(2009-01-10) — Although the first $350 billion dose of taxpayer cash failed to rescue the economy, President George Bush today said he feels certain that the next $350 billion he’s requesting from Congress will be “luckier.”
“It’s kind of like when you go to a casino,” the president said. “The more money you put down, the luckier you get. Based on the run of bad fortune our economy has had lately, I think we’re due.”
Mr. Bush said he’s coordinating bailout strategy with President-elect Obama “to ensure that it’s a careful, prudent, highly-accountable double-or-nothing bet.”
If Congress bristles at throwing good money after bad, Mr. Bush said he and his successor will remind the reluctant lawmakers that the alternative is unthinkable.
“The specter of Americans and their businesses having to downsize budgets and re-align their finances to live within their means,” said Mr. Bush, “should be a huge wake up call to Congress. That’s not the America we grew up in, and it’s not the one we want for our children and grandchildren.”
46 responses so far ↓
1 camojack // Jan 10, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I’m opposed to gambling…
2 RedPepper // Jan 10, 2009 at 12:44 pm
“I guess the question is, do you feel lucky?”
“Well, do ya, punk?”
3 gafisher // Jan 10, 2009 at 12:45 pm
That ought to buy a lot of PowerBall tickets.
4 RepublicanAttackMachine // Jan 10, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I would feel a little safer, if when this 350 billion was
“played” Bush would say, “all in”.
At least then it might seem this would be the last bailout money.
The key word here is, SEEM!
5 upnorthlurkin // Jan 10, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Yeah….heaven forbid any of us should have to live within our means…’specially Congress!
Brilliant as usual Mr. Ott.
6 everthink // Jan 10, 2009 at 2:35 pm
238 hours!
ET
7 mindknumbed kid // Jan 10, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Placing the Dems in control at this time is almost certain to mean that the “American Dream” will soon become the “American Nightmare”. What we need is some genuine conservatives to take charge and neuter the “Beast” (aka Washington DC), instead the voters have written him a prescription for Viagra.
So let’s all be good boys and girls and get in line for our stimulus handouts, don’t forget to say “thank you” to Father Government when he hands it to you.
8 baragirl // Jan 10, 2009 at 5:04 pm
If at first you don’t succeed…..
Never draw to an inside straight….
When it rains it always rains Pennies from Heaven…
It only hurts for a little while…
It’s always darkest before the dawn…
Look for the Silver Lining…
Keep your Sunny side up…
Ya’ gotta know when to hold ‘em…
Wrap your troubles in dreams….
OK?
God will take care of you.
prettyold
9 mig // Jan 10, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Try Try again…
10 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jan 10, 2009 at 6:17 pm
I’m not sure but some of this “poor economy,” stuff is a put on to get people to fall for the cry of higher mediocrity. Why try to work harder when the people say their is no use, our government is broke and we might as well kiss our lives goodbye.
When failure is the highest we can reach for then we as Americans have fallen off our bar stools after indulging into bitter CNN and Tonic.
I have been getting one letter after another from this group or that organization saying there is no more money to help our disability team or individual problem due to budget cutbacks–but who are the people getting affected?
I guess the organization, especially the one I am thinking of, feels if they put the squeeze on the bottom rung then public will hear their little whelps from the bottom of the food chain then return their givings.
As of today everything I do for physical activity has been shut down. No money.
Obama, can ya help me and bail out my life? I’m sorry but I won’t be able to help you build a highway or a bridge or join you for lunch at that hot Chili restaurant you got invited to.
Oh, by the way, the state of Ohio has refused to pay for my antibiotics so here I sit gasping for breath and likely will invoke a several thousand dollar hospital bill again because you won’t pay for the $125 (?) bottle of pills.
So just who is running this zoo? My half starved pulmonary system would like to know. This concludes my dis-constructed thought line for today.
wv:economy ones–Oh, so they are the culprits, the economy ones.
11 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jan 10, 2009 at 6:22 pm
And I see Facebook has become the new thing. I joined about 6 months ago and never seen such a screwed up system in my life. I never knew if anything I posted ever showed up. It seems not. I posted photos and all sorts of things, but it always looked like I was talking to myself
And what else is new.
I removed myself from Facebook last summer. So how is everyone else liking it? I would really like to know.
