'Meet The Press' Transcript (10-18-09): Jarrett, Kyl, Dodd, Shriver

Complete transcript. Excerpt below:

GREGORY: Good to have you here. Let's first talk about the economy, and here was a headline that played prominently this week from The Wall Street Journal: "Wall Street On Track To Award Record Pay," expanding bonus pools and raking in big profits. And yet here's a picture of what is now called the Obama economy, since he's come into office, and let's show it on the screen here. The debt is up 12 percent, it's now at $11.9 trillion. The deficit's now at $1.4 trillion. Unemployment at 9.8 percent, up 36 percent since he took office. And jobs, 4.2 million jobs lost since the president has taken office. Wall Street's healthier, but the American worker is not.

MS. JARRETT: Well, that's right. And--but I think we have to take a step back, David, and let's remember the conditions that the president inherited, a global meltdown, and we now realize that it was actually far worse than we realized at the time when he came in office in January. And what the president did is take very serious steps to get our economy back on track. He has pulled us back from the precipice and as a result of that--we were losing 700,000 jobs a month, that has decreased steadily over the course of the last nine months, and we are beginning to see signs of hope. But the unemployment rate is still much too high, and the president will not be satisfied, as he has said time and time again, until every single American who wants to work has a job.

GREGORY: But what's he prepared to do in a--what looks to be a jobless recovery, to make sure that jobs do get created to say he--the way he say he--says he wants?

MS. JARRETT: Well, first of all, first of all, he's already done a great deal. The recovery bill that was passed by Congress in record speed really staved off a disaster, and we saved millions of jobs around the country. And we're on track. We're already--we're fully on track with the recovery bill and the spending that's going forward. But we've only spent about a little less than half of the money, and so we still have a ways to go with the recovery bill. We know unemployment is a lagging indicator. We've always known that. But what we're doing is making sure that we have the process in place so that we can bring those very important jobs back.

GREGORY: But is--does there have to be a second stimulus, something done to specifically target job creation?

MS. JARRETT: Well, I think we have done many things to target job creation. I think it's too soon, it's premature to say is a second stimulus needed. There is this conundrum: You've got this huge national deficit, and we've got to do what we can to bring that down, at the same time as it's important to stimulate the economy. And the federal government has to do its part. That's why the recovery bill was so important, that's why many of the measures that the Treasury Department has taken since then, whether for housing or small business, are all very important in stimulating the economy. So let's wait and see. Let's let the recovery bill do its, do its job and then we'll see.

GREGORY: No commitment on a tax credit for employers, for instance?

MS. JARRETT: Well, every morning, as you know, the president meets with his economic advisers, and the first thing he says to them is, "What are we doing to tackle the unemployment rate?" There are a range of suggestions that are being considered right now by his economic team, and we'll see what we come forward with. We're consulting with the business community, we're consulting with everyday Americans who are struggling. We're trying to figure out what can we do to create an incentive to invest in our country and make our country strong again.

GREGORY: So, so, so the idea of some kind of additional stimulus to create jobs is on the table, fair to say?

MS. JARRETT: Everything is on the table. As you know, President Obama is always interested in what can we do to make our companies strong so that they're going to grow and invest in our country. So he's, he's willing to look at all possibilities; but he's also saying, "Let's let the recovery bill that was passed by Congress work." And we're not even halfway through that yet.

ABC 'This Week' Transcript (10-18-09): Obama Adviser David Axelrod

Complete transcript. Excerpt below:

STEPHANOPOULOS: There -- there is so much to talk about, but it's all against the backdrop of a debate that's kind of swirling through the political world right now, crystallized by the National Journal magazine. We're going to show the cover of it right there, big picture of President Obama, the question, "Is He Tough Enough?"

Inside, they quote the historian Douglas Brinkley, who says, "Obama has created an atmosphere of no fear." And a Senate Democratic aide, "Obama's style has to be more Lyndon Johnson, half I love you, but I'll stick this screwdriver right through your heart in a second if it is to my advantage."

Is that what the president needs to do? Is it time for him to get tough?

AXELROD: Well, look, George, I think, if the president weren't tough, we wouldn't be where we are vis-a-vis trying to deal with the economy, two wars, and some -- remember what he inherited here. He walked in the door, we had the worst economy since the Great Depression. He had to take immediate steps to pull us back from what many thought might be a Great Depression. He had to sort out in Afghanistan a war where we had seven years of drift and no policy. And he passed a series of things that are going to move this country forward, from children's health care to pay equity for women, a series of things.

This Congress has passed more legislation in the first term of this president than any president in our lifetime. So I think he has been plenty tough. I think people want toughness, but they also want to have thoughtful leadership. And that -- and that requires reviewing these issues, thinking them through clearly, and bringing people along, and that's what he's doing.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So -- so you reject this argument that he has to draw more lines in the sand, twist the arms of his opponents, now tell people want he wants and expect it to get it done?

