How and why did Christmas become such an urgent talking point? Consider – if the 2nd quarter gdp numbers are revised and just the slightest dip into negative territory occurs. Consider if the 2nd quarter gdp numbers dip and many expect the 3rd quarter and the 4th quarter to dip deeper into negative territory. Consider what happens if the 2nd, 3rd, 4th quarters are officially declared negative gdp quarters. After three consecutive quarters of negative gdp, the National Bureau of Economic Research declares it an official recession.
Would you like to be running for reelection in January 2012 as a double dip recession is declared? Would you want to lose your “blame the previous guy” strategy? No you would not. So start setting the trap now. In July.
Why invoke Christmas in the heat of July? Because you have to set up the Republicans for the hit. This Friday the Obama calorie counters will announce which bills will be paid and which bills will not be paid – its ramp up the fear time. But today it’s Christmas gift boxes packed with explosives.
“The latest consumer confidence report aside, Americans are still apprehensive, especially about their jobs, and that fear is likely to weigh on consumer spending in the months ahead, according to one retail industry consultant.
Burt Flickinger, managing director of retail consultantcy Strategic Resource Group, said the U.S. has just entered a 500-day retail recession, and before it’s over, the U.S. will see weaker retail sales, more store closures and even additional retailers joining Borders in bankruptcy.”
A 500 day recession in retail will not help Obama so time to get up the blame game:
The whole country's screwed at this point.
That tends to happen when you elect someone who can't take the phone at 3:00 am. Hillary could have. Barack?
He's worried that if he answers the phone, he won't get his beauty rest and he's got a busy day planned for tomorrow: GOLFING!!!
The lazy bastard couldn't even campaign. Has everyone forgotten that? In 2008, he was forever taking a vacation from campaigning.
Now he had a job to do, he was a US senator. But he was forever going on vacation because it was so hard reading his teleprompter.
Hillary wasn't going on vacation.
If Hillary were president, we wouldn't have these problems.
Barack's an ass and he's a stupid ass.
"Iraq snapshot" (The Common Ills):
A few e-mailed that the video at Press TV wasn't working. (The story had a video if you clinked on the link. I didn't say "link has text and video" because the video wasn't working.) New development: It is working now and the video report contradicts the written report. It also contradicts itself. In the video, we're told that extending the presence of the US military it's not just getting the approval of Parliament and three presidencies (they mean the president and two vice presidents) "and if it happens the extension would not be longer than two or three years." So it's not just that. Hmm. Well what does it involve? The reporter informs later in the segment, "The government cannot take such decision by its own the extension needs the approval of the Parliament, the prime minister and the president and this is not easy." Oh. Okay. So the only thing they added to the equation was . . . the Prime Minister.
Yes, that is rather ridiculous. They also fall for the claim that extending the SOFA or creating a new agreement is like setting a date for the elections and needs the same body to approve it. Nouri became prime minister in 2006. At the close of that year and at the close of 2007, he demonstrated he could extend the US military presence without the approval of anyone. (Parliament objected both times but did not punish him and by refusing to do so they've allowed this to be a power of the prime minister.) Today Lara Jakes (AP) reports Nouri posted a message to his website stating that it was up to Parliament and that he had spoken of the issue with US Vice President Joe Biden yesterday. AFP quoted a statement from Nouri's office yesterday on the phone call, "The prime minister assured Mr. Biden that in the end it is up to the parliament to decide whether the country needs American forces to stay or not after the end of this year." Alsumaria TV notes the statement from Nouri also said "he expects the leaders of Iraqi political blocs to reach an agreement in this regard during their upcoming meeting. On the other hand US vice President stressed that the USA support Iraq government in facing different challenges in the inside and the outside and stressed on the necessity of ongoing strategic relations between the two countries."
Ali Abdel Azim (Al Mada) reports on a meeting yesterday between State of Law (Nouri's political slate) and Iraqiya (Ayad Allawi's) in which both sides are stating efforts were made in anticipation of Saturday's big meet-up at Jalal Talabni's. Iraqiya's excited that the defense ministries were discussed. Dar Addustour notes that the rumor is Abdul Karim al-Samarrai, currently Minister of Science and Technology, will be nominated to be Minister of Defense. However, meet-ups don't always take place. Al Jazeera and the Christian Science Monitor's Jane Arraf Tweets:
janearraf jane arraf
Yesterday the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee examined the costs of war. Kat covered it at her site last night with "Soldiers aren't gods," Wally covered it at Rebecca's site with "Senator Johnny Isakson (Wally)" and Ava covered it at Trina's site with "Scott Brown in the Committee spotlight ." The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chair is Senator Patty Murray whose office notes:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Murray Press Office
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 (202) 224-2834
VETERANS: Senator Murray Chairs Hearing to Examine the Human and Financial Costs of War
Hearing shines a light on the often overlooked long-term costs that must be paid to support veterans and their families and how we must protect and plan for this lifetime of care in the current budget climate
· WATCH the hearing
· The full text of witness testimonies can be viewed here.
· Senator Murray's opening statement MP3 audio file can be found here.
· Crystal Nicely's opening testimony MP3 audio file can be found here.
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, held a hearing to examine the real human and financial costs of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how as a nation we need to plan to keep our promise to these veterans for the rest of their lives.