Don’t worry, I am now going to do my smiling exercise and quit grumping
12 onlineanalyst // Jan 10, 2009 at 6:41 pm
The countdown to Zimbabwe begins… Kool-Aid® line starts at the unemployment office (or shuttered bank) near you on January 20, 2009.
Mark my words, Joe Biden was right. We are not going to be happy…or hopeful.
13 onlineanalyst // Jan 10, 2009 at 6:54 pm
MsRW, Ink: You describe just the glimpse of what single-payer nationalized health care will be like should the federal government get its hands on another sector.
Bureaucracy (well-paid and faceless— one of those kinds of jobs Obama promises in his upcoming Utopia) will ration treatment.
Santini had had his futile battles with his state-run insurance for months. He was to begin relying on his own new insurance plan in January of the new year last year. Too late to be helpful because of his deteriorating condition attributable to delays and runaround by a callous system, he passed away early in that month. My heart grieves for the loss of that tremendously talented man.
14 baragirl // Jan 10, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Come back Shane er er Shelly er er MS RW ,it’s better now on Facebook.
You don’t know how relieved I am to see you’re back, even though you are still sick. I do know one thing ,shutting off the oxygen to your brain doesn’t hurt your writing skills,you are glittering like a diamond today.
I’m praying you will get mad enough to just burn up those nasty old germs .If you could slap them they would tuck their little tails under and run.
I’m going to keep on praying for you.
prettyold.
15 gafisher // Jan 10, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Ms RW, Ink Re#10: If you’re anywhere near one of the 43 Meijer stores in Ohio, they offer antiobotics at no charge, no strings attached. Not a government program, just one of those things big heartless corporations do
tofor their customers.16 Fred Sinclair // Jan 10, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Subject: Natural Born Citizen
Since we now have a new president, some political humor might be in store. The following is a funny and true story occurring in an AP
Government class at Santa Fe High School.
In one civics class, the young adults were discussing the qualifications to be president of the United States It was pretty simple. The candidate must be a natural born citizen and at least 35 years of age. However, one girl in the class immediately started in on how unfair
was the requirement to be a natural born citizen. In short, her opinion was that this requirement prevented many capable individuals from becoming president.
The class was just taking it in and letting her rant but everyone’s jaw
hit the floor when she wrapped up her argument by stating… “What makes a natural born citizen any more qualified to lead this country than one born by C-section?”
They walk among us and they vote !
17 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jan 10, 2009 at 11:14 pm
gafisher
No we don’t have those stores in our area, though I am familiar with the chain–we used to deliver frozen turkeys to the stores back in the days when I was one with the highway.
I am relying on steroids to get me through this difficult time. They do help my breathing but I hate what they make ya feel like.
Besides going to a pharmacy right now is like fighting off Nanook of the North. It has snowed. It is snowing. And it will keep on snowing most of the week according to the National Weather Service.
Ahh yes, just like the old days when weather was weather and whether ya liked it or not, it was winter in January. Sorry Algore.
18 baragirl // Jan 11, 2009 at 1:27 am
Now ,Now , it is the Global warming that is causing all this snow and ice and cold. Did anyone see Algore explaining the whole thing to Oprah on her show. Funniest thing I ever saw. They had those great big screens and he would waddle from one to the next ,talking at the top of his voice,then back to Oprah ,where she is sitting ,nodding her head sagely ,just like it made sense.I managed to hang in for about 2 minutes ,then decided I didn’t want to clean up the mess if I threw up by watching another minute.
19 Left Coast-Right Mind // Jan 11, 2009 at 1:36 am
Fred Sinclair
Re: #16
My supervisor, at my place of employment, is scheduled to give birth later this month, by way of C-section. It’s a pity the little crumb-cruncher won’t be able to run for President in 2044. Of course, for all I know, Barack H-word Obama may still be President then.
Back on Topic:
Can’t Congress wait a couple weeks, and then put the $350 billion down on the Super Bowl? It makes just about as much sense as what was done with the first installment. With our luck, we’d lose it all due to the point spread. Actually, it would be kind of humorous watching sub-committee hearings on C-SPAN reviewing game film, line-ups and injury reports in order to make the best wager possible. Of course the pace at which Congress works, they’d place their bet sometime in July.
20 Left Coast-Right Mind // Jan 11, 2009 at 2:11 am
baragirl
Re: #18
Every time I hear one of these Man-made Global Warming nimrods say something to the effect that these record cold temperatures being reported are proof that the earth is getting warmer, I can’t help but be reminded of a little story from my neighborhood.
