Ever since Bush was "elected," America's been in a REGRESSION.

Legalize marijuana and start taxing it and exporting it. Marijuana will solve all our economic problems and make the world a much calmer place.

L.A. Confidential @ 5:

Bill Maher boots protester from audience.

Maher was talking science during one of his weekly panel discussions when a protester in his audience stood up, held up a smuggled-in sign reading "9/11 is a cover up fraud" and shouted comments to the same effect.

The host tried to shout down the audience member, who only became more agitated.

"Do we have some (expletive) security in this building," Maher yelled, "or do I have to come down there and kick his (expletive)?"

Actually I think some basic sanity from all sides for once might do this country good.

Amen... how about a debate Maher?

D to the Izzle @ 1:

Of course we are. The artificially low gas prices are a BIG sign.

good call!!! you noticed that too huh?

Jack McCafferty is the newsman I would most like to have a beer with.

I never thought a guy like Cafferty was behind the curve. Maybe his handlers exert great control over what he can or cannot say ( wouldn't surprise me ). But why does the MSM always seem to be two years behind the curve when it comes to what is obvious to the average guy on the street, or whatever is left of the disappearing middle class?
We know inflation is way beyond the managed figures that the government comes out with each week. Even Greenspan said recently that it does a great disservice to all in not including food and energy into the Consummer Price Index. Doesn't anyone in the Beltway buy fuel or food?
It is long past time that our government began to stop playing with the real figures and start dealing with reality. We have to, so should they.

The big question for Jack Cafferty and America should be, "Have you had enough GOP war, death, and debt?"

"these are really good times, but only a few know it."

— henry ford, president, ford motor company, 1932

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3898804/

Awesome Colbert is going to be on Meet the Press tomorrow morning.
Can't wait!

"I guess when the rich keep getting richer and the average American keeps piling up credit card debits and spending more time at work to make ends meet—that might be a possible reason for these negative feelings."

It's called REALITY. Unlike what is pushed by the big media, which seems to be some kind of alternate reality than most of us live in.

curtilingus @ 4:

Legalize marijuana and start taxing it and exporting it. Marijuana will solve all our economic problems and make the world a much calmer place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne9UF-pFhJY

Mike Mid City @ 23:

TreadingWater @ 7:

If I was a winger troll I would point out that this just proves that the liberal media has the polling public brainwashed.

As a left winger I would point out that the liberal media is the creation of MSM which is owned in full by commercial corporations.

Oh and I forgot, the courts say they don't have to tell the truth.

17 wxgeek Says: Its a sad commentary when someone like myself with a wife and two small children can say that even with a combined income of just over six figures, we are actually falling behind financially….and we’re very fiscally conservative.

******Is it not funny folks:I remember just before the 2000 election many folks enriched by the clinton economy & making decent payhecks suddenly thought they were rich and started saying & thinking they were Republicans.Many abandoned their core principles & democratic values to vote for the Repuke party.Well, you see where it got 'em.Moral of story "never vote for a party of rich folks when you are just making a pittance of very wealthy peoples.Never"
***look at the mother of the 2 yr old that wants the SCHIP program to continue, she is dirt poor and thinks of herself as a Republican.The very people(Repukes) she helped elect to office thinks she is worthless.Go figure that one out folks.

The stock market is about as good an indicator of the economy as Britny Spears antics
It's a playground for rich people to get richer
If you are middle class and have all your money in the stock market and have no insider info your a fool
You will provide a profit to some rich guy sooner or later

Andrew @ 12:

I never thought a guy like Cafferty was behind the curve. Maybe his handlers exert great control over what he can or cannot say ( wouldn't surprise me ). But why does the MSM always seem to be two years behind the curve when it comes to what is obvious to the average guy on the street, or whatever is left of the disappearing middle class?
We know inflation is way beyond the managed figures that the government comes out with each week. Even Greenspan said recently that it does a great disservice to all in not including food and energy into the Consummer Price Index. Doesn't anyone in the Beltway buy fuel or food?
It is long past time that our government began to stop playing with the real figures and start dealing with reality. We have to, so should they.

This might have something to do with your observation.

if we had a national initiative then our opinion polls would actually mean something.

fwacbar, the point is we DON'T have money...we had to BORROW money from CHINA. Taxes have been cut federally, but the burden is shifted to state and local government.

republicans=greedy asses, in it for themselves.

Yeah, my Rogaine's not working either.

Andy K @ 29:

Whaaa? @ 25:

Clintons fault!!!!

Well, of course it is.

Also Clinton's fault: African Sleepin' Sickness, The Defenestration of Prague, the South Sea Bubble, ths Credit Mobilier Scandal, Ishtar, the Rape of the Sabine Women, unsightly back hair, mass extinction of the dinosaurs,,,,

The fact that I can't get none.

