More Transparency ?

[Guest]

It seems a promise that our President made to the International Monetary Fund in the amount of 100 BILLION dollars is not getting all the support that the President wanted sooooooo.....

"Aware of the US unpopularity, the White House and Democratic leaders have tried to sneak the funds through Congress by attaching them to legislation funding the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"They can't make a case on the merits," Weisbrot said. Despite the recent upgrade in its role, "the IMF doesn't have that much credibility in the world."

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/271956,boosting-us-funds-for-imf-proves-a-hard-sell-for.html

I cannot speak to the merits of the International Monetary Fund..perhaps some of you financial gurus can read and instruct....BUT..

I am struck with the difference between the campaign which always alluded to openness and transparency and what is actually happening in WashDC !

[Guest]

of what is being put forth for discussion. Transparency is a good candidate for understanding as it applies to a political campaign promise.
Her is a partial from Webster I think applies:

2 a: free from pretense or deceit : frank b: easily detected or seen through : obvious c: readily understood d: characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices

In my opinion the other variants were not applicable.

Hence the definition bespeaks to the impossibility of ANY politician being able to deliver, or operate with transparency. The term and process had the right ring to it for one to campaign with....it sounded right. It was not more meaningful than chum being thrown in the water to bait the naive....as all campaign promises are.....bait.

Chum = bait= entice = : to attract artfully or adroitly or by arousing hope or desire : tempt

And that is all it is to politicians.

The promise of operating in a fog would be an improvement over the current actual (or any other administration for that matter).

BTK

[Guest]

A review of this mornings headlines in the area of transparency...

"$100 billion bill to fund U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is rapidly accumulating extra items such as money for military aircraft the Pentagon doesn't want and possibly a scheme to jump-start sagging auto sales.

The cars and planes are not directly linked to the U.S. war effort. But they are typical of Congress' penchant for loading bills with unrelated spending in hopes the funds will sail through on the strength of the main legislation.

President Barack Obama originally sought $83.4 billion for the two wars and more foreign aid for countries like Pakistan.

But then he too sought more -- $4 billion extra to combat H1N1 swine flu and $5 billion to back credit lines to the International Monetary Fund, which is trying to help developing countries weather the global economic downturn."

http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSN08333615

THEN....

"Obama repackages stimulus plans with old promises"

"Neither the acceleration nor the jobs goal are new. Both represent a White House repackaging of promises and projects to blunt criticism that the effects haven't been worth the historic price tag. And the job estimate is so murky, it can never be verified."

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090609/D98MRQU80.html

THEN THIS OPED FROM THE WSJ

"The Media Fall for Phony 'Jobs' Claims The Obama Numbers Are Pure Fiction."

"Saved or created" has become the signature phrase for Barack Obama as he describes what his stimulus is doing for American jobs. His latest invocation came yesterday, when the president declared that the stimulus had already saved or created at least 150,000 American jobs -- and announced he was ramping up some of the stimulus spending so he could "save or create" an additional 600,000 jobs this summer. These numbers come in the context of an earlier Obama promise that his recovery plan will "save or create three to four million jobs over the next two years."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124451592762396883.html

I hope this is a sign that somebody is waking up to one of the most political White Houses and congressional leadership in history hiding under pretty speaking ! He sure did learn his lessons well while in Chicago !!!

[Guest]

there will be isolated reporting that will begin to shed light on the compounding effect of what is said VS what is done by the current administration.

The word game can only stand on it's own for so long before some of we the people will begin to expect .....MORE THAN WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another campaign promise not worth the words spoken....the promise of reducing/eliminating earmarks.....words/BS....sheeple fodder.

Hopefully it doesn't take too long for a ground swell of intolerance for BS to amass.

Who was the genius that sais: You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all the people all of the time.

BTK

[Guest]

there will be isolated reporting that will begin to shed light on the compounding effect of what is said VS what is done by the current administration.

The word game can only stand on it's own for so long before some of we the people will begin to expect .....MORE THAN WORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another campaign promise not worth the words spoken....the promise of reducing/eliminating earmarks.....words/BS....sheeple fodder.

Hopefully it doesn't take too long for a ground swell of intolerance for BS to amass.

Who was the genius that sais: You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all the people all of the time.

BTK

There has been alot written about the audiences of newscasts and 24 hours news stations. Many say that "like-minded" people will watch something that they agree with. For instance, the left-leaning people will watch MSNBC and the right-leaning will tune into Fox News. There is probably alot of truth in that assumption.
Last nite I was on my exercise machine in my basement and was surfing the 6:30 news of ABC...CBS..and NBC. I was struck with the seriousness they were displaying with the latest unemployment figures and other things money related.
I am a firm believer in listening to all sides before I shape my own opinions. I made a few of my friends angry at me because I didn't like Bush's philosophy on immigration and spending. ( no use of veto pen)
Am I detecting that the Obama "shine" is getting a little tarnished?

Keedy

[Guest]

A review of this mornings headlines in the area of transparency...

"$100 billion bill to fund U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is rapidly accumulating extra items such as money for military aircraft the Pentagon doesn't want and possibly a scheme to jump-start sagging auto sales.

The cars and planes are not directly linked to the U.S. war effort. But they are typical of Congress' penchant for loading bills with unrelated spending in hopes the funds will sail through on the strength of the main legislation.

President Barack Obama originally sought $83.4 billion for the two wars and more foreign aid for countries like Pakistan.

But then he too sought more -- $4 billion extra to combat H1N1 swine flu and $5 billion to back credit lines to the International Monetary Fund, which is trying to help developing countries weather the global economic downturn."

http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSN08333615

THEN....

"Obama repackages stimulus plans with old promises"

"Neither the acceleration nor the jobs goal are new. Both represent a White House repackaging of promises and projects to blunt criticism that the effects haven't been worth the historic price tag. And the job estimate is so murky, it can never be verified."

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090609/D98MRQU80.html

THEN THIS OPED FROM THE WSJ

"The Media Fall for Phony 'Jobs' Claims The Obama Numbers Are Pure Fiction."

"Saved or created" has become the signature phrase for Barack Obama as he describes what his stimulus is doing for American jobs. His latest invocation came yesterday, when the president declared that the stimulus had already saved or created at least 150,000 American jobs -- and announced he was ramping up some of the stimulus spending so he could "save or create" an additional 600,000 jobs this summer. These numbers come in the context of an earlier Obama promise that his recovery plan will "save or create three to four million jobs over the next two years."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124451592762396883.html

I hope this is a sign that somebody is waking up to one of the most political White Houses and congressional leadership in history hiding under pretty speaking ! He sure did learn his lessons well while in Chicago !!!


yep.... Exactly why we need 1) Line Item Veto 2) Term Limits :MOJE_whot: