’ve got a business -- you didn’t build that.  Somebody else made that happen.  The Internet didn’t get invented on its own.  Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet.

So Obama is going to "stand behind" these small businesses while waiting for them to "give something back", as if they are not already paying taxes?  Sounds like he intends to pick their pockets.

MEANWHILE, OVER AT THE NEWS OUTLET FORMERLY KNOWN AS MSNBC:

I thought he meant standing behind the small business owner and telling him to . . . lean forward.

Of course I am stealing that.

Comments

[GMAX]

Who knew that Lewis Carroll was just predicting the future? "words only mean what we want them to mean, nothing more and nothing less."

[Danube of Thought]

Oh, shut up. Just shut up.

[GMAX]

Sounds like he intends to pick their pockets.

Well if we just fire him a couple months early, he can go work London during the Olympics, all the pickpockets are doing it. Its all the rage.

[rse]

As I mentioned yesterday, this commercial is inconsistent with Obama's express adoption of an Industrial Policy approach to the economy redesigned around Green Energy and requiring a shift away from fossil fuels. It is seen over and over again in what he has the National Research Council pumping out in paper after paper.

No one who adopts policies that exlicitly reject free market principles or distinctions between the public and private sector can turn around and pretend to be a fan of small business.

His policies and research funding priorities center around a politically connected Corporatist economy. He wants to rule by decree and executive order and holler "Look Squirrel!" to divert attention when anyone gets too close to recognizing what is really going on.

Or when it is politically incendiary like the "You didn't build that" remark.

[Jim Ryan]

When are capitalists going to be forced to give back the surplus value reaped from the workers' labor?

[Melinda Romanoff]

He's standing behind 'em all right. Mumbling something about it being a stick up.

[Extraneus]

"I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message because I believe we're all in this together."

Keep paddling, Barry.

[naryrose]

Obama has come full circle from his Joe the Plumber remarks four years ago. His"spread the wealth around" belief is shining through in this new utterance. The problem is- no sane person is buying. Ergo :registration of dead people and animals in Virginia. I think the Trioka has figured out that without fraud -they will lose,. Similar to Kennedy in 1960.

[hit and run]

TM:
Stand behind small business? I think Obama means, kneel behind small business and wait for someone to deliver a push, so that money falls out of their pockets on the way down.

I thought he meant standing behind the small business owner and telling him to . . . lean forward.

[centralcal]

naryrose - did ya change your name?

Oh, here is a quick little instant REPLAY via American Crossroads that is quite good.

[Rick Ballard]

DoT,

I like hearing "those aren't the words you heard coming out of my mouth". I believe the Pinhead Troika decision to buy a bigger megaphone so more people can hear Red Obama speak through shoe leather shows a superb mastery of the science of politics (as practiced by Wile E Coyote).

[Porchlight]

Similar to Kennedy in 1960.

Let's hope it isn't that close.

[henry]

When are the govt unions going to give back the surplus value reaped from taxpayers?

[rse]

Melinda-what was on cnbc?

Working until a few minutes ago when I took a break to come search out current activities of what I was reading. This tracking through co-authors is working well because they are even less careful in their declarations.

[hit and run]

"I'm Barack Obama and I approve this message because I believe we're all in this together."

Up to our necks.

[narciso]

That reminds of the classic Woody Allen film 'Take the Money and Run' when he tries to rob
the bank, but the tellers can't read the note.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Sandy Weill on with a woman who was touting the corporate tie-ins to Common Core and it's success. Never seen her before but she was steeped in the "deep belief" in "the system".

[maryrose]

narciso:
One of my favorie movies ever. I also like the fact that someone else is trying to rob the bank at the same time The "I have a gub" line is a classic.
Also I'm going on the record to say I'n not in it together with Obama in any way. shape or form.Though "nary a rose could smell as sweet" I am back to my old moniker and will try to avoid hitting the wrong key in the future. I'm embarassed to admit I am a hunt and peck typist.

[maryrose]

drat! should be I'm.

[Stephanie]

USA Women's Soccer is about to kick off in the Olympics on the NBC sports channel. Right now Costas is on but I believe the game starts at noon.

[Jim,MtnViewCA,USA]

1) Didn't see the link about VA Dems registering animals and dead people? Can someone post it? [Off topic: does this raise the avg IQ of Dem party or lower it?]
2) If you missed the tail end of last thread's comments, someone came up with a catchy phrase for Obama's current troubles--he's been SwiftQuoted.
Love it!
3) I'm seeing more dog-related stuff. LUN I guess some Dems are trying to raise the issue again.

[matt]

"I am Barack Obama and I don't understand this message"

[jimmyk]

" We’ve already made a trillion dollars’ worth of cuts."

I'd love to find the accountant that came up with that figure and have him do my income taxes.

[Jim,MtnViewCA,USA]

"We’ve already made a trillion dollars’ worth of cuts"

To paraphrase an old chestnut:
How to Make a $1T Worth of Cuts.
Step 1. Start with $2T worth of added spending...

[NK]

JimmyK-- "Trillion Dollars worth of cuts" exactly-- the shameless fraudulent "budget accounting" by 'Bam and Congressional Dems would even embarass Jon "Vaporize" Corzine and Bernie Made-Off with the money. "Stand Behind" small business?, yeah just like Jerry sandusky stood behind those little boys, or my annual physical with the internist putting on that latex glove and telling me to assume the position.

[rse]

Ah the corporate tie-ins. I made a picture of some of those involved with 21st century skills because everyone of the "advocates" was going to benefit directly from the government fiat of a monopoly position with our money.

And make it less likely anyone would be capable of the genuine innovation that might upset their current positions or the dirigisme.

What I am working on now is explicitly laying at what I had put together in that respect.

About 2 degrees of separation is all.

And I now see the Annenberg challenge differently. It's clear to me what bill and bo were hoping to accomplish and how it fits with what they are really doing with CC now.

[Janet]

Up to our necks.

"Well,I don't know about you, but they've run out of my money." ~ hit and run

[Extraneus]

I finally got around to watching the full video of the Roanoke remarks, and they're every bit as angry and smarmy and in-context as expected.

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/331298.php

According to Obama, collectivism is "how we built the middle class," too.

[Cecil Turner]

Well, this is the part of the speech that's actually most offensive

So I’m going to reduce the deficit in a balanced way. We’ve already made a trillion dollars’ worth of cuts. We can make another trillion or trillion-two, and what we then do is ask for the wealthy to pay a little bit more.

What bald-faced balderdash! In the first place, the "cuts" haven't been implemented, only promised. And there's still no clear picture of how they're going to be implemented:

“Despite this looming crisis, President Barack Obama and his administration have so far refused to level with the American people about the full impact of these defense cuts — though the cuts are due to take place in slightly more than five months. The White House has given conflicting reports on how the cuts will be implemented, and Congress’ requests for a clear outline of the administration’s plans are unanswered.”

In the second place, he's already proffered his spending priorities in his budget, which (shockingly) increased spending and decreased revenue over each of the next ten years. The CBO scored it:

CBO estimates that enactment of the President's proposals would have the following consequences for the budget: [. . .]
• In all, between 2013 and 2022, deficits would total $6.4 trillion (or 3.2 percent of total GDP projected for that period), $3.5 trillion more than the cumulative deficit in CBO's baseline.

[emphasis added, snips for brevity]

Not that we need to worry too much about the President's budget, as it has zero chance of being enacted. But if it were, the debt held by the public would be 3.7 trillion more over the next decade, not a trillion less. The contention that he's got some master plan to fix the federal deficit is beyond fantasyland . . . it's just plain lying.

[Janet]

"I am Barack Obama and I don't understand this message"

Excellent, matt!!! Too funny!

[Jim Ryan]

How much longer before PJ media has a page three girl every day? The sexy gal ad over there is a tell.

[Nagual]

Y'all said squat when Bush was running up the War Debt for the Middle Class while McBain fiddled his Billions to the Caymans.

Y'all said nothing. Now you are Magpies, chattering your shock at our current fiscal cluster.

