FT.com / World - Atlantic stimulus rift grows

Apparently, Obama's administration is already pissing off the EU. He can't manage in 50 days to hire people to fill the key positions needed to deal with the economics crisis.

Plus, he's urging "stimulus" in Europe and they're responding the way we should have. NO!

Out of 800 positions that need Senate confirmation, only 41 have actually been confirmed.

What the hell is going on???

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Obama Low Effort Wealth Spread. I can't believe it's not earned!

his people were too busy fucking with blackberrys instead of learning the ropes.

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Socialism doesn't create a rising tide that lifts all boats. It drains the lake and teaches the boat riders not to help themselves by rowing.

Jesus loves you, allah wants you dead

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

Ayn Rand

Kind of a catch 22.

- He needs qualified people.

- But Most of the qualified people have minor vetting problems that would likely turn into major political hay.


It's already caused him all kinds of trouble and multiple people have been rejected b/c apparently all politicians/CEOs participate in some form of low key tax evasion that does not survive today's scrutiny....or these very very public confirmations.

Basically Obama's declared high standards are catching up to him and biting him in the ass. Politicians and would-be politicians are very rarely squeaky clean.

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The world could use more Stan Ovshinsky's

Honestly, I could wait for Health and Human Services and the Interior. What I can not wait on is an economic team. That should have been priority one. Stop screwing around with stem cells and abortion and start staffing up people who know what they're doing with the economy, pronto. I believe there are people out there in the economic sector who actually pay their taxes.

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Obama Low Effort Wealth Spread. I can't believe it's not earned!

Besides the political vetting, I think there is another dynamic at play: A lack of qualified people who are willing to do the job.

Look at the way Geithner's already been thrown to the wolves.... and he hasn't really botched anything yet...he's just been slow and cautious. These treasury appointments aren't actually that attractive to successful businessmen/women who already more lucrative jobs and reputations that they don't want to risk.

Not to mention that so many qualified people are non-starters even if they are willing. If they work for companies that do business with the government, can be associated to the mortgage crisis, or are otherwise controversial, their appointment would be politically untenable.

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The world could use more Stan Ovshinsky's

That's even scarier. No one feels confident enough that they could actually do any good in the government? If in a country of 300 million, you can't get a staff of motivated, good people to try their best to turn around a horrific economic situation, then we're really screwed.

And I actually think you're taking it too easy on Geithner. If we had to RUSH to pass that stimulus package NOW, then why the hell can he take all the time he wants? They can't have it both ways.

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Obama Low Effort Wealth Spread. I can't believe it's not earned!

Does Geithner inspire confidence at all when he speaks?

there is an article I saw earlier on RCP, wherein the minister of the treasury for England slipped an said he cannot get anyone on the phone at OUR treas. dept or get a call returned.....unreal.

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"The captain has turned off the `No Dubbing' sign. You are free to speak any language you choose."

Bis interimitur qui suis armis perit...

That's in the article in the OP.

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Obama Low Effort Wealth Spread. I can't believe it's not earned!

I agree, so why you do you think that is?


this may be so, but you can blame Obama hubris for that. HE gave geithner the huge build up, HE said he was the ONE he needed, he said; “ I don’t want to step on Tims lines”, at a press conference, then????? geithner came out the next day, and did and said ....nothing, I can recall the dow and S&P taking a huge dip when that happened.....they have themselves to blame...hes isn’t saying ANYTHING LBS, if hes got a plan then for god sakes let hear it.

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"The captain has turned off the `No Dubbing' sign. You are free to speak any language you choose."

Bis interimitur qui suis armis perit...

I think I outlined it a bit, but:

- It's a thankless job with hardly any upside. If it goes well, Obama/Geithner get the credit... not the deputies. If it goes badly..then it may be the single biggest black mark on Obama's presidency and the treasury will be at the heart of it. Try to get a lucrative job afterwards with that on your resume.

- There's a huge downside in that the economy ain't looking so well and there may not be many people that want to be associated with that potential failure. The Gov't can only do so much to right the ship and it may not have the means to do what they say it's going to do in regard to saving the day....so these people are only so much in control of their destiny..



I do blame the Obama hubris for that.

I'd rather he do nothing than do something stupid. I don't believe it when they tell us the sky is going to fall if immediate action is not taken.

There is no solid plan..... Geithner is just deciding to go with the least shitty option. I think the market crashed because they thought Geithner would unveil a silver bullet. Obama is to be blamed for helping shape that expectation.

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The world could use more Stan Ovshinsky's

This sums up the Obama Presidency to date... You can change the sentence to say "who cares if it works...

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Obama, Making it Rain Beotch!!

Hmmmm...That's a bit much. The idea that the only problem here is that Obama has too much integrity does not explain the problem as a whole.

There are too many posts open and many of these positions do not require the sort of intense congressional scrutiny on the small issues you mention.

What we are seeing is a president and an administration who did a brilliant job at campaigning but are in way over their heads when it comes to governing. He needs to clean house - and he needs to do it immediately. There is no time to waste. The people in his administration do not know what they are doing.

The word I would use here is "amateurish". Where is his administration in all of this? There is no excuse for this nonsense.

As it was said DURING the election.. Obama is a political neophyte who neither had the skill or knowledge to run this country.

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Obama, Making it Rain Beotch!!

Oh, but he looks so confident and speaks like he's the real thing.

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Dems....a flash in the pan.