"As we all know, when our nation goes to war, it's not just the costs of fighting that war that must be accounted for. We must also
includ the cost of caring for our veterans and families long
after the fighting is over," said Senator Murray. "No matter what
fiscal crisis we face, no matter how dividied
we may be over approaches to cutting our debt and deficit, and
no matter how heated the rhetoric here in Washington D.C. gets
-- we must remember that we can't balance our budget at the
expense of the health care and benefits our veterans have
earned. Their sacrifices have been too great. They have done every-
thing that has been asked of them. They have been separated
from their families through repeat deployments. They have
sacrificed life and limb in combat. And they have done all of this
selflessly and with honor to our country. And the commitment
we have to them is non-negotiable."
At the hearing, Senator Murray heard from Crystal Nicely, the wife of Marine Corporal Todd Nicely, a quadruple amputee veteran of the War in Afghanistan. Nicely described the lifetime of support her and her husband will require and about the red tape she has already faced in her daily struggle to provide Todd with the care he needs. She also discussed their continued frustration over the lack of consistent care and attention her husband has received.
The Senator also heard testimony from Paul Rieckhoff, the Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). Rieckhoff outlined the high unemployment rate for new veterans and highlighted the wide range of specific skill sets they hold that translate to civilian trades. Reickhoff also called on the public, private and nonprofit sectors to work together in order to ensure returning servicemembers are able to easily transition into the American workforce.
Finally, the hearing featured the views of budget experts from the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office and the RAND Corporation on the long-term costs associated with providing mental and physical health care, supporting caregivers, maintaining prosthetics, and providing benefits.
The full text of Senator Murray's opening statement follows:
"Welcome to today's hearing, where we will examine the lifetime costs of supporting our newest generation of veterans. As we all know, when our nation goes to war, it's not just the costs of
fighting that war that must be accounted for. We must also
includ the cost of caring for our veterans and families long
after the fighting is over.
"And that is particularly true today, at a time when we have more
than half-a-million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the VA health
care system -- an over 100% increase since 2008.
"This presents a big challenge - and one that we have no choice
but to step up to meet if we are going to avoid many of the same
mistakes we saw with the Vietnam generation. But it's more
than just the sheer number of new veterans that will be coming
home that poses a challenge to the VA.
"It's also the extent of their wounds -- both visible and invisible
-- and the resources it will take to provide our veterans with
quality care.
"Through the wonders of modern medicine, service members
who would have been lost in previous conflicts are coming
home to live productive and fulfilling lives. But they will need
a lifetime of care from the VA.
"Today, we will hear from the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, the RAND Corporation and
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, in an effort to help
us quantify and understand those costs, and to ensure that we
can meet the future needs of our veterans.
"But today's hearing is also important to better understanding
the social and economic costs borne by veterans and their
families. And today we are so fortunate to be joined by one
of those brave family members -- Crystal Nicely -- who is not
only a wife but also a caregiver to her husband, Marine Corporal
Todd Nicely.
"Todd was seriously injured by an I.E.D. in the southern
Helmand Province of Afghanistan and since that time has
come home to fight every day, focus on his recovery, and I
even heard yesterday that he has already started to drive
again.
"I want to take a moment to say thank you so much for your
service to our country. You have shown bravery not only as
a Marine in Afghanistan, but also through the courage you have displayed during your road to recovery. I invited Crystal here
today because I think it is incredibly important that we hear
her perspective.
"The costs we have incurred for the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan -- and will continue to incur for a very long time --
extend far beyond dollars and cents. And when I first met
Crystal last month while touring Bethesda Naval Base her story
illustrated that. Crystal is here today to talk about the human
cost.
"And that cost is not limited exclusively to the servicemembers
and veterans who have fought and fighting these wars, but it
also is felt by the families of these heroes who work tirelessly
to support their loved ones through deployments and re-
habilitation -- day in and day out. Many, like Crystal, have given
up their own jobs to become full time caregivers and advocates
for their loved ones.
"Last month, while testifying before the Senate Appropriations
Subcommittee on Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, Admiral Mullen told me that 'without the family members
we would be nowhere in these wars.' I couldn't agree more --
and after we hear Crystal's story that will be even more clear.
"As the members of this Committee know, over the course of the
last few hearings we've examined how the veterans of today's
conflicts are faced with unique challenges that VA and DoD are
often falling short of meeting.
"We have explored mental health care gaps that need to be filled,
cutting edge prosthetics that must be maintained, a wave of new
and more complex benefit claims that are taking too long to
complete, the need to fulfill the promise of the post 9/11 GI Bill,
and the need to support veterans who are winding up out-of-work
and on the streets.
"All of these unmet challenges come with costs. Some costs
we will be able to calculate. Some will not be fully known for
decades. But today's hearings will be a reminder that in order
to meet these costs we must safeguard the direct investments
we make in veterans care and benefits, get the most value out
of every dollar we spend, and start planning today -- at a time
when critical long-term budget decisions are being made.
"As we all know, there is no question that we need to make smart decisions to tighten our belts and reduce our nation's debt and
deficit.
"But no matter what fiscal crisis we face, no matter how dividied
we may be over approaches to cutting our debt and deficit, and
no matter how heated the rhetoric here in Washington D.C. gets
-- we must remember that we can't balance our budget at the
expense of the health care and benefits our veterans have
earned.
"Their sacrifices have been too great. They have done every-
thing that has been asked of them. They have been separated
from their families through repeat deployments. They have
sacrificed life and limb in combat. And they have done all of this
selflessly and with honor to our country. And the commitment
we have to them is non-negotiable.
"Not just today, but far into the future.
"Thank you all for being here today, I will now turn to Senator
Brown for his opening statement."
mohammed tawfeeq
press tv
wisam al-bayati
al jazeera
the associated press
lara jakes
al mada
ali abdel azim
dar addustour