The primary industry in this locale is agriculture, and thus there is a great deal of farmland. Every once in awhile, the town will get the itch to expand, and purchase some of the surrounding acreage in order to build on it. Several years ago, an auto mall was constructed on such a piece of property. No fences were built around the complex, and in order to keep insurance premiums reasonable, huge light standards (almost professional sport stadium quality) dotted the mall’s car lots. These things were left on during the night-time hours and, along with private security patrols, were meant to deter car thieves and/or vandals. This, of course, was all happening while California was experiencing an electricity shortage, and rolling blackouts. The citizenry was being harangued daily to conserve, conserve, conserve while this monstrosity was allowed to burn through kilowatt hours, and ignite the night sky. The populace complained about the gargantuan waste of resources, but mostly about the nuisance that the lights were causing. The mayor of the town held a press conference in which she said that the only reason the lights looked so bright, was because it used to be dark there.
Just like Man-made Global Warming. The reason this winter is so cold, is because the earth is getting warmer.
Epilogue:
Due to the volume of complaints (both in the actual number of complaints, and their decibel level), the auto mall agreed to only use half of the light standards.
The mayor was deemed too stupid to run a town, and thus was elected to the California State Assembly. She ran as a Democrat.
21 Maggie // Jan 11, 2009 at 10:06 am
Ms Righty and Baragirl,
“When you’re down and out, lift up your head and shout”it’s going to be a great day!”
(yeah,right)
22 Darthmeister // Jan 11, 2009 at 11:23 am
Why not just speed up the printing presses and make it a trillion dollar bailout, Mssrs. Obama and Bush? Nothing like doubling-down on the economy, eh? I can see $8 Big Macs in our not too distant future.
More headline news:
Life At -78 Degrees In Alaska…
Wisconsin: Record snow steals spotlight from frigid temps…
Snow continues to trap thousands at Madrid airport…
The Coming Ice Age?
More evidence of “global warming” I suppose. Whatever the reality, I think I prefer global warming to global cooling … you also get better growing seasons. I love pineapple, bananas and strawberries.
23 Darthmeister // Jan 11, 2009 at 11:45 am
Come January 21st, our community will have the distinct blessing of being thoroughly dominated by Democrat fascists who want to control every aspect of our lives down to taxing the air we breath.
Democrats will control our city, our county, our state and now the country. They will have ABSOLUTE power and we know what the lefties have been saying about absolute power the last eight years. But then I’ve never known a liberal, particularly a liberal Democrat, who bothers to hold their own party accountable to such quaint idioms. They will support war … if its their war by their leader. They will support fascism if its their leader who is a fascist. They will support destroying the Constitution and the Bill of Rights if its their leaders who are doing the destroying. They will support lies and obfuscations if its their leaders who are lying and … well, you get the picture.
So that means liberal fascists will celebrate their monopolistic power here in America on January 21st and will attempt to transform nearly seven years of feral hatred into something resembling peaceful national unity. And I won’t be surprised, once their messiah is ensconsced in the White Houise, if liberals look around and think to themselves, “Say, things really are more peaceful.” Well, yeeeah! You morons aren’t screaming any more because you are now in power and we conservatives are a lot better behaved even when confronted with budding fascists like you and your velvet gulag.
So, in the next few years if I still see homeless people on the street, or any American without a “living-wage” job, or inflation ravaging Americans nest eggs, violent crimes continuing unabated, etc. … I’m going to start writing letters to the editor asking how it is that we live in an Obama utopia yet Democrat powerbrokers who control all levels of our government have yet to eradicate poverty, homelessness, crime, financial insecurity, etc. You know, what about all this “change” Mr. Obama and you Democrats promised?
Oh, I forgot, it will be Bush’s fault. Sorry, silly me.
24 upnorthlurkin // Jan 11, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Ms Rightwing, while I can’t afford the whole $125, I could send you a twenty….if we all chipped in, would it help you?! I’m assuming you’ve checked in to all the Walmart/Walgreens/CVS type programs for discount prescription drugs?!! All the pharmacies up here either deliver or mail stuff out…. We just have to get you out of Ohio and back up here where we take care of our own!!
