It's the economy, stupid.

[Vrede too]

... In any case, I saw the Boeing CEO on tv the other day and I thought he looked remarkably like my avatar Max Headroom. It was weird.

[neoplacebo]

See? I told you he was up to something. Somebody needs to keep an eye on this guy.

[Vrede too]

Rush Limbaugh admits GOP's fiscal attacks on Obama were "bogus," defends Trump's deficit
Death of the deficit hawks: "Nobody is a fiscal conservative anymore," says host who drove the Tea Party uprising

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh admitted that Republican fear-mongering over the federal deficit under President Obama was “bogus,” while defending the deficit's explosive rise to $1 trillion under President Trump.

During Limbaugh’s show on Tuesday, a caller suggested that Republicans should nominate a young fiscal conservative instead of Trump, citing the rising deficit. Limbaugh dismissed the concerns, declaring that fiscal conservatism was basically a sham all along....

“Nobody is a fiscal conservative anymore,” Limbaugh shot back. “All this talk about concern for the deficit and the budget has been bogus for as long as it’s been around.”

That’s quite the statement from Limbaugh, who spent the entirety of the Obama years attacking the president over rising deficits.

In 2009, Limbaugh ranted that Obama was a “coward” without the “spine” or “gonads” to admit he was responsible for driving up the deficit (rather than the two wars President George W. Bush started while cutting taxes).

In 2011, Limbaugh bizarrely claimed that Obama was "the architect of deficits and debt unheard of in this nation."

The late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., spent the entirety of his 2008 presidential campaign warning about rising deficits, CNN noted. The 2010 rise of the Tea Party, which fueled massive Republican gains in that year's midterm elections, was fueled largely by claims that federal spending was out of control. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan made an entire career out of rhetoric decrying the rising national debt. Then he led the charge to approve a $1.5 trillion tax cut for the rich and corporations, leading to the $1 trillion deficit Republicans apparently no longer care about.

Trump himself vowed to be a savior, promising that he would eliminate not just the budget deficit but the entire $22 trillion debt within two terms as president during his 2016 campaign....

[GoCubsGo]

So was Rush lying then or is he lying now?

[O Really]

So was Rush lying then or is he lying now?

Yes.

[Vrede too]

So was Rush lying then or is he lying now?

Yes.

Trump adds $4.1 trillion to national debt. Here's where the money went



2017: Still Obama’s strong economy.
Since 2017: Illusion of economic strength financed by deficit spending.

Clinton - deficits into surpluses.
Shrub - surpluses into deficits, only reduced the deficit 3 years out of 8.
Obama - reduced the deficit 5 years out of 8, kept it essentially stable one other year.
Dolt .45 and the GOP - now increasing the deficit yuuugely.
The pattern is clear.

[neoplacebo]

They will keep sabotaging the economy by tax cuts and increases in military spending until the government defaults; they will then declare emergency chaos and bigly looking at things at which point they will become the "deep state" they howl against. You bet'cha.

[Vrede too]

They will keep sabotaging the economy by tax cuts and increases in military spending until the government defaults; they will then declare emergency chaos and bigly looking at things at which point they will become the "deep state" they howl against. You bet'cha.

National Debt on Inauguration Day: $19,947,304,555,212.49
National Debt Today: $22,829,455,689,908.62

Getting close to $3T, make sure your party duds are dry cleaned.

[Vrede too]

National Debt on Inauguration Day: $19,947,304,555,212.49
National Debt Today: $22,926,602,224,587.40

Just $20B+, a little over a week, until we hit $3T.

US budget deficit hits nearly $1 trillion. Does it matter?

Reagan/Bush - large deficit increase.
Clinton - deficits into surpluses.
Bush 2 - surpluses into deficits, only reduced the deficit 3 years out of 8.
Obama - reduced the deficit 5 years out of 8, kept it essentially stable one other year.
Trump and the GOP - now increasing the deficit yuuugely.
The pattern is clear.