When you need to know the weather that you have at the moment you look outside and see it. Same with the economy. I don't care what it was or will be to know what it is right now; it ain't good.

I know I could use work.

not sure if this relates to Calif....maybe the country? 5000 jobs in construction lost...5000 people from construction filed for unemployment......oh don't forget...coastal erosion is Bill Clintons fault too...along with priapism

ysbaddaden @ 38:

Andy K @ 29:

Whaaa? @ 25:

Clintons fault!!!!

Well, of course it is.

Also Clinton's fault: African Sleepin' Sickness, The Defenestration of Prague, the South Sea Bubble, ths Credit Mobilier Scandal, Ishtar, the Rape of the Sabine Women, unsightly back hair, mass extinction of the dinosaurs,,,,

The fact that I can't get none.

......bummer.......

larry elder, the uncle tom of the right was trying to blame the media for the public's perception of the economy

he did so by using bullshit facts and figures

i wish someone would explain to the right that the public gauges the economy by what they find in their wallets, and how they percieve their futures

i wish i could do an experiment and have all the news shows only report positive stories for a week....then do a poll of the public and see how they feel....bet they feel even worse, and have a larger distrust of the news media

Josh @ 34:

fwacbar, the point is we DON'T have money...we had to BORROW money from CHINA....

republicans=greedy asses, in it for themselves.

I disagree. Where did the CHinese get the money? We gave it to them for mops and brooms... We have plenty of our own money. They just don't take any from those that are hoarding all of it and end up borrowing it from chumps, like the Chinese. Wait till they try and cash in the t-bills they are holding. Bet a time comes when they will be worth more as scrap paper than anything else.

L.A. Confidential @ 5:

Bill Maher boots protester from audience.

Maher was talking science during one of his weekly panel discussions when a protester in his audience stood up, held up a smuggled-in sign reading "9/11 is a cover up fraud" and shouted comments to the same effect.

The host tried to shout down the audience member, who only became more agitated.

"Do we have some (expletive) security in this building," Maher yelled, "or do I have to come down there and kick his (expletive)?"

Actually I think some basic sanity from all sides for once might do this country good.

mahers lucky he didnt get his ass busted ,hes a pussey!

Ah yes, Ronald Reagan. Those were the days. He could've done everything Bush has done and his approval ratings would be up around 60-70%.

As to this CNN recession poll, it's about as meaningful as the Poll Daddy poll asking if Pete Stark should apologize.

You could do a poll here asking if the country was already in a deep depression worse than the 20s and you'd get 99% voting 'yes'.

nonny mouse @ 55:

Hello, dennis, nice to see you here.

Don't know how popular Reagan would or wouldn't have been had he done everything Bush has - but I rather doubt his ratings would have sailed quite so smoothly were his Presidency rife with the country being lied into a disastrous war, torture, illegal wiretapping, etc. He wasn't my personal fave rave, but to give the devil his due - at least he wasn't Bush.

As for polls - are you saying CNN is such a liberal MSM network that any poll would be skewed to the left?? I find that rather funny.

Reagan would have napped through it all, regardless of the polls. And he wouldn't have recalled anything if they asked him about it later. And then, he would have cut more social services, and gone back to sleep.

Hey nonny!

Hey nonny (all the way from NZ), miss kitty and tyree.

Nonny, I was just trying to get tyree's heart rate up a little. Not sure if he's been getting his daily aerobic in.

Reagan wouldn't have done half the things Bush has done and if he had invaded Iraq, he wouldn't have put up with the incompetence. Even so, he would've been infinitely better at explaining himself for his actions than this guy has been.
As to this poll, not necessarily skewed to the left, but public perceptions, as you know concerning economics, are hardly scientific. People will answer based on their own situations and what they read in the news. And how many times have you seen CNN do a story on a positive economic situations .
People will 'feel' we are in a recession if the MSM media and liberal blogs keep telling us we are in one.

Hey, Mizz Kitty, tyree, dennis, oh boy the gang's all here!

It's a bright sunny day here in NZ, if a bit windy and chilly - breeze off the Antarctic.

We could debate the Reagan v Bush idea till the cows come home, but I think we're pretty much in agreement - whatever we thought of Reagan, Bush is a disaster on an exponentially higher level, the damage he and his cronies have done will take a hell of a lot longer than it took Reagan's successors to clean up.

Agreed - public perception concerning economics might not be based on a truly objective scientific standard. But people 'feel' we are in a recession - not because the MSM and liberal blogs keep telling us we are in one - but because even the dimmest blue collar worker can do basic mathematics - his (and her) take-home pay just isn't covering what it used to, and he's having to work longer and harder for less and less. So when you're wondering how you're going to cover the cost of your kid's broken arm without insurance, and your ten-year-old car needs a new distributor, and heating oil just went up, again, and the junk food you buy for cheap at Wal-Mart trying to pinch the pennies as hard as you can turn out to be adulterated with Chinese toxins, and everyone in your neighbourhood is pretty much in the same boat, it gets a bit... well... annoying to have a president who is a self-proclaimed member of the 'Have More' club telling you how great the economy is doing. It's insulting to the intelligence. It's salt in the wound.

