The Speech President Obama Should Make To The Nation

The do nothing attitude of the Republicans in congress, their past failures on the economy, job creation and their often stated goals of seeing Obama and the nation fail should prompt the President to give the following speech.

Before I was elected President the Republicans controlled the White House 20 of the previous 28 years. Their rhetoric during those years represents the same talking points they are using against my administration and democratic policies. Lets exmine the facts of that 28 year period.

The republicans say government regulations have destroyed the economy and jobs: Fact, it did not destroy the economy and jobs on President Clinton's watch as the nation, the economy, job creation and its people enjoyed the best of those benefits.

The republicans say democrats are the big spenders: Facts, Federal spending under the Reagan administration increased 50% in his first term and 25% in his second term. Under George Walker Bush it increased 28% in his only term. Under Bil Clinton it increased 14% in his first term and 14 % in his second term. Under George W. Bush it increased 28% in his first term and 33% in his second term.

The republicans say they are fiscal conservatives: Fact, Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 never balanced one federal budget in the 20 years they ran the country. President Clinton, not only balanced the federal budget, his administration ended eight years where federal surpluses exceeded deficit spending. President Clinton also decreased the federal deficit four straight years in his first term in office. No republican President can say that.

The republican say democratic policies destroy jobs and republican policies create jobs. Fact, it was the George W. Bush dministration policies that destroyed jobs and at the greatest number since the great depression. More new jobs were created on the watch of Bil Clinton in eight years than were created under Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 in the 20 years they ran the country. Job creation under Reagan was 16.1 million, under Bush 41 it was 2.5 million, under Bill Clinton it was 22.7 million and under Bush 43 it was 1.1 million.

The republicans say the national debt exploded because of democratic policies and spending. Fact, The nationad debt increased 186% on Reagan's watch, 54% on Bush 41 watch, 31% on Bill Clinton's watch and 105% on Bush 43 watch. If those 3 republican Presidents would have balanced the federal budget like Clinton did the national debt would not be a problem as we speak today.

The republicans say federal regulation of business destroy their ability to compete and create jobs. Fact, The two greatest financial failures happened on Reagans and Bush 43 watch. The great failure of the Savings and Loan industry under Reagan and the great failure of the wall street banks under Bush 43. It was the lack of inforcement on those two Presidents watch that had a direct affect on those failures along with greed.

The republicans say their policies are better at keeping unemployment low: Fact, it was the democratic administration of Bill Clinton who had the best record of doing so. The unemployment rate on Clinton's watch never exceeded what it was at the time he took office. Unemployment on Clinton's watch was the lowest in 40 years and it stood at less than 4% for 5 months in his last year in office.

The republicans say their policies know how to create jobs in the private sector. Fact, over 90% of all new jobs created under the Clinton administration came from the private sector, the highest percentage in any administration. No republican administration who followed a democratic administration created more jobs than the democratic administration it followed. But every democratic administration that followed a republican administration did.

The true story and fact of those 28 years is that a democratic administration in only 8 of those years performed better for the country and its people in every area that counts. The 20 years of republican rule never measured up to their past or present rhetoric. The 20 year fiscal record of Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 was a failure never seen before for America and the republicans in congress rubber stamped those failed policies.

The past can only be changed by future decisions and the future is now. Time is running short and I and congress need to act in a responsible way to chart a course of progress for the country and its people. It is time for the do nothing republican party to do something about the situation they created. They should not use their want to see Obama fail attitude at the expense of the country and the average American. It is past time for them to step up to the plate and shed their anti American ideology.

The nations economic recovery must put the average American first with job creation. That is the basic of a thriving and lasting economy. The ideology of trickle down economics and tax breaks for corporate America and the wealthy has proven to be a fairy tale for a lasting economy and job creation. That past has to be put to bed now for a better future for the country and our people.

If the republicans in congress continue to follow their do nothing policy I will no longer seek their imput and I will do those things I can legally do by executive order to keep the economic recovery and job creation moving forward.