2017: Still Obama’s strong economy while he reduced the deficit 5 years out of 8 and kept it essentially stable one other year.
Since 2017: Illusion of economic strength financed by Trump and the GOP’s massive deficit increase. Anyone can do that.

[Vrede too]

National Debt on Inauguration Day: $19,947,304,555,212.49
National Debt Today: $22,926,602,224,587.40

Just $20B+, a little over a week, until we hit $3T....

Dammit, I missed the day, may have miscalculated the pace. Anyhow:

Hooray for "fiscal conservatism"!

[billy.pilgrim]

But it's getting better since the trumps saved us. Ivanka, all by herveryownself, personally created 14 million jobs.




https://www.vox.com/2019/11/12/20961764 ... bs-whopper

[Vrede too]

But it's getting better since the trumps saved us. Ivanka, all by herveryownself, personally created 14 million jobs.

https://www.vox.com/2019/11/12/20961764 ... bs-whopper

Speaking of Ivanka:

CREDO Tip: How to vote with your wallet all year long

... You have enormous political influence at checkout when you make regular purchases every day. Your wallet is an important weapon to fight back against Trump’s hateful agenda.

For example, in 2017, after Trump announced his racist Muslim ban, protests across the nation broke out, and taxi drivers at JFK Airport in New York City joined to strike in protest. Uber decided to capitalize on the taxi strike, profit off the lack of competition and picked up passengers at the terminals among the protests. That night, the hashtag #DeleteUber went viral, and in the following days, hundreds of thousands of Uber customers dropped the service.

To ensure your hard-earned money isn’t funding the Trump agenda, during this holiday season and all year long, here are five apps and websites to help you make purchases based on your values.

1. Grab Your Wallet

Founded in the wake of Trump’s misogynistic comments in the “Access Hollywood” tapes, the #GrabYourWallet campaign was founded as a way for shoppers to boycott stores and websites carrying Ivanka Trump’s brand. The result: More than 70 companies severed ties with the Trump family. In July 2018, Ivanka Trump officially shut down her company.

The website, a simple yet effective Google Sheet, has grown to include a comprehensive list of companies with ties to the Trump administration. The list includes reasons why you should avoid certain brands (Bank of America donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration, for example), contact information to express your concerns, a way for companies to be removed and other companies on #GrabYourWallet’s radar.

Check out which brands they recommend that you avoid at #GrabYourWallet’s website.

2. Goods Unite Us

The Goods Unite Us mission is to empower people to become political consumers so that it can help put an end to corporate political donations for good.

With over 150,000 users, the Goods Unite Us app is easy to use. Simply download, enter a company name, and view a list of political donations made by the company and many of its senior employees.

A great feature of the app is the “Wallet Vote” that, after a brief questionnaire, lets you know how much of your own spending is funding Republican and Democratic politicians and PACs during every election cycle.

The app is available for both iOS and Android users.

3. Buycott

Buycott is a simple app that helps you understand the politics behind your purchases. Simply scan any barcode when shopping to learn about the product’s history and whether the company aligns with your values.

You can create or join a campaign, like Boycott Trump Products, so you can have a greater collective impact. Buycott campaigns feature important progressive causes, including civil rights, immigration, LGBTQ and women’s rights. A few popular campaigns include boycott the NRA, boycott income inequality, and save and support the bees as much as you can!

With millions of users from 192 different countries, Buycott is a comprehensive crowd-sourced list with thousands of new UPC barcodes being added every day.

Buycott is available for both iOS and Android users.

Brilliant.

4. Zippia

Although Zippia is a career search and information site, its website includes a tool that helps users view political donations by company employees.

To give it a try, visit Zippia’s search tool and type in a company’s name. Click on the “political” tab to give you a breakdown of top employee donors and political contribution amounts and a company-wide percentage of employees who donated to Republican and Democratic candidates.

A quick look at AT&T reveals that the company’s CEO Randall Stephenson donated a combined amount of nearly $309,700 to the Republican Party, while 59.8% of the company’s employees as a whole supported Democrats.