AXELROD: Let's take the issue of health care, because that's, obviously, one of the things that people are referring to. We are farther along than we've ever been in passing a comprehensive health insurance reform in this country. It's something we've discussed for 100 years.

George, you were part of the last effort in 1994, never even got a vote. We are on the doorstep of getting that done, and that's because of the approach this president has taken.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And yesterday, the president in his radio address took on the insurance industry, at least rhetorically, and he suggested that he might be willing to take away their antitrust exemption. Was he actually saying -- this has been -- the insurance industry for the last 60 years has had an antitrust exemption. Was he saying that he would sign a bill that would take that away and open the door to premium caps by the Congress?

AXELROD: Well, Congress is -- is reviewing that. He said it's appropriate that they review that.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Would he sign it, though?

AXELROD: But let's talk about -- let's talk about the insurance industry for a second, because most of the stakeholders in this health care debate are at the table, they're trying to produce real reform, because everyone knows the current system is unsustainable.

The insurance industry has decided now at the 11th hour that they don't want to go along with this. One of the problems we have is we have a health care system now that functions very well for the insurance industry but not well for the customers.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So is he saying, if they don't play ball, they're going to lose their antitrust exemption?

AXELROD: So what we need -- what we -- so we need these -- we need these reforms. In the last year -- in the last 10 years, premiums have doubled. You've seen the insurance companies take -- they -- they -- 10 years ago, 15 years ago, they spent 95 percent of their premiums on health care. Now, 80 percent. More of the money is going to bonuses, salaries, administrative costs.

This is -- this is not a sustainable path for this country. So we need reform, and that's what he is arguing for.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But if they don't join the reform effort, will they lose their antitrust exemption?

AXELROD: Well, we'll see what Congress -- we'll see what Congress does. One thing we ought to do, the House bill has in it provisions that -- that says that if they fall below a certain level of return of these medical loss ratios -- in other words, the amount of money that they spend on actual health care, that they -- they need to rebate some of that money to consumers. That seems like a good idea.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But the president wants to throw out this idea of taking away the antitrust exemption, but not willing to say today that he would sign it if Congress passes it?

AXELROD: Well, let's see how that -- let's see how that -- that goes.

Palin Speaks - Criticizes Baucus Health Bill

If you care read on. At least

in reference to:

""It attempts to offset the costs this will impose on insurance companies by requiring everyone to purchase coverage, which in theory would expand the pool of paying policy holders," Palin wrote. "However, the maximum fine for those who refuse to purchase health insurance is $750. Even factoring in government subsidies, the cost of purchasing a plan is much more than $750."

"The result: many people, especially the young and healthy, will simply not buy coverage, choosing to pay the fine instead," the former Alaska governor continued. "They’ll wait until they’re sick to buy health insurance, confident in the knowledge that insurance companies can’t deny them coverage. Such a scenario is a perfect storm for increasing the cost of health care and creating an unsustainable mandate program.""
- Palin offers calm critique of Baucus bill - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Nigerian Children Deemed Witches Tortured

This is monstrous. It is example of what ignorance disguised as religion will do. When you are ignorant you look for solutions by turning to charlatans, superstition, bigotry or hate.

in reference to:

"The nine-year-old boy lay on a bloodstained hospital sheet crawling with ants, staring blindly at the wall.

His family pastor had accused him of being a witch, and his father then tried to force acid down his throat as an exorcism. It spilled as he struggled, burning away his face and eyes. The emaciated boy barely had strength left to whisper the name of the church that had denounced him - Mount Zion Lighthouse.

A month later, he died.

Nwanaokwo Edet was one of an increasing number of children in Africa accused of witchcraft by pastors and then tortured or killed, often by family members. Pastors were involved in half of 200 cases of "witch children" reviewed by the AP, and 13 churches were named in the case files."
- Nigerian Children Deemed Witches Tortured - CBS News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Former President George H.W. Bush: Olbermann, Maddow 'A Couple of Sick Puppies'

What about Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck? And how about starting wars under false pretenses, committing torture, spying on U.S. citizens?

in reference to:

"Perhaps the 41st president still has it in him - at least when it comes to the left crying foul about the so-called uncivil political discourse on right, but being equally if not worse on the left - particularly on MSNBC, the "Place for Politics." In an interview on Oct. 16 with CBS Radio, former President George H.W. Bush took a very critical tact with MSNBC hosts Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, deeming them "a couple of sick puppies." (via MSNBC's Oct. 16 "The Rachel Maddow Show") "I don't like it," Bush said. "I think the cables have a lot to do with it. I'll take you back to when I was president - we got tons of criticism, but didn't seem day in and day out quite as personal as some of these talk show people.""
- Former President George H.W. Bush: Olbermann, Maddow 'A Couple of Sick Puppies' | NewsBusters.org (view on Google Sidewiki)

Congressional Campaign Accounts Invested In Stock Market Boosted By Wall Street Bounce

Wait. What's wrong with this picture? Campaign contributions being invested in the stock market?

in reference to:

"The recent surge on Wall Street has created a windfall for some Congressional campaigns that invested their political contributions in the stock market during the third quarter.

