The President vs. The Stock Market

Two things that President Obama has done exceptionally well since being elected (in addition to spending our money) are blaming George Bush for all that is wrong with the economy and demonizing Wall St. and the stock market as nothing but a bunch of fat cat, greedy Wall St. Bankers.
First off, the success of the stock market effects the savings, retirement plans and 401k's of millions of ordinary every day Americans so when his fear mongering, tax the rich, anti corporate America rhetoric causes the market to plunge it effects us all in a very negative way.
Secondly while it's convenient to blame his predecessor for the entire economic mess here are a few facts. Since election day the stock market has dropped 2000 points! In just the four days in February where Obama criticized executive salaries, announced his bank rescue plan, signed the $800 billion spending plan and held his Fiscal Responsibility Summit the market dropped a total of 1037 points on those days alone! Mr. President even though it is very convenient and the adoring press that follows you makes it easy to do so, please stop the rhetoric. All of this mess is occurring on your watch now......and that's what shim sez...

Good Speech....But Questions Remain

I have to say it was good to hear President Obama sounding more like a leader last night when he addressed Congress and the nation on the economy. It was good to hear reassuring tones rather than constant talk of crisis and gloom and doom scenarios. Why last night he even referred to it as the "worst economic crisis in decades" rather than the usual revisionist history talk of "worst ever" or "worst since the great depression."
I was also pleased to hear him talk about reforming education and putting the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of parents and children.
That said he made a few remarks that made wonder..he claimed that he was NOT a proponent of big government yet his current spending package and additional spending will bloat our government much bigger than it is now.
After getting in a partisan shot about the deficit he inherited, he then claimed that he will "reduce the deficit by half" by the end of his first term. Now I'm no math expert but after seeing the amount of spending in just the first month in office I'd like to see how he plans to do that.
And finally I'd like to refer to what may have been his George Bush #41 "Read My Lips" moment. President Obama guaranteed that "nobody who earns under $250,000 will pay a dime in new taxes." For effect he then repeated "not a dime."
You may recall that Mr. Bush went back on his famous "Read my Lips" pledge to not raise taxes and he was reminded of it constantly by both the media and Democrats and it cost him re election in 1992.
Trouble is if President Obama breaks his "not a dime" pledge he'll have one thing going for him that Mr. Bush didn't.....a main stream media that's willing to look the other way and cover for him...and that's what shim sez.

And this Was His Strength??

Since our "historic" Inauguration last month we've seen the stock market tumble over 1,000 points to a nearly 12 year low of around 7,100. Despite obvious income tax problems and two less than stellar news conferences we were told that the nominee for Treasury Secretary was "the only man in America" to handle the job. We've had an increasingly unpopular $800 billion dollar spending package jammed down our throats and the economy has gone further and further off track.
With an overall lack of experience and a well known weakness in the area of foreign policy the economy was supposed to be President Obama's STRENGTH...the main reason he was elected according to most of the "experts."
If indeed this is true I only hope and pray we are not faced with a foriegn policy crisis under his watch...and that's what shim sez...

Not funny.....but interesting...

While not being a member of the politically correct crowd I must admit that I see no humor in the now famous (or infamous) New York Post comic depicting the police shooting of the chimp.
First of all it's not funny. Second of all it's just wrong and offensive in so many ways.
But I must ask again...where was all of this outrage and news coverage when President Bush was personally attacked on a regular basis by the likes of that liberal hack Keith Olbermann and others in the television and print media? I find that part of the equation very interesting.....and that's what shim sez......

Revising History

While there is no denying we are going through tough economic times in this country President Obama and our liberal friends in Congress need a little history lesson.
We keep hearing phrases like "this is the worst economic situation since the Great Depression" or this is this worst "in our history."
The simple fact is it is the worst it has been SINCE 1980! Back in the early '80's inflation, gas prices, mortgage rates and unemployment were all higher than they are today!
My advice is simple...rather than fear mongering, revising history to make yourselves look good and passing outrageous spending plans disguised as a stimulus package you should be cutting tax rates and taxes, cutting government spending and creating jobs to stimulate the economy NOW.....and that's what shim sez...

Where's Barney and Chris?

Time Magazine lists the 25 people to blame for our current economic meltdown. I find it interesting that the names of liberal icons Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd appear nowhere on the list. As Chairmen of the House Finance Committee and the Senate Banking Committee shouldn't they bear SOME responsibility for this mess we are in?
Our economy and more importantly our nation will be much better off when the likes of Frank, Dodd, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are sent packing and booted out of Washington....and that's what shim sez...

Say it ain't so Joe...

One of the most interesting moments in President Obama's pitch for his spending plan last night came when a reporter asked him to interpret comments that Vice President Biden made a few days earlier. Obama said "I can't remember what Joe was referring to...not surprisingly."
While it's a known fact that Biden has been putting his foot in his mouth for year's it's surprising that Obama would just throw him under the bus in front of a national audience like that.
Let's face it he only needed Biden on the ticket for his foreign policy experience to help him get elected. Now that he's in it appears that he has little use for him. Looks like "The Biden watch" is on..Oh well at least Joe paid his taxes....and that's what shim sez.

Where have you gone Ronald Reagan...

As this weekend comes to a close I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the birthday this past friday of former President Ronald Reagan. I think of President Reagan often during these trying economic and world times because it was on Jan 20th 1981 that he took over a nation in crisis both on the economic and world front somewhat similar to what President Obama faces today.
However this is where the similarities between these two men end.
Quite frankly it can be argued that the economic crisis that Reagan inherited was much worse than the situation we are facing today.
However, rather than partisan rhetoric, Government spending programs and fear mongering Reagan did two things. He inspired...and he led.
In his Inauguration speech he so brilliantly stated that "Government was not the solution to the problem...government was the problem." Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Frank and company should try to remember this when they try and jam this government spending program down Americans throats!
President Reagan put American back to work at home and through toughness and a "Peace through strength" mentality brought respect and pride to our country on the foreign policy front after four years of bumbling from the Jimmy Carter Administration.
Inspiration...and leadership. Similar to the lines of that old song I often find myself asking...where have you gone Ronald Reagan a nation turns it's lonely eyes to you....and that's what shim sez....

Taxing Times for Obama

I don't know what angers me more..the fact that Daschle didn't pay his taxes or the fact that he apparently told Obama insiders about this problem in June AND THEY NOMINATED HIM ANY WAY! Typical Liberal gall! Can you imagine the media fallout if this was happening in a Republican Administration? First it was Geithner, then Nancy Killefer and now Daschle! All of these problems and Blago hasn't begun to sing yet! It's going to get very interesting....and that's what shim sez.....