Thom Hartmann: Obama's Stimulus Was One of the Best Kept Secrets - Why?

[thomhartmann]

Michael Grunwald, Time Magazine, The New New Deal: The Hidden History of Change in the Obama Era, joins Thom Hartmann. To most economists - the stimulus act prevented an all out Great Depression. But to Mitt Romney - it was a complete failure. Michael Grunwald literally wrote the book on the stimulus package. And with two and a half months until the election - and the debate over the stimulus act and President Obama's effort to improve the economy not going away anytime soon - it's worth hearing what he has to say

The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT TV & FSTV "live" 9pm and 11pm check www.thomhartmann.com/tv for local listings

[The Wielding Truth]

1. A big K&R!

[SunSeeker]

2. Michael Grunwald made the same excellent points on Up with Chris Hayes too.

He did an excellent job explaining what the Stimulus did, and what hypcrites the Republicans are. I hope his book, the New New Deal sells well, he seems to be the only one out there who understands what the Stimulus did. Even Chris Hayes kept saying, "I didn't know that" to stuff Grunwald was noting, like all the green jobs and education money. But his most salient point is that the Republicans had their own Stimulus Act in the wings, to the tune of $715 billion, but it had less green jobs and more tax breaks for corporations. But still, it was not a whole lot less than the $800 billion the Dems pushed through.

[Cary]

3. Listening to Niall Ferguson yesterday

He said that he voted for McCain and that McCain would have used tax cuts rather than government spending. Mr. Grunwald points out otherwise, but then too 1/3 of President Obama's stimulus was tax cuts.

Interesting about the psychology and saving.

I have a degree in economics and I find it fascinating. But most people don't share my fascination. I find that they believe what they want to believe about it regardless. I am not so sure that there is anything that President Obama could do to get the word out. The bottom line for the vast majority out there is their bottom line. If they feel good, as they did under President Clinton, then he's a genius. If they don't, then it's the President's fault even if it isn't his fault. So it's rather amazing right now that President Obama isn't taking more heat over it.

We needed and continue to need more stimulus and there's no good reason why we can't be subsidizing the states so they're not firing policemen, firemen, and teachers. We have $20 trillion infrastructure maintenance deficit and there's no good reason why we're not working on that, along with new infrastructure. There is no good reason, only Republican obstruction.

[corazonroto]

4. There is another secret about the stimulus EUC08 fraud scandal that they don't want to get out...

Welcome to our 21st century Watergate:

Recovery, Stimulus, Unemployment, ARRA waste, denial, fraud, Abuse of Authority and Malfeasance in Office all meet right here, with the serious implementation problems in the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program that this whistle blower has exposed...

29,748,954 Emergency Unemployment Compensation Claims (for all tiers)
663,688,610 weeks of benefits
$97,433,246,688 for EUC08 benefits to present day.
There are serious problems with Determinations, Payments and Adjudications in the EUC08 program, due to an implementation error that the Department of Labor has made and refuses to admit. FOIA requests have exposed some serious violations of ARRA oversight requirements, rights, laws and regulations:

Read First:
Mr. President, there is a serious problem with the EUC08 program
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/09/1118321/-Mr-President-there-is-a-serious-problem-with-the-EUC08-program

Part One:
If Regulations are Broken in the Forest, and "Nobody" Sees and Hears them get broken...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/21/1112290/-If-Regulations-are-Broken-in-the-Forest-and-Nobody-Sees-and-Hears-them-get-broken

Part Two:
ARRA Fraud in the Emergency Unemployment Insurance Program
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/04/1116763/-ARRA-Fraud-in-the-Emergency-Unemployment-Insurance-Program

Part Three:
Mr. President, I hear FOIA calling...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/05/1116884/-Mr-President-I-hear-FOIA-calling

Part Four:
a Recovery Fraud Complaint Ignored
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/17/1121274/-a-Recovery-Fraud-Complaint-ignored

Part Five:
An ARRA Implementation Error Exposed
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/18/1121545/-An-ARRA-Implementation-Error-Exposed

The Recovery Fraud Complaint and CUIAB Case:
a Recovery Fraud Complaint ignored...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/17/1121274/-a-Recovery-Fraud-Complaint-ignored

FOIA discovery: letters between the Department of Labor ETA and California EDD/CUIAB that expose the cover-up (scroll to the end)

If Regulations are Broken in the Forest, and "Nobody" Sees and Hears them get broken...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/21/1112290/-If-Regulations-are-Broken-in-the-Forest-and-Nobody-Sees-and-Hears-them-get-broken

The Obama Administration from the Department of Labor the the White House, is refusing to comment nor refute this evidence....now what?

[alp227]

5. also was interviewed on the Aug. 27 Thom radio show...