IOKIYAR

[Theo]

Obama was exactly right when he said "Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive." It is true -- without the free enterprise system, the rule of law, private property rights and a strong national defense, no one could build a successful business here.
But the deeper question is just what has Obama done to help this "unbelievable American system that we have" continue to thrive? It seems to me that everything that he has done has been in one way or the other to undermine that system.

Frankly, I think it is silly to get into what he said or what he might have meant. His core point is true -- successful business depends on a strong free enterprise system, roads, bridges and all of that. But his record is big on infrastructure spending (at union rates in the districts of Democrats) and weak on actually supporting free enterprise.

[NK]

Roanoke "Didn't Build Speech"-- it was to an incredibly friendly crowd-- AAs and government workers (many were both)-- and it was sans TOTUS. In short, Roanoke was Bam being Bam in front of friends. So of course Bam said stick it to "the Man" and rape rich Whiteys with taxes-- that's been his pitch since Occidental College.

[Thomas Collins]

"I'm embarassed to admit I am a hunt and peck typist."

Don't be embarrassed, maryrose. I'm a hunter and pecker, too. Hunters and peckers rule, qwertys drool (except for JOM qwertys, who are just temporarily on the wrong key path)!

[Theo]

NK --

He is just used to talking to people who agree with the liberal worldview. I think the first "tell" was when he said that we could all agree that the Cambridge police acted stupidly. He honestly thought that that was not a statement that anyone could possibly disagree with.

[Jim Ryan]

His core point is true trivial.

FTFY

But seriously, has there been useful infrastructure spending on crumbling infrstructure or only make-work union-greasing infrastructure spending? What makes you say his record on infrastructure is good ("big")?

[Cecil Turner]

Yeah, the two are sooooo comparable. I mean, all that war debt was just huge compared to . . . what, wait, that's not quite right, is it?

[NK]

Theo@1218-- it is afactual to say 'Bam is big on 'infrastructure'. Only about 15% ($105B) of the Stimulus! in 2009 was for 'infrastructure' and much of that was for payoffs to left wing enviros for luxury waste management stuff. The vast majority of Stimulus! were payoffs to Dem constituents, the poor, State AFSCME workers, hospital unions etc. The only thing 'shovel ready' about Stimulus! was the BS Bam tossed around.

[matt]

So another AA Democrat legislator, this time from Virginia, called anyone who opposes Obama racist.

What does opposing Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Bill Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn and the Congressional Progressive Caucus make me?

[NK]

Theo-- as a complete Narcissist, Bam believes EVERYTHING he says is absolute truth and cannot be rationally disagreed with.

[Theo]

NK --

Let me clarify. Obama and the Democrats are always TALKING about "investments" when they mean "spending" and of course they do not highlight food stamps, welfare or government workers (other than police and fireifighters and maybe teachers) when they talk about "investments." They highlight roads and bridges and other infrastructure.

It is not that they do not spend money on infrastructure. They spend money on pretty much everything. But they use infrastructure spending to try to justify all sorts of other far less beneficial spending.

I think that is the essence of your 12:30 post and I certainly agree with that.

[NK]

Cecil Turner-- my personal biggest complaint about Bush was borrowing all of the $80B/year for Iraqi Freedom/and the Afghan Campaign. Bush should have demanded $80B in annual cuts from nonessential spending, and explained to America that GWOT was a higher priority. Instead Bush borrowed $500B+ to pay for those wars, instead of paying the political price to cut spending elsewhere.

[Chubby]

((Also I'm going on the record to say I'n not in it together with Obama in any way))

that would be a great theme for a Romney ad, not in it with trashing billions of taxpayers money to support the bankrupt business ideas of political cronies

[Janet]

Video: Obama Thanks “Gay-Porn Kingpin” For Organizing Reelection Campaign Fundraiser…

"“Bean, the first gay on Sen. Obama’s National Finance Committee, is the sole trustee of the Charles M. Holmes Foundation, which owned Falcon Studios, Jock Studios and Mustang Studios, the producers of about $10 million worth of all-male pornography a year.”"

Our worst are leading us.