As for my administration, I will be held accountable for what happens on my watch. The record job losses of 2008 was reversed on my watch by my policies and new hiring has taken place. Hiring is not the best and I have introduced a plan that would do better in that regard. I am not at all happy with the economic progress on my watch and I will continue to deal with that. I will also do what ever is necessary as time goes on and will not sit on the side lines. The economy, job creation and lowering the unemployment will continue to be my immediate and main focus. My present jobs plan before congress will put our people back to work and it will be a democratic administration once again who moved the country and its people forward.

Note 1: See past commentary concerning the 28 year period above.

Note 2: The U.S. Economy: Which Party Performs Best dated 1-27-08

Note 3: The Fiscal Legacy of George W. Bush dated 10-30-09

Note 4: Federal Spending: Fact vs Myth dated 10-31-09

Note 5: The National Debt: Betrayal and Devastation dated 12-10-09

Note 6: Job Creation for Presidential Terms: 1929-2008

September U.S. Job Creation

The labor department announced there were 103,000 net new jobs created in September. The pundits were predicting the economy would show a loss of jobs. The department also revised its figures for July and August. July's new jobs total was revised from 85,000 to 127,000 jobs. August new jobs was revised from zero to 57,000 new jobs. The numbers are still not high enough to lower the unemployment rate but the President's policies continue to add jobs to the economy.

If it were up to the republican party in congress the country would still be losing jobs every month like it did under the previous administration. The party also knows if they pass the President's job bill he presented to congress the job creation numbers would be even higher and unemployment would start coming down. The three stooges, Boehner, McConnell and Cantor's game plan is still to let the country fail on the President's watch. They are well aware that democratic administrations always out perform republican administrations in job creation and being aware of what happened on their watch under the Bush administration they do not want to see another democratic administration be a success.

The fact of the matter concerning job creation, try this on for size. No republican administration that followed a democratic administration in the last 80 years created more jobs than the democratic administration they followed. But every democratic administration who followed a republican administration in that same time period created more jobs than the republican administration they followed. When one has the facts it is easy to understand why the present republican party want the Obama administration to fail.

Concerning unemployment I would point out again that the unemployment rate jumped to 10.1% in Reagan's 21st. month in office and stayed above 10% for 10 straight months. It was 7.5% when he took office. (Source: Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics) The current 9% unemployment is unacceptable but any fair minded person can understand the situation Obama inherited was much worse than Reagan inherited.

The republicans need to pass the President's job plan policy and act like men for a change. If the President's plan does not work the voters will hold him accountable at election time. The republican's anti-American ideology and attitude has been a major failure to a sound economy, balanced budgets and job creation. That says it all.

Note 1: There are various reports on job creation during Presidential terms such as wikipedia. All contain minor differences in numbers but when put together all come to the same conclusion.

Note 2: See my commentary dated 11/5/2010 titled, "Job Creation for Presidential Terms 1929-2008.

Governor Bobby Jindal And The Family Research Council

Republican Presidential candidates and Louisiana governor Jindal spoke at the Family values voter summit in Washington over the last few days. The get together with the Council is one of the many platforms so called conservative republicans use to rev up the religious right vote and use that platform to divide American between religious lines.

Forty eight years ago the republican party accused then democratic Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy with the rap that if elected he would be taken orders from the Vatican because he happened to be Catholic. They knew as a member of the U.S. House and then the U.S. Senate, Kennedy never wore his religion on his sleeve or promoted any religion for that matter. Their personal attack on Kennedy's religion is still strong as ever today as a method of operation.

Jindal and conservatives are hyprocrites because today they use the religious right to promote their political ambition. Kennedy never did that, period. According to the Times Picayune of October 8 Jindal tried to compare James Carville's remark, "its the economy stupid" to a "common sense of culture." Jindals comparison of oranges to apples showed how far he would stoop and how ignorant he is concerning Carville's remark. It is the way Jindal, conservatives and the religious right try to demonize democrats who can think for themselves.