25 Darthmeister // Jan 11, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) — President-elect Barack Obama said reviving the U.S. economy will require scaling back on his campaign promises and personal sacrifice from all Americans.
“I want to be realistic here, not everything that we talked about during the campaign are we going to be able to do on the pace we had hoped,†Obama said in an interview on ABC’s “This Week†program broadcast this morning. “Everybody’s going to have to give.â€
He’s sounding like Jimmah Carter already. But wait, hasn’t Obama been saying the last eighteen months how much the “Bush economy” has sucked … you know, it was as bad as the Great Depression blah, blah, blah? Is Obamessiah really saying the state of the economy took him by surprise now that he’s made all those promises?
Nice touch though, using the economy as an excuse to not make good on his messianic promises that got him elected (along with the $688 million). Hmmmmm, one does have to admire Mr. Obama for being an exceptionally glib liar and promise breaker.
I’ve never heard of a President-elect that reneged on his campaign promises BEFORE he took the oath of office. But I guess there’s always the first time for everything. I think the informed American people who don’t have their brains clouded by visions of messianic sugar plums will tire of this empty suit within the year.
26 Darthmeister // Jan 11, 2009 at 9:20 pm
BTW, don’t let his weasel words of “not everything that we talked about during the campaign are we going (sic) to be able to do on the pace we had hoped” throw anyone off the scent here. Mr. Obama has no intention of following through on anything but those issues which will promote the welfare state and turn this country into a velvet gulag of socialism.
27 Darthmeister // Jan 11, 2009 at 9:33 pm
Mrs. Pelosi has failed to keep her promise to have the House Ethics committee finish their probe by Jan. 3 into Rep. Charlie Rangel’s failure to report income taxes on a Caribbean villa, his usage of four rent controlled apartments in Harlem, his involvement with an offshore firm asking for tax exemptions, Mr. Rangel’s use of official House stationary to solicit funds for a school in his name and contributions from an oil company to the school. Mr. Rangel is also committee chair for the powerful House Ways and Means Committee in the new Congress, which makes the changes in the fairness rules circumspect.
In the meantime, Mrs. Pelosi has not asked Mr. Rangel to put down his gavel while a House Ethic’s subcommitte expands the investigation into his activities. It’s pretty obvious the Democrat “culture of corruption” in Washington D.C. will continue unabated as the Pelosi/Reed/Obama cabal consolidate their absolute power.
28 Newsman // Jan 11, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Darth … “It’s pretty obvious the Democrat “culture of corruption†in Washington D.C.”… is hardly a “Democrat Phenonemon’ ! Or, have you given up on reading political history ????
29 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jan 11, 2009 at 9:52 pm
upnorthlurkin
Please and thank you, but getting needed antibiotics is suppose be the job of Medicaid, not my distant friends. After all, I handed over my $103, 000 house five years ago with the understanding they would care for my health needs. Ha!
Likely what they will do tomorrow is find a cheaper antibiotic that will not work..then if that doesn’t do the trick the state will have to provide room and board once more.
But don’t feel bad, I get all the free O2 I want. Breathing through a small rubber tube inserted firmly below the proboscis is a first amendment right (I think).
30 Ms RightWing, Ink // Jan 11, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Hopefully we won’t loose the White House to Medicaid if Obama’s mother in law gets sick and needs HillaryCare.â„¢
I’m not sure if she has money but if the situation is like that of his bro over yonder in Africa, then we are in trouble. Speaking of which, is there not an empty crate or something around the White House to help him set up living there in D.C.
Yes, my dear friends, the Statue of Liberty asks us to take in the poor, hungry, unwashed and half brothers, who due to bad political ties, are forced to huddle into lions dens and run with the Blue Wildebeest of the Serengeti.
Meanwhile back at the home of Joe Biden, who loves to travel the train lines, a blue light has hovered over his expansive estate while extra terrestrial creatures have……………..
31 MajorDomo // Jan 11, 2009 at 11:55 pm
It was 3 million jobs; not it’s 4… er..4.3 million. The number keeps increasing. Is that some kind of new inflation that Obummer is going to “change we need”? Well, hey, where’s the government going to get even 1 million jobs? They don’t produce anything except mountains of BS and perks for themselves! Oh, wait… Nationalized healthcare (and everything else I suppose. Meanwhile there is rumor that Obummer is going to take away MY government healthcare…Tri-Care. If he can do that to me, he can do it to you when he has control of the nation’s healthcare.