[NK]

Theo@12:34-- all true

[Chubby]

((But the deeper question is just what has Obama done to help this "unbelievable American system that we have" continue to thrive? It seems to me that everything that he has done has been in one way or the other to undermine that system. ))

exactly

another great should-be ad theme

[Some guy]

Oh, shut up. Just shut up.

Nooooooooooooooooo!!

You keep right on talking Mr. Presentdense (especially without your teleprompter).

Tell us what you *really* think.

[bgates]

We created 23 million new jobs

and yet he never hired anybody.

Private citizens with the drive and intelligence Barry disparages hire workers. Government can at best facilitate conditions to make hiring easier.

Saying the government creates millions of jobs is like saying Michael Buble has sex with millions of guys on their anniversary.

[Jim,MtnViewCA,USA]

NK@12:36, good points.
When lefties spew about "you never called Bush on his spending", you can only shake your head and tell them to google PorkBusters.

Because the right is not accurately covered in the media, lefties spend a lot of time hurling inaccurate charges.
They should read more widely....but then they wouldn't be lefties anymore now would they?

[Cecil Turner]

Instead Bush borrowed $500B+ to pay for those wars, instead of paying the political price to cut spending elsewhere.

A few points:

1. partly as a result of the 2001 attacks, we had a couple quarters of negative GDP growth, in which austerity is generally not indicated;
2. wars are traditionally paid for by borrowing (for the very good reason that they're generally not planned);
3. even if offset, the war spending wouldn't have resulted in a balanced budget.

I think we could argue about Bush's spending priorities (personally, it was his ongoing non-war expenditures I found more troublesome), but the bottom line is that the wars weren't the main driver of the economy (e.g., per the CBO, Iraq cost less than Obama's stimulus). And I suspect most people who use that argument are anti-war for other reasons, and just find it a handy club.

[Some guy]

Running commercials?

Isn't it priceless that O is spending money he doesn't have in order to counter an attack that came out his own mouth.

[Porchlight]

His core point is true -- successful business depends on a strong free enterprise system, roads, bridges and all of that.

I think I missed the part where he was talking about the strong free enterprise system.

[NK]

CecilT-- Bush not sacrificing other spending to pay for war costs were part of a poor fiscal record. The US was going into deficit in FY2001 and 2002 because of the DotCOM/tech bust and the resulting recession -- agreed. The 9/11 attacks were going to worsen that deficit -- agreed. But by FY 2003, the GWOT spending could have stabilized, but Bush kept No Child Left behind and Medicare Part D speding intact while borrowing MORE for Iraqi Freedom. I love Bush, but his spending record is bad. he was a big gov spender. If he was a responsible spender, the Fed gov't budget would have been virtually balanced in FY 2007 ($160B deficit), that would have made Barry/Harry/Nancy's TRILLION DOLLAR deficits in FY 2009-2012 far more difficult politically.

[NK]

someguy@106-- fantastic point-- I love that particular irony as well.

[Theo]

Porchlight --

It came when he said "Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive."

That "unbelievable American system" is of course the free enterprise system.

There is no question that free enterprise, property rights, the rule of law and a strong national defense are all necessary for businesses to succeed. No one disputes this. Roads and bridges surely help too.

My point remains that Obama does not actually support free enterprise, property rights, national defense or the rule of law in any meaningful way. He is for roads and bridges primarily in order to pay off his union worker buddies.

So, his core point IS true, but it damns him nonetheless.

[Some guy]

His core point is true -- successful business depends on a strong free enterprise system, roads, bridges and all of that.

Is it true?

I guess it depends on who you think is the chicken and who is the egg. It's obvious who Mr. Presentdense thinks came first, but this isn't surprising given his historical and economic ignorance.

Roads, bridges, and all of government comes *after* not before. Only after citizens ban together and agree to fund (whether voluntary or by force) government out of the proceeds of their labor and commerce does it even begin to spend invest.

[Rick Ballard]

Funny - I would have placed the impartial and indifferent application of a clear set of easy to understand rules as the foundation of free enterprise. The rest of the "infrastructure" just won't be built if it's King John and the Sheriff of Nottingham using forced labor to build toll booths on the road to nowhere.

Say - did you hear what happened to Chrysler bond holders? They wound up being treated like Greeks or Spaniards - raped and left bleeding in a ditch by socialists.

[centralcal]

Is Sue around today - been busy at work and not up to date on the thread?

She is very faithful in remembering Bad and her well known "Obama sucks!"

I saw this photo at Weasel Zippers and it made me think of Bad and of Sue's faithful remembrance of her. I think will enjoy it, so if she happens by today point her to the link.

[windansea]

Police and FBI agents were called to the University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus in Aurora on Monday morning after the psychiatrist, who is also a professor at the school, reported receiving a package believed to be from the suspect. Although that package turned out to be from someone else and harmless, a search of the Campus Services’ mailroom turned up another package sent to the psychiatrist with Holmes’ name in the return address, the source told FoxNews.com…

“Inside the package was a notebook full of details about how he was going to kill people,” the source told FoxNews.com. “There were drawings of what he was going to do in it — drawings and illustrations of the massacre.”…

The source said the package had been in the mailroom since July 12, though another source who confirmed the discovery to FoxNews.com could not say if the package arrived prior to Friday’s massacre. It was not clear why it had not been delivered to the psychiatrist. The notebook is now in possession of the FBI, sources told FoxNews.com.

yikes

[Porchlight]

It came when he said "Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive."

Theo,

I don't agree. I think the "unbelievable American system" that "allowed you" - key word being "allowed" - is the absolutely awesome unbelievable big government that takes care of everyone and did the really important stuff like build roads and bridges.

"Free enterprise" is nowhere in his remarks. I don't think you can infer it either.

[Melinda Romanoff]

English law Greek bonds. Spain has yet to be served up.

But I quibble.

[NK]

olymic soccer-- seems like a barnburner Us-france women, 3-2 US in the 60th minute. France went up 2-0 US then scored 3, one by Amy Wambach -- I would bet the mortgage that was off a header. I officiate 80 or so soccer games/year ranging from 12 year olds to over 40s, and I watch dozens more on TV. I was a USSF marshal at a US women's game at Gillette Stadium so I got to see and shake hands with most of the then players pre-game. Amy Wombach would be a big dude -- a really big and really physical dude; and she goes after headers more ferociously than any other player I've seen in person. She cannot be defended by any woman 10 yards from goal or closer.

[Porchlight]

There is no question that free enterprise, property rights, the rule of law and a strong national defense are all necessary for businesses to succeed. No one disputes this.

I agree. The problem is that he didn't say any of that. He talked about "investments" and "rich people" "giving back" and and teachers and roads and bridges and the Internet. You seem to be putting words in his mouth that make his argument more palatable.

[NK]

RickB-- and don'r forget us taxpayers. At current share valuation, the GM bailout will cost Taxpayers $35Billion. Correction, not the GM bailout, the GM SHs got 0, the UAW union bailout will cost $35B.

[Sue]

C

Thanks.

[rse]

Theo-bo sees this "unbelievable American system" as the web of people and relationships as they currently exist. And especially as it benefits him by putting him in the WH and filling his coffers with campaign contributions.

He does not believe in the individual or rule of law. He believes the community and environments create a person's personality and abilities. So whatever you are you owe to others. If you have little it is not your fault because you had little.

Nothing is ever the result or fault of the individual. That's a big part of what makes his views so obnoxious. Believing in community first is a big part of what he has Arne Duncan cultivating in American students' to be mindsets.

Mandated Communitarianism is a huge part of the daily classroom operations of his education vision for Common Core.

The common core is values, attitudes, and essential skills. Knowledge is too empowering of individuality to allow.

[Melinda Romanoff]

4-2.

Alex Morgan with the tap in.

[Some guy]

"giving back"

He doesn't know what the word 'that' means, and he *really* doesn't know what the word 'give' means -- only the armed robber's 'give me all your money' form.

[Sue]

Bad will be who I toast first if Obama loses in the fall. She should be here cracking jokes.