Jindal and conservatives do not believe in the separation of church and state. They loss their moral compass long ago for political gain and the party used separation of church and state against Kennedy even though they knew it was not an issue. Even now at the Values summit mentioned above some are using the religious issue against fellow republican Mitt Romney because he is a Mormon. The conservatives and the religious right have no shame and that is a reflection of the type of values they preach.

Another First For Politidose: Former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer

Stephanie Grace in an editorial for the Times Picayune dated Oct. 4 made the case why former Louisiana Governor Roemer should be allowed to participate in the republican Presidential debates. That was welcome news coming from the largest newspaper in Louisiana, however, politidose was out in front on the subject matter long ago. My commentary titled, Buddy Roemer: Republican Presidential candidate dated 8/3/11 spoke about the issue and how the influence of the wealth lobby and our elected leaders are toxic for the public good.

The news media, T.V., printed and radio really do not pay much attention to the issue because they benefit directly from the wealth lobbyist pass around that support the political ads of the candidates that do their bidding. When it comes to the issues of wealth being transferred to the wealthy from the middle class and the serious problems Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 left the country in concerning federal deficit spending and debt, politidose has been well ahead of the main street news media on the subject matter and for the last several years.

If the news media wants to impact the real issues to the general public that affect them then I suggest they follow politidose. Ditto for the people themselves. Why buy a newspaper when you can read about those things that really matter and make a difference right here in politidose.

Jeff Landry: Louisiana's Biggest Stooge Has Met His Match

U.S. Rep., Jeff Landry, one of Louisiana's three stooges in congress is once again showing his ignorance, lack of character and why he is unfit to serve Louisiana and its people. His nose was bent out of joint because of a recent visit to BOEMRE's regional office. He made an unscheduled visit and had to wait 30 minutes. He compared the agency's staffers to the Gestapo. BOEMRE's director Michael Bromwich in response to Landry's Gestapo remark wrote Landry the following according to a TP article dated 9/21/11.

Your comparison of the minor inconvenience you experienced to the tactics and methods of the Nazi secret police is simply unacceptable from anyone, but especially from a public official. In light of your defamatory remarks, our Gulf of Mexico Regional Office has asked me to advise you that its personnel will not be available to meet with you on Sept. 30.

Hooray for Mr. Bromwich and his staff people for their reaction to Mr. Landry's unAmerican behavior. Time and again Landry and the conservative republicans are incapable of discussing issues without personal attacks. The Times Picayune also wrote the following. Landry wrote to bromwich on Tuesday, if any apology is necessary it would be from you to me and more importantly to the hard working people of south Louisiana, many of whom are now unemployed as a result of decisions from your agencey.

Landry's last sentence: Many of whom are now unemployed as a result of decisions from your agency is proof of how the oil and gas industry and their lobby hold sway over him with their campaign contributions. His little boy comment that it was BOEMRE to blame for any unemployed workers follow the talking points of the industry. The idea is to blame government and not BP and the industry and their own failed safety enforcement.

Landry thinks of himself as elite. People with that attitude have other serious problems that they try to hide. His actions concerning this incident and the BP spill shows he cares nothing about the 11 rig workers who were killed, the workers of Louisiana or even the state. He and his party are truly a pitiful lot. Landry is anti everything that mAde this country great.

More government officials should continue to send Landry and other republicans to the little boy corner where they belong. Landry has earned the title, biggest stooge of them all.

The Do Nothing Republicans In Congress

If that sounds familiar it is because President Truman said that more than 50 years ago in discribing the republican party that served in congress on his watch. Not much has changed for the republican party for in the year 2011 they still rate as the "do nothing congress."

One would think the party were capable of stepping out of the past but their anti American ideology has proven too hard to shake loose from. They refuse to learn from the past because they still have the same problem of the inability to debate the issues and because of their inadequate feelings. The partys debates is a good example. It is a rerun of the many past republican debates and void of the real issues the country faces.

Truman knew how to deal with the republican party's "do nothing agenda"and President Obama is still learning. The past tells us the democratic party and a democratic President are still the best hope of moving the country and its people away from the past and still the best for solving the serious problems we face as a nation. The future will be bright as long as we keep democrats in our "democracy."

Social Security: A True Success Story

Contrary to what conservative republicans are preaching, social security has not contributed one penny to the federal deficit problem. It is and always has been funded by social security taxes paid by individuals and empolyers and has always been solvent. Social security has always taken in more revenue than its paid out except during the Bush recession which has resulted in less taxes paid into the system because of the record job losses.

The federal government has had to rob over $4 trillion from the social security trust fund to pay for deficit spending and the majority of that deficit spending was by the Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 administrations who never balanced one federal budget in the 20 years they served and ran the country. It was a time of record deficit spending for those 20 years. Clinton balanced the federal budget, paid down debt and his administration ended 8 years with a net $62 billion surplus over all. Obama's first fiscal year budget ended in deficit spending and his second fiscal year budget that ends 9/30/11 will end in deficit spending also.

If not for social security more seniors and elders would be hurt by recessions and economic down turns. More would be in poverty, less in the middle class and much less income to take care of the basis necessities of life. It would result in more uninsured, ruin the stability of the economic life of those receiving social security benefits. We know what the unemployed people are going through, just think if you add the millions of people to that number if they did not have the safety net of social security. Most importantly, social security allows seniors to live in dignity and continue to participate in the quest for life. The latest census report as carried by the Times Picayune dated 9/14 showed social security kept about 20.3 million seniors and working age adults receiving disability payments out of poverty. That is a powerful statement of facts and illustrates how important a role social security plays in people's lives.

The republican party is bent on destroying social security. That is the purpose of their record deficit spending and creation of debt for the country. They want to starve the government of revenue so there will be no money to continue the program. The republican party's actions at the very moment prove that. Their allegiance is with corporate America, their lobby and the wealthy and is played out in their policies of special treatment to those folks. Their privatized plan for social security would be a boon for Wall Street, you know, those folks who participated in the financial scandal of the Wall Street Banks.

Social security can be made stronger by very minor adjustments, that has been pointed out many times over by various studies. The democratic party has always stood in the way of the republicans attempt to defund the program and should continue to do so. Any thing less would be a betrayal of the American people.

Understanding The Past Is Still The Key To The Future: Continued

There is a reason why the past administrations of Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 failed to achieve the economic and fiscal success of the Clinton administration. The former administrations never developed or adopted a broad economic plan as Clinton did. The former believed that their trickle down ideology was a policy that would address the economy, create jobs, balance the federal budget and have low unemployment. However none of those three administrations accomplished that. But the Clinton administration did.

President Clinton understood why the 12 years of Reagan-Bush 41 trickle down economics left his administration nothing but record deficits and a record increase in the national debt. Remember it "was the economy stupid" when Clinton defeated Bush 41. Clinton had the wisdom and savvy to learn from those past mistakes. He campaigned on an economic policy and after he was elected he introduced his economic and deficit reduction plan to the democratic controlled congress in 1993. Clinton's plan was passed by both houses of congress without any vote of any republican in either house of congress. They all predicted doom and gloom. It should be noted that the unemployment rate never exceeded what it was when Clinton took office during his full eight years as President. Reagan, Bush 41 and Bush 43 never achieved that.

George W. Bush, Bush 43 when taking office took over a sound economy, record job creation, balanced budgets, surpluses, the lowest unemployment in over 40 years, the lowest average yearly price for a barrel of oil in over 30 years and a sound fiscal house. Bush 43 blew it all because he ignored the past success and lessons that Clinton learned and was bent on going back to the past of trickle down economics. The same old ideology of Reagan. Bush never developed a true economic or fiscal policy as Clinton did and the results of his eight years returned the past front and center. Only the great depression was worse.

