A letter from the Blue States to the Red States

[gah]

48 hours, and the man is on point. come on bvaz, give the brother some lovin!  :-D

CHICAGO, United States (AFP) – Incoming US president Barack Obama discussed the financial crisis and other problems with top world leaders ahead of his first public comments Friday since his election triumph.

After making the first key appointment to his administration, Obama spoke by telephone with the leaders of Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Mexico and South Korea, hastening the shift in political gravity away from President George W. Bush.

The financial crisis, the Afghanistan war, climate change and the North Korean and Iranian nuclear crises dominated the talks, according to accounts from the various capitals.

Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak agreed to work together to tackle North Korea's nuclear disarmament and the financial turmoil, said Lee's spokesman in Seoul.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that he and Obama discussed "our resolve to act together on dealing on the global financial crisis and also working closely together on the great challenge of climate change."

Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to work "closely" on Iran's disputed nuclear programme, Afghanistan, climate change and the financial crisis, her government said.

Reforming the financial system also featured strongly in Obama's talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain and a 10-minute telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, their spokesmen said.

Aso also raised Afghanistan, climate change and North Korea, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon and the US president-elect discussed immigration and drug smuggling on the restive southern border, the Mexican foreign ministry.

Most of the world leaders will attend the emergency summit on the economic crisis in Washington on November 15, but Obama has not yet announced whether he will take a role in the event.

Even some of the US's traditional arch foes have welcomed Obama's election such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who issued a message of congratulation on Thursday.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, branded a dictator by Bush after staging a one-man election in June, also extended an olive branch to Obama Friday by saying he "cherish(ed) the hope of working with your administration".

[DoW]

48 hours, and the man is on point. come on bvaz, give the brother some lovin!  :-D

CHICAGO, United States (AFP) – Incoming US president Barack Obama discussed the financial crisis and other problems with top world leaders ahead of his first public comments Friday since his election triumph.

After making the first key appointment to his administration, Obama spoke by telephone with the leaders of Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Mexico and South Korea, hastening the shift in political gravity away from President George W. Bush.

The financial crisis, the Afghanistan war, climate change and the North Korean and Iranian nuclear crises dominated the talks, according to accounts from the various capitals.

Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak agreed to work together to tackle North Korea's nuclear disarmament and the financial turmoil, said Lee's spokesman in Seoul.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that he and Obama discussed "our resolve to act together on dealing on the global financial crisis and also working closely together on the great challenge of climate change."

Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to work "closely" on Iran's disputed nuclear programme, Afghanistan, climate change and the financial crisis, her government said.

Reforming the financial system also featured strongly in Obama's talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain and a 10-minute telephone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, their spokesmen said.

Aso also raised Afghanistan, climate change and North Korea, the Japanese foreign ministry said.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon and the US president-elect discussed immigration and drug smuggling on the restive southern border, the Mexican foreign ministry.

Most of the world leaders will attend the emergency summit on the economic crisis in Washington on November 15, but Obama has not yet announced whether he will take a role in the event.

Even some of the US's traditional arch foes have welcomed Obama's election such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who issued a message of congratulation on Thursday.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, branded a dictator by Bush after staging a one-man election in June, also extended an olive branch to Obama Friday by saying he "cherish(ed) the hope of working with your administration".

I'm not bashing anyone.  He is goign to be our President.  I hope his policies work.  I hope in 4 years that I am voting for him to be re-elected because he is leading us int he right direction.  I am not even putting expectations that he has to fix this in 4 years because I am not certain it is possible ot be fixed that quickly.  I do think the next 4 years are important to lead us in the right direction.

Obama can sure talk.  I would never say differently.  what scares me about him is what he can do.  I hope to see him do what he is saying.