[NK]

Alex Morgan was not in the squad at the game I worked, I'm told she's very cute. The Rampone woman is a thug. She does not know how to go into a tackle without her studs aimed at an opponent's vitals.

[AliceH]

This all strikes me as overthinking things. The entire speech was just an extended version of "you'd think they'd be thanking me".

[Porchlight]

Yes, Sue. And PeterUK.

[Danube of Thought]

Michigan:

"A new Mitchell Research poll of Michigan shows Mitt Romney with a 45%-44% lead over Barack Obama.

"Some big stats:

"a. Romney leads among independents, 44%-34%, which is a 5% jump from last month. That's not just a big lead, but it's a telling Indie Indictment of Obama that the incumbent can only snag 34% of the vote.

"b. Romney has nearly tied Obama with women (-2%), and he's ahead among men (+5%).

"c. Age. Here's something we've been seeing over and over. Obama leads among senior citizens (+5%), while Romney leads among those who are 40-59 years old (+10%).

"In 2008, nationally, seniors voted for McCain, while the 34-55 bracket went for Obama. But this year, that tends to be reversed.

"Overall: Yesterday, a Rasmussen poll showed Obama sporting a 6% lead over Romney, so make sure you imbibe this poll with that."

[Melinda Romanoff]

NK-

Wambach was left alone at the back of the box on a corner kick. You called how that ended.

Is Rampone our thug or theirs? (tacitly acknowledging enforcers are sometimes needed)

[Theo]

Porchlight --

Whether he meant it or not, it remains true that the free enterprise system is an "unbelievable American system" that does in fact foster thriving businesses. The people who benefit from that system did not invent it themselves.

The fact remains that there ARE preconditions to the success of a business -- private property, the rule of law, free enterprise, stable governments, strong defense. Obama is right about that. It is simply ignorant to pretend that anyone in America truly built a successful business all by themselves.

HOWEVER, that should not obscure the real point here. Obama has done nothing to help and has done much to undermine the free enterprise system on which business success depends.

[Captain Hate]

More trash being taken out http://weaselzippers.us/2012/07/25/dinosaur-msm-death-watch-newsweek-to-phase-out-print-edition/

[Cecil Turner]

But by FY 2003, the GWOT spending could have stabilized, but Bush kept No Child Left behind and Medicare Part D speding intact while borrowing MORE for Iraqi Freedom. I love Bush, but his spending record is bad.

I don't really disagree with anything here, except . . . compared to what? Dems were holding out for more spending on Medicare part D, and doing their best to gut the accountability provisions of NCLB whilst simultaneously featherbedding it and insisting it be "fully funded." They also added "billions of dollars in non- emergency spending" to Iraq war supplemental bills, prompting at least one veto. So, while Bush was certainly no paragon on spending, the Democrats were uniformly worse throughout.

If he was a responsible spender, the Fed gov't budget would have been virtually balanced in FY 2007 ($160B deficit), that would have made Barry/Harry/Nancy's TRILLION DOLLAR deficits in FY 2009-2012 far more difficult politically.

I think a casual glance at the graphic I posted above would make any objective observer conclude the Dems were a fiscal disaster. The fact that they spin it as if they weren't (and take credit for a GOP Congress whilst pretending the spending of a Dem Congress is Bush's fault), is obviously not related to facts, and I doubt a slightly better performance in 2007 would make much difference.

[James D.]

I'd love to see our side push back more against the whole term "investment" (let's not even get into giving back).

Nobody is against roads and bridges and schools, nor for citizens all paying for those things through taxes. We already do that.

The person who owns a business didn't personally build those roads, no. But they are paying gasoline taxes to maintain them, and they are paying sales taxes and state income taxes and special levies to pay for large improvement projects going forward.

[Danube of Thought]

Unexpected:

"But, but, but... the housing recovery. Was demand pulled forward? Could it be that warm weather encouraged people to venture out of their igloos? It appears so as new home sales plunge 8.4% MoM on expectations of a rise of 0.7%, days after the already fudged NAR data showed a huge miss in existing home sales as well. This is the first miss since October of last year and the biggest miss of expectations since October 2010."