Barrack Obama became President and inherited the carnage left by Bush 43. The situation was much worse than when the previous four Presidents took office. He also faced a republican party who vowed to make him a one term President from day one. President Obama failed to learn from the past also and failed to meet the dire situation of the country with a well thought out broad economic and deficit reduction plan. The stimulus worked to reverse the record job losses, saved and created jobs but did not put enough people back to work or reduce the unemployment rate to where it should be. Obama's actions were not based on ideology, but he lacked a true plan and still does not have one as of this writing. President Obama also showed a lack of leadership in thinking the republicans would work with him even after they said they would not. As a result the President lost a lot of valuable time pussy footing around with them and their unAmerican ideology.

It appears to this writer that our country and the average American is at a terrible disadvantage. In my judgement, Obama is a better choice than any of the announced republican presidential candidates because of their extreme right wing agenda that would return the country and its people back to the Bush 43 era. I also believe the democratic party has two or three people that would do a better job than Obama and show more leadership. I do not think any democrat would challange the President because that would probabley result in the election of the republican nominee.

I can not remember a worse time for the average American. The country is 14 months away from the next election and the republican's have completely ignored their plight by opposing every thing that Obama has proposed to get the country moving again and putting America back to work. Bill Clinton was a lot of things to a lot of people but his policies put the people and the country first. No one can successfully imitate another person in being President. One has to be himself but leadership, character, courage, wisdom with a knowledge of the past is the key to a successful future.

President Obama needs to make a decision as to his capabilities of dealing with the future. He is not going to change the republican hatred but does have enough authority as President to step out of the past. If the President is incapable of making that commitment he should not run for reelection and make it know in enough time for another democrat to run. I do not approach this subject casually. The country and its people deserve better than what is taking place now. But nothing is moving. The ball is really in the President's court and he has to show leadership, courage and wisdom for a better future.

The State Of The Union

It is broken, thanks to our elected officials in congress, especially the republican party who practice an anti American ideology, Corporate America and their lobby whose wealth allows them to influence congressional decision making that favor their own greedy self.

Never before has Corporate America, their lobby and elected officials been so blatenly outspoken against the middle class. The BP oil spill brought out the worse in the oil industry and many elected officials who did their bidding by blaming the President for the moratorium and wanting to put the industry back to work in the Gulf before all the facts were known on the explosion and spill that killed 11 rig workers.

The State of the Union has a republican party that rubber stamped President George W. Bush's failed policies that brought the nation record federal deficits for 8 years, a doubling of the national debt, record job losses, an economy that collapsed and turned out to be the worse since the great depression and a failed financial system built on greed and a lack of oversight. And that same republican party is now doing what ever it can to see Obama and the State of the Union fail.

The birth of the republican tea party pushed their party to the extreme right and has made the conservative's ideology more anti American than ever. Their behavior at the last republican Presidential debate that they sponsored showed their true lack of character, class, and their hatred for government. They also displayed an ignorance of what America and its democratic society is all about.

Corporate America and their lobby has bought America with its wealth. Their monopoly and business practices, especially their foreign operations have reduced the working middle class. They demand special tax breaks and receive them from members of congress who gladly do their bidding. As former republican Louisiana Governor Roemer said, Corporate America needs to decide whether they want to be a American company or a foreign company.

The democratic party also shares the blame for their being in bed with Corporate America and their lobby and going along with special treatment for them. But the fact of the matter they have worked with past republican Presidents and voted the President's agenda. They have never brought impeachment charges against a republican President just because they did not like him or want to see him fail. That distinction belongs to the republican party for their treatment of President Clinton.


This writer has written several commentaries how understanding the past is the key to the future. That is still the case today, but unfortunately wealth and greed has high jacked the future and the status quo of the past is well and alive. The future can be bright again if we as a nation are willing and committed to reverse the past, learn those lessons and bring the middle class back where it belongs in a democratic society.