And no one needs to be 'convinced' by MSM and 'liberal blogs' that this country is in a world of hurt and spiraling rapidly down the plughole.

[Post away, madman. You may want to head to Costco for their big foil package. You'll be able to make a suit that matches your hat-Sitemonitor]

NoGWBpolicyleftinplace @ 63:

Well, Duh! The only ones who don't know it are the corporate-invested six-figure talking heads in the MSM; and the single digit I.Q. right-wingnut base who are so busy hating gay people that they wouldn't notice if their hair was on fire.

Remember, the stock market always goes up when companies downsize and people get fired. Cause to celebrate in the MSM.

CD @ 57:

"Jack Cafferty: Almost half of America thinks the US is in a recession"

And the rest of us know it's in a recession.

LOL, need a drum bada boom for you.

1 in 500 homes in the US are in foreclosure. We had 3000 here in San Diego by June of this year. Oil is over 90 bucks, the dollar of 1790 is worth 22 of ours, our manufacturing base is gone, the Canadian Loon has passed us, and if it doesn't rain in Georgia they will be out of water in Atlanta in 90 days......Hit it Jets..."I like to live in A mer ee Ka..."

One recurring measure of the "health of the economy" is the Dow Jones Stock Index. A single number, it's an economic benchmark even today's brain-dead reporters can understand - up good, down bad.

But the Dow Jones only measures the value of top stocks, and stocks are only owned by about 15 percent of the population. Additionally, the top stocks are so expensive that they are only really owned by about 5 percent of the population. Fifteen or five percent, all the Down Jones indicates is how wealthy the wealthy are. It has NO meaning for Ma 'n' Pa kettle. A little bump to their 401K or mutual fund? They won't be retiring any sooner because of it. Meanwhile every point in the Dow is another entire-human-lifetime of earnings dropped into Warren Buffet's pocket.

And this is another important point: a profit for you and me means maybe a little extra pocket change - but for the ultra wealthy, or even just the wealthy, that same PERCENTAGE of extra money means enough actual capital to start or support another business. I once worked for the silver-spoon son of a wealthy East Coast investor. Every week he'd phone home to Dad for another $25,000 to keep his entrepreneurial venture afloat. When I started my own company, $25,000 was a pipe dream, we struggled to earn $3000 a month with four people working our butts off. If we had had $25,000 to play with, my business may have thrived and grown - and it certainly would if we had received $25,000 a month. What was pocket change for Silver-Spoon's father meant the difference between surviving and thriving for my small business.

That's the kind of power the wealthy have - they have the power to create more ways of making more money. Meanwhile you and I are kept poor, deliberately, by people who couldn't parse the word "commonwealth" with a dictionary and a tutor, because they can't conceptualize it.

Only the TOP 1% of AMERICA's population believe the U.S. ECONOMY is doing GREAT.

When 99% of AMERICAN believe the U.S. Economy is doing great will be when the ECONOMY will be GREAT for EVERYONE in the WORLD.

The top !% are delusioned to think that they can survive without the 99% that run the ECONOMY.

Working more hours to make ends meet? That is assuming that they are working at all. My spouse works in construction and has been laid off for much of the summer and all of the fall.

<<>>

Food and energy are included in the CPI. They are not included in the core rate.

Albatross @ 68:

One recurring measure of the "health of the economy" is the Dow Jones Stock Index. A single number, it's an economic benchmark even today's brain-dead reporters can understand - up good, down bad.

But the Dow Jones only measures the value of top stocks, and stocks are only owned by about 15 percent of the population. Additionally, the top stocks are so expensive that they are only really owned by about 5 percent of the population. Fifteen or five percent, all the Down Jones indicates is how wealthy the wealthy are. It has NO meaning for Ma 'n' Pa kettle. A little bump to their 401K or mutual fund? They won't be retiring any sooner because of it. Meanwhile every point in the Dow is another entire-human-lifetime of earnings dropped into Warren Buffet's pocket.

-------

Stocks are owned by some 50% of the population, with IRA's and 401K's invested in them. People who have part of that money in big cap funds, likely own some shares of the DOW 30 companies.

Anne Screiber's brother lost her money in the 1929-32 bear market. She was not rich, earning a salary. She lived frugally, even berating her daughter when she bought her a fur coat. But living in New York City, she went to corporate shareholder meeetings. When she died in 1996, she had a fortune worth 22 million dollars. Those little bumps all added up.