Note: It appears, however, the site does not include lobbying expenditures, donations by corporate PACs or contributions to dark money political organizations. For example, AT&T donated $2 million to Trump’s inaugural committee, which is not included in Zippia’s data. You can find additional corporate donor information at OpenSecrets.org.

5. Bonus Tip: CREDO Mobile

Does your mobile carrier donate to Republicans and right-wing causes or support the Trump agenda? (Find out above!)

By joining CREDO Mobile, your monthly bill will support issues like climate justice, voting rights and economic equality. That’s because we donate a portion of our revenue every month – more than $1 million a year – to the progressive causes you care about. You can rest assured that your phone bill will never support the right-wing agenda, and CREDO will never donate to Republicans, ever.

For years, corporations have backed Republican politicians and right-wing causes without scrutiny from the public, but these apps and websites are here to change that. Armed with these great resources, voting with your wallet is now easier than ever.

[billy.pilgrim]

Good list. Thanks

[Vrede too]

Good list. Thanks

De nada.


Farmer: Trump's $28 billion bailout isn't worth the trade war

The farmer bailouts necessitated by Dolt .45's poorly thought out tariffs have exceeded the auto industry bailouts necessitated by the Shrubcession, ones that ODS Repugs screeched about incessantly.

[Vrede too]

Top charts of 2019
Thirteen charts that clarify what our economic priorities need to be in 2020

[Vrede too]

banni, the debt tally in the banner is about to take a YUGE $2T+ jump. It's a shame that PINO and the Repugs already had us in such a deficit hole.

[Vrede too]

banni, the debt tally in the banner is about to take a YUGE $2T+ jump. It's a shame that PINO and the Repugs already had us in such a deficit hole.

"$2T+" was way low. Thanks, Dolt .45.

Rep. David Cicilline previews the first major antitrust investigation in over 50 years

Whatever one thinks of the target, Big Tech, it's deplorable that it's been half a century. Teddy Roosevelt is rolling over in his grave.

[Vrede too]

Fewer Americans say they would resume daily activities as coronavirus cases increase, survey finds

Many people including us said that it's the virus that is and will harm the economy more than govt restrictions do. This poll can't be read like most polls where a majority or plurality is a good thing. It's still a disaster for the economy when nearly half or even just a third of folks won't risk a given activity.

[Vrede too]

[Vrede too]

Some people are really Economics stupid.

GOP Sen. Josh Hawley tries to explain how Democrats are both 'Marxists' and 'corporatists'

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) suggested Monday that he might oppose President-elect Joe Biden's nomination of Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary because Biden's Cabinet picks are "a bunch of corporate liberals and warmongers." Over the summer, The Bulwark's Tim Miller pointed out, Hawley told Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the Democratic Party "in thrall" to "the Marxist left."

"Hawley could have ignored the criticism — after all, it’s not like his target audience is going to complain that he attacked the Democrats in two mutually exclusive ways," Jonathan Chait noted at New York.

But Hawley, "a prep school kid with degrees from Stanford and Yale" who "still craves the respect of elites," evidently "felt compelled to show that he is not just a glib demagogue mouthing slogans." ...

If that doesn't make much sense to you, get in line. Some critics pointed out that Hawley's policies and fat donations from corporate interests aren't all that helpful to "working Americans," while others delighted in the word-salad incoherence of his explanation:

This is the kind of answer on an exam in high school where the teacher would say quit using a bunch of words you read or heard somewhere without putting anything together in a paragraph that makes sense.

"Big corporations do not like Marxists who want to discredit and destroy the system," and "Marxists do not support uses of the American military," Chait summarized. But "the most precious line Hawley's lecture to Miller is 'Let me explain this to you.' As if any fool can see the obvious congruity of his two attacks on Biden. Only the elites can't spot the obvious. Just ask any regular hardworking Missouri farmer, and he'll explain that neoliberal corporate warlords are working hand in glove with Marxists to use critical race theory in order to advance Janet Yellen's candidacy for Treasury secretary."

Update: Stanford and Yale called, they want their degrees back.