The CBO said the stimulus created 2 - 3 million jobs and prevented a depression. 8 million jobs were lost before the stimulus started going into effect, and continued cuts by local and state gov't prevented stimulus from seriously impacting the unemployment rate. But in coordination with the Fed and TARP, it had impact. The consensus isn't that it failed, it was that it was too small. We took a 3 trillion dollar hit, and tried to fill the hole with 750 billion. We're lucky that the economy has finally recovered now and job growth should resume in 2012. Yes, amazing that GM is now one of the top automakers in the world again. It is leaner, meaner, and creates millions of dollars. And it paid back the federal gov't. Much more we can say than about the trillion wasted in Iraq and the trillions from the Bush tax cuts. I have never called Bush a war criminal - and people who do are crazy. Invading countries and occupying them certainly does create more terrorist - that's an observable fact. Do drone strikes create more terrorists than they kill? Not sure about that. Al Qaeda has been decimated in many states and lost membership. Now that's amazing! Actually the CBO said the current legislation would be budget neutral once enacted. THe majority of the law hasn't been enacted and won't be until 2014. So the increase you are seeing is not because of the law but other factor. the one area the law does contribute to slightly higher premiums is because of the additional benefits insurers are providing - which are the most popular parts of the law. Obama believes in soft power for promoting democracy. He increased funding to MEPI and as MEPI started giving grants directly to civic activists. Many of whom became organizers and promoters of the protests. So yes, there is evidence of the U.S. having direct involvement through organizations like MEPI. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Partnership_Initiative Also, read today's article in the nytimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/30/w...aid-offices-of-us-and-other-civil-groups.html
This thread is now seven pages long, and as of yet, nobody has put forth a compelling case to indicate how Obama is not the fourth best president after Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt. Accidental booster rocket ignite.