[gah]

I'll quietly leave as it is not worth arguing.
what would happen to the healthcare system under a complete blue theory?
everyone claims to love obama's economic plan, but it puts a higher tax on corporations.

it makes no snese to argue a point of two different countries but you need to stop looking int he tunnel and see that if all these policies passed, what would actually happen.

agreed

we got nothing but four years now to wait and see what happens, but i do love hearing predictions and speculations.

the early signs are poor of the market since Obama got in.  in my opinion, I think it will take at least 5 years to recover.  if we are heading in the right direction in 4 years, Obama should be able to get re-elected and finish what I truly hope he starts.
baby boomers just keep retiring and this market is throwing a huge obstacle in people's lives.

dude, he just got elected two days ago! no one is expecting him to turn water into wine here, just put us back on track, that's not asking much. and yeah, 4-6 years is a good estimate of how long this might take, but i think within a year you will see this country heading in the right direction.

[DoW]

I'll quietly leave as it is not worth arguing.
what would happen to the healthcare system under a complete blue theory?
everyone claims to love obama's economic plan, but it puts a higher tax on corporations.

it makes no snese to argue a point of two different countries but you need to stop looking int he tunnel and see that if all these policies passed, what would actually happen.

agreed

we got nothing but four years now to wait and see what happens, but i do love hearing predictions and speculations.

the early signs are poor of the market since Obama got in.  in my opinion, I think it will take at least 5 years to recover.  if we are heading in the right direction in 4 years, Obama should be able to get re-elected and finish what I truly hope he starts.
baby boomers just keep retiring and this market is throwing a huge obstacle in people's lives.

dude, he just got elected two days ago! no one is expecting him to turn water into wine here, just put us back on track, that's not asking much. and yeah, 4-6 years is a good estimate of how long this might take, but i think within a year you will see this country heading in the right direction.

come on.  see the point.  the market reaction to his election is what scares me.
I guess it depends on how you define "right direction."  I think a year is pretty aggressive.

one thing I like about Obama is the confidence he will instill int he American people.  BUT that will only last so long. he needs to accomplish concrete actions.  personally, as a middle class citizen, I expect my taxes to increase at some point int he next 4 years.  I don't buy his plan and as long as the increase is reasonable, I will be fine with that.

[gah]

I am also a firm believer in checks and balances.  I hope that once we start to turn in the right direction that the legislature is controlled by a different party than the executive.  for the next couple of years, I do think we needed the way it is set up now.  the best analogy I heard was that he has the keys to the car, now we will see where he drives.

well, i'm glad HE's driving, instead of some drunk ass clown named Bush with his buddies, cheney and rumsfeld in the back seat passing a bowl.

[DoW]

I am also a firm believer in checks and balances.  I hope that once we start to turn in the right direction that the legislature is controlled by a different party than the executive.  for the next couple of years, I do think we needed the way it is set up now.  the best analogy I heard was that he has the keys to the car, now we will see where he drives.

well, i'm glad HE's driving, instead of some drunk ass clown named Bush with his buddies, cheney and rumsfeld in the back seat passing a bowl.

people were living some good years under the Bush economy too.  it is defiitely time for him to go and there is a sharp decline right now but there some some decent economic times too.
my definition of that si the spending of the middle class.

[gah]

one thing I like about Obama is the confidence he will instill int he American people.  BUT that will only last so long. he needs to accomplish concrete actions.  personally, as a middle class citizen, I expect my taxes to increase at some point int he next 4 years.  I don't buy his plan and as long as the increase is reasonable, I will be fine with that.

agreed. he's got some political leverage here, hopefully he uses it wisely, and takes advantage of it for as long as he can.

ok, ok, a year might be aggressive, but i just mean to say, at least some signs of us heading in the right direction.

[gah]

I am also a firm believer in checks and balances.  I hope that once we start to turn in the right direction that the legislature is controlled by a different party than the executive.  for the next couple of years, I do think we needed the way it is set up now.  the best analogy I heard was that he has the keys to the car, now we will see where he drives.

well, i'm glad HE's driving, instead of some drunk ass clown named Bush with his buddies, cheney and rumsfeld in the back seat passing a bowl.

people were living some good years under the Bush economy too.  it is defiitely time for him to go and there is a sharp decline right now but there some some decent economic times too.
my definition of that si the spending of the middle class.

you mean buying homes at inflated prices with bad credit? sure people were spending a lot, and increasing their debt load, but under false pretenses, and it all came crashing down. anyone can throw a raging party, but are you going to be responsible enough to clean up the mess?

