Obama Says `Worst May be Behind Us' on Recession

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 57 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Using better-than-expected jobs numbers to press his top domestic priority, President Barack Obama is arguing that overhauling the health care system is essential to the country's economic well-being.

Republicans said the high unemployment rate — 9.4 percent in July — shows how families and businesses are struggling and that Obama's reliance on a large government role in expanding health coverage is the wrong approach.

A net total of 247,000 jobs were lost last month, the fewest in a year and a drastic improvement from the 443,000 that vanished in June as the U.S. tries to pull out from the worst recession since World War II.

"We've begun to put the brakes on this recession and ... the worst may be behind us," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday. He cited Friday's Labor Department report that showed a dip in unemployment, but said, "We must do more than rescue our economy from this immediate crisis. We must rebuild it stronger than before."
He added: "We must lay a new foundation for future growth and prosperity, and a key pillar of a new foundation is health insurance reform."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090808/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_health_care

[cleverusername]

1. Lay offs continue

Meanwhile, the carnage continues:

www.layoffdaily.com

[OverDone]

21. Unforuntately it does

Thanks for the link, also here is another one dailyjobcuts.com

[ixion]

2. Here's the thing: You don't shed 400k + jobs and drop unemployment

it just doesn't make sense.

[geckosfeet]

3. Right. Relieving the economic burden of health care for the unemployed is the wrong approach.

What goes on in the tiny little republicon brain?

It can't be simple stupidity. It seems laced through an through with resentment, hate and disgust for humanity.

[graywarrior]

4. Mr Gray just got a job and he's in his early sixties.

This is huge for us.

[renate]

6. congratulations!

That's wonderful news!

:hug:

[graywarrior]

7. I'm next.

[DollyM]

14. then us please . . .

My husband is 57 and has been out of work for nearly a year now. His unemployment benefits now are $90.00 a week. It's hardly even worth the time to file anymore. He has to use up all the "regular" unemployment though so that he can get the extention which will be $350.00 a week. The plus side is we get $305.00 in food stamps now so that helps.
He was getting interviews but now isn't even getting those.

[graywarrior]

15. In MA, if you are on unemployment they will continue to pay your claim if you go back to school

If you decide on some sort of certificate training, all the better. I just attended a workshop at the employment security office on hiring mature workers. It is not as bleak as it seems. Tell him to start attending workshops and find out about training.

[DollyM]

17. doesn't work that way here . . .

Illinois is so broke, they aren't paying for anything right now! Neither one of us really want to go back to school as we both have Master's degrees. We just both have a social science, counseling, social services kind of a degree and those jobs are getting cut, not added. We don't know what to do frankly. Right now we are just scraping by and my elderly mother is pretty much paying our bills. Along with losing our son in May, it has been a pretty crappy year. (He was the only one that had found a job and died the week before he was to start work.)

[Karenina]

18. I am so very sorry for your loss

and offer heartfelt condolences. :hug:

[Deja Q]

5. I hope it is. So many people are hurting right now.

[change_notfinetuning]

8. Yes, the worst is over for those who have lobbyists. Sorry folks . . .

but this is not even fine tuning. This is business as usual. Wall Street was bailed out and the stock market is on a roll. Whoopee!

For real people, real Americans, things continue to worsen. That is not to say that it wouldn't be worse if McCain won, so all you pompom wavers can hold your bile. Sotomayor is the proof of that. But this recovery, such as it is referred to, is one that has seen the goodies restored to the haves, while the American people who have been victimized by Reaganomics trickle-down bullshit are left to suffer the injuries caused by unconscionable greed, and continue to live with trickle-down economics. And we will continue to suffer from that psychological disorder, GREED, that will eventually be recognized as abnormal behavior, and treated accordingly.

If you want to celebrate the drop in unemployment from 9.5% to 9.4%, far be it from me to stand in your way. In the meantime, the good jobs disappear and people are underemployed, the wars continue unabated, the safety net vanishes, and the chess master is content to capture pawns. Thank God, the band plays on.

Have a good weekend. Wave pompom here!

(BTW, I have nothing to complain about personally at this time. My situation is the best it's ever been, with great health insurance and income and job security. But, it hasn't been that long since bottom, and I feel for those who, even with perseverance, have not had that stroke of luck or the help of others that is necessary today. I feel for those in worse situations. There but for the grace of God, or chance, go I. And there, but for the complicity of Democrats, they won't

[boomerbust]

10. Yes

Republican complicity would have been a much better choice.:eyes:

[truedelphi]

9. Apparently Obama does not live in California. n/t

[Karenina]

11. Absolute NONSENSE.

[ArcticFox]

12. Doubt it

The only reason unemployment is looking better is because 400,000 or so people decided to stop looking for work. They don't count anymore. As I understand it, neither do the people who are losing their unemployment benefits.

[balantz]

13. That's amazing. People who's benefits end won't be listed as unemployed?

So unemployment will continue to look better when in actuality it is getting worse.

Would you happen to have a link to that? Thanks.

[New Dawn]

16. Here is a good link that explains US government unemployment figures:

http://www.shadowstats.com/article/employment

[bvar22]

19. "Worst May be Behind Us".......

Well, if you work for Wall Street or the Health Insurance Industry.

Do you think Obama may be inside a bubble?

[IDemo]

20. Depends on what your definition of "us" is