Obummer ecollapse minus 8
32 MajorDomo // Jan 11, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Obummer ecollapse minus 8
33 Deerslayer // Jan 12, 2009 at 10:35 am
I noticed the other day that Obummer changed from “creating” three million jobs to “saving” three million jobs.
I know how to calculate the former but just how does one measure the latter?
34 upnorthlurkin // Jan 12, 2009 at 10:45 am
I was wondering the same…..is he going to force non-profitable businesses to stay open?! After all, that’s the whole point of businesses anyway isn’t it…..to provide jobs….doesn’t have anything at all to do with making a profit… Or maybe like big auto, you just keep paying them NOT to work!! Sorta like farm subsidies….you get paid not to grow wheat, or soybeans….or not to raise hogs!
35 everthink // Jan 12, 2009 at 2:26 pm
190 hours!
ET
36 boberinyetagain // Jan 12, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Aw heck, double down it is then! If we “lose” this bet too we can always print up more money. Do we have enough ink? That would seem to be the only drawback.
I got mine, signed up Friday for 4.75% refininance of my mortgage. I’m not now nor have I ever been in the slightest bit of trouble with it but heck, if they are giving away money, I want mine.
Of course the poor schlub that actually needs the help couldn’t possibly qualify for such a thing…so it goes.
Heck, the way things are headed I might actually get into trouble in the near future (if I get laid off I’ll be in trouble and that is certainly possible) but at least i won’t owe as much. Should be able to keep the wolves away from the door for 3-4 extra weeks with this new deal.
37 boberinyetagain // Jan 12, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I got mine. Refinanced the homesetead to 4.75%
38 boberinyetagain // Jan 12, 2009 at 3:39 pm
and then the first post magically appears…apologies!
39 baragirl // Jan 12, 2009 at 4:42 pm
boberinyetagain,do you mean George Bush actually did something right?Or is it that he just did something right for boberin. Or is it Barney Fwank you owe your soul to.
Hey , I don’t think you should take that refi, Isn’t that going against all your dearly held ideals and beliefs. You know ,blah blah,only Dems help poor people,ya’ know,blah blah,all repugs are racist ,homophobic millionaires ,you know errr ya’know,well You know.
40 boberinyetagain // Jan 12, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Did something right for me…you got it. Yep, I opposed the bailout…still do. But the offers to refinance/take on more debt never even slowed up at my house as near as I could tell.
It’s a great country where a bankrupt mortgage co (Countrywide) can beg me over and over again to owe them/pay them less.
Granted they get $4,800 up front but my payment drops by $200/month so…2 years to gravy!
No moral high ground here…gimme mine!
41 MajorDomo // Jan 12, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Obummer Ecollapse minus 7
42 baragirl // Jan 12, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Global Warming
To:Stormy Weather
Don’t know why,
There’s no sun up in the sky;
Global Warming,
They say our Carbon Footprints are swarming,
Gonna make us have Cap and Trade.
Our Streets are bare,
Except for Light Rail everywhere,
Global Warming,
They’re taking over our lives, it’s us they’re harming,
Gonna force us into Cap and Trade.
Al said he’d make us pay for SUV’s that we were driving,
He’d make us walk or ride a bike ,No businesses will be striving,
But for Al and friends, Jumbo Jets and Limos will be thriving,
Meat nor Drink nor Money we have None
Can’t go on,
Snow and ice have killed the Lawn,
House so cold our chilblains are alarming,
They’re gonna kill us for Cap and Trade,
Gonna starve us all for
Cap and Trade.
43 baragirl // Jan 12, 2009 at 11:58 pm
boberinyetagain, see, i knew you were a Liberal Democrat and a hypocrite.
prettyold
44 RepublicanAttackMachine // Jan 13, 2009 at 1:17 am
Only 4 years until the end of the obummer nightmare!
45 Left Coast-Right Mind // Jan 13, 2009 at 3:07 am
Tuesday January 20th, 2009: President-elect Barack H-word Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.
Wednesday January 21st, 2009: The season premiere of ‘Lost’ airs on ABC.
Coincidence? I think not.
Bad omen? I’m thinking yes.
46 gafisher // Jan 13, 2009 at 8:44 am
RAM Re#44: Optimistic, I see.
wv – Jenny Woolsey – Linsey’s sister.
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