[Hicks]

Economics moves in 5-10 year cycles, we're just now feeling the repercussions of negligent Bush economic policy and will be for quite some time.

Basically I just hope Obama can stop the bleeding.

[rowjimmy]

That letter is 4 years old.

[sunrisevt]

That letter is 4 years old.

And three days out of date.

[gah]

That letter is 4 years old.

And three days out of date.

who cares?  :-D  it gives us something to argue about.   :-P

way to go antelope! make sure it doesn't happen again! don't make me turn this car around! 

[antelope19]

I am also a firm believer in checks and balances.  I hope that once we start to turn in the right direction that the legislature is controlled by a different party than the executive.  for the next couple of years, I do think we needed the way it is set up now.  the best analogy I heard was that he has the keys to the car, now we will see where he drives.

well, i'm glad HE's driving, instead of some drunk ass clown named Bush with his buddies, cheney and rumsfeld in the back seat passing a bowl.

people were living some good years under the Bush economy too.  it is defiitely time for him to go and there is a sharp decline right now but there some some decent economic times too.
my definition of that si the spending of the middle class.

you mean buying homes at inflated prices with bad credit? sure people were spending a lot, and increasing their debt load, but under false pretenses, and it all came crashing down. anyone can throw a raging party, but are you going to be responsible enough to clean up the mess?

One could make an argument that it was the dems that started this housing mess.  Clinton wasn't supporting it so much, but everyone else was.  :ducks: 

[DoW]

I am also a firm believer in checks and balances.  I hope that once we start to turn in the right direction that the legislature is controlled by a different party than the executive.  for the next couple of years, I do think we needed the way it is set up now.  the best analogy I heard was that he has the keys to the car, now we will see where he drives.

well, i'm glad HE's driving, instead of some drunk ass clown named Bush with his buddies, cheney and rumsfeld in the back seat passing a bowl.

people were living some good years under the Bush economy too.  it is defiitely time for him to go and there is a sharp decline right now but there some some decent economic times too.
my definition of that si the spending of the middle class.

you mean buying homes at inflated prices with bad credit? sure people were spending a lot, and increasing their debt load, but under false pretenses, and it all came crashing down. anyone can throw a raging party, but are you going to be responsible enough to clean up the mess?

One could make an argument that it was the dems that started this housing mess.  Clinton wasn't supporting it so much, but everyone else was.  :ducks: 

I'll chime back in.  lots of people (republicans) make the argument that the dems are to blame.  personally, I think there is a lot of blame.  it started under clinton, but bush did nothing to stop it.
generally, americans are not responsible enough to make logical decisions.
I'm always torn on the issue of regulation.  I would like to live in a society where we do not need the government to regulate mortgages.  however, I am intelligent enough to know that this is not possible because we are facing the problem now when it is not regulated.

I just ahte the idea of the government regulating everything.  then you look at someone like barney frank who had a big piece in this and he gets re-elected.

[Hicks]

I am also a firm believer in checks and balances.  I hope that once we start to turn in the right direction that the legislature is controlled by a different party than the executive.  for the next couple of years, I do think we needed the way it is set up now.  the best analogy I heard was that he has the keys to the car, now we will see where he drives.

well, i'm glad HE's driving, instead of some drunk ass clown named Bush with his buddies, cheney and rumsfeld in the back seat passing a bowl.

people were living some good years under the Bush economy too.  it is defiitely time for him to go and there is a sharp decline right now but there some some decent economic times too.
my definition of that si the spending of the middle class.

you mean buying homes at inflated prices with bad credit? sure people were spending a lot, and increasing their debt load, but under false pretenses, and it all came crashing down. anyone can throw a raging party, but are you going to be responsible enough to clean up the mess?

One could make an argument that it was the dems that started this housing mess.  Clinton wasn't supporting it so much, but everyone else was.  :ducks: 

The dems lost control of congress 14 years ago dude.  Do you honestly think mortgages from 19 frickin' 94 are recasting right now?