[NK]

MelR-- I owe Ms Rampone an apology, the player I'm thinking of is a midfielder Rapinoe(?) #15. She's brutal, a thug, but she's America's thug.

[Danube of Thought]

The short version is, Obama has no clue about what is the proper function and scope of the public sector, or why.

[Extraneus]

I'd like to hear Obama explain, without a teleprompter, how we were able to build roads and bridges before 1913, when the 16th Amendment was ratified.

[Janet]

"A new Mitchell Research poll of Michigan shows Mitt Romney with a 45%-44% lead over Barack Obama.

It's almost as though citizens are tired of living in squalor & hellholes with no morals. That's weird.

[boris]

Lennon and McCartney wrote many hit songs that made millions of dollars.

Someone says "They didn't build their own guitars, they didn't invent the twelve tone scale. Somebody else did that!" In a naked attempt to deprive L&M of credit and "take back" a cut of their earnings ....

It's a vile argument. Anyone else who says "well it's true that John and Paul didn't build their own guitars and they didn't invent the twelve tone scale" ... is missing the point.

[GMAX]

Cant watch soccer from my work platform alas. Can someone report on Heather OReilly playing in the match. JMax's housemate and teammate and an absolutely phenomenal bundle of energy on the pitch. She runs most defenders ragged and tattered.

[NK]

Soccer PS: Women-- US 4-2 France Final-- I'd watch that on replay. Tonight is Liverpool- Roma at Fenway Park, what's the over-under on disorderly conduct arrests? After that is Chelsea-MLS all-stars in Philly.

[NK]

Heather O'Reilly is incredibly fast and energetic. She has to be -- she is tiny-- like U13 size.

[Clarice]

If he's so good at balancing the budget why will not a single member of his own party vote for his proposed budgets? what am I missing?

[GMAX]

Liverpool is the reason English teams got banned from the Euros for awhile. Absolutely thuggish and boorish fans, sorta like Yankee fans! ( duck and cover ).

[GMAX]

Instapundit calls Obama latest ad denying what he clearly said as his "I am not a witch" moment.

Brilliant!

[Sue]

Just wondering why if the polls are to be believed at all, why democrats are not flocking to NC to be seen with the president?

[Porchlight]

Whether he meant it or not, it remains true that the free enterprise system is an "unbelievable American system" that does in fact foster thriving businesses.

Yes. But the subject of the discussion was Obama's intended meaning. So anything that comes after the phrase "whether he meant it or not" is not relevant.

[Jim,MtnViewCA,USA]

Clarice: "If he's so good at balancing the budget why will not a single member of his own party vote for his proposed budgets?"

Impeccable logic. I will posit that Ms Clarice is NOT one of those animals and dead people being registered to vote as Dems in VA.

[NK]

GMAX-- my son is a big LFC fan, so I took him to Anfield game in 2009 before he went off to college. We didn't sit in the KOP, but the fans where we sat in Anfield were extremely polite and knowledgable. It was like a Toront Maple Leaf crowd. The LFC Hooligan days were 70s to early 80s-- they are long gone -- well actually, today's Hooligans are southern and eastern Europeans and North Africans.

[hit and run]

Extraneus:
I'd like to hear Obama explain, without a teleprompter, how we were able to build roads and bridges before 1913

...and the intercontinental railroad Obama is so fond of.

[Captain Hate]

Just wondering why if the polls are to be believed at all, why democrats are not flocking to NC to be seen with the president?

The polls are garbage; November is gonna be just like 1980.

[bgates]

The fact remains that there ARE preconditions to the success of a business -- private property, the rule of law, free enterprise, stable governments, strong defense. Obama is right about that.

How can he be right about things that he never said, and especially about things that he shows no signs of believing?

[pagar]

" shows Mitt Romney with a 45%-44% lead over Barack Obama."

I just do not understand these numbers. I believe it should read 95% Romney and 5% others. Don't understand why anyone is voting for Obama.

[lyle]

I effing hate this president. I would feel the same way if he were as white as me.

I didn't say that.