The biggest beneficiary was Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), whose campaign investments have gone on a rollercoaster ride during the past two years. After losing more than $808,000 during 2008 and early 2009, the Texas Republican's campaign fund rebounded by recouping large sums of money in recent months."
- Congressional Campaign Accounts Invested In Stock Market Boosted By Wall Street Bounce (view on Google Sidewiki)

Rachel Maddow Calls Guest "Parasite Who Gets Fat on Americans' Fears"

I think the Rachel Maddow Show is informative and agree with much of what has to say. But her behavior on this occasion was unacceptable and grossly unfair. She sounded petty and vindictive. She is supposed to be something of a journalist. She behaved like a verbal bomb thrower. This kind of obnoxious interviewing should be left to FOX News. Rachel - Don't lower yourself to their level.

in reference to:

"Rachel Maddow on Thursday told one of her guests, "I personally think that you and the folks that do what you do are a parasite who gets fat on Americans` fears."Maybe this is what led former President George H.W. Bush to call Maddow a sick puppy on Friday. Abdicating all journalistic standards and ethics -- what a shock for an MSNBC employee!!! -- Maddow made it clear why she was attacking Tim Phillips, President of Americans for Prosperity: "[B]ecause we`re making this about you and me.""
- Rachel Maddow Calls Guest "Parasite Who Gets Fat on Americans' Fears" | NewsBusters.org (view on Google Sidewiki)

Chinese democracy activist gets 10 years

Guo should have won the Nobel Peace Prize, instead of President Obama.

in reference to:

"The founder of a Chinese group that challenged Communist rule with a call for multiparty democracy has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, a human rights group said Saturday.Former university professor and judge Guo Quan was sentenced for "subversion of state power" by a court in eastern Jiangsu Province on Friday, the New York-based group Human Rights in China said in a statement.Guo had been detained numerous times since 2007, when he founded the China New Democracy Party, which he claimed had 40 million members. He was arrested in Nanjing, the provincial capital, last November. His wife told The Associated Press at the time that Guo was taken after dropping his son off at school."
- Group: Chinese democracy activist gets 10 years - World AP - MiamiHerald.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Franken's Anti-Rape Amendment

Apparently contractors in Iraq could murder, rape, and steal with impunity, and the American people had to pay for it. And this President doesn't seem to want to change this fact.

in reference to:

"In April of 2008, KBR employee Dawn Leamon went public. A few months earlier, she had been raped and sexually assaulted by co-workers while deployed at Camp Harper, in Iraq, and after weeks of being pressured not to report the incident, forced to work alongside her attackers, and medically neglected, Leamon brought the story to a Houston attorney and to The Nation. Leamon joined a slowly building chorus of female defense contractor employees who'd been raped or sexually assaulted by co-workers while in Iraq, to utter impunity on the part of their assailants. In response, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee called a hearing to investigate why the Justice Department had not prosecuted any sexual assault allegations in Iraq since the going to war in the country."
- Franken's Anti-Rape Amendment - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

D.C. mom convicted of murdering four daughters could walk free

This is sickening process. It has nothing to do with justice. We have a criminal justice that is dysfunctional. The focus should be the 4 murdered little girls and making sure this doesn't happen again. Both points are being ignored in all of this. It is in fact a "criminal justice system."

in reference to:

"A Southeast D.C. woman who was expected to be sentenced Friday to life in prison for murdering her four daughters could instead walk free under a scenario outlined by the judge who found her guilty, though such an outcome still faces several legal hurdles.

The decomposing bodies of Banita Jacks' daughters - ages 5 to 16 - were discovered in January 2008 when U.S. Marshals came to evict Jacks from her rowhouse. In July, D.C. Superior Court Judge Frederick H. Weisberg found Jacks guilty of four counts of felony murder, three counts of premeditated first-degree murder and four counts of first-degree child cruelty.

Jacks was scheduled to be sentenced Friday but Judge Weisberg postponed it while he considers issues related to her refusal to use an insanity defense. Jacks rejected the defense against the advice of her lawyers, who are now asking Weisberg to appoint an independent counsel to investigate whether she was competent to make such a decision."
- D.C. mom convicted of murdering four daughters could walk free - Washington Times (view on Google Sidewiki)

Iran opposition: Use of force won't halt demands

As I keep arguing, arm the people of Iran with tiny video cameras and cell phones. That is the greatest weapon against tyranny. Without video the Western media ignores injustice. No video, didn't happen.

in reference to:

"Iran's embattled opposition leaders promised to press on with their campaign against the country's rulers, saying the use of force to crush the post-election protests will not silence their demands for democratic change.
The powerful statement of defiance Friday from opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and former President Mohammad Khatami also sent a message to their supporters that the protest campaign triggered by the disputed June 12 presidential election still had energy and leadership though street demonstrations fizzled out months ago."
- Iran opposition: Use of force won't halt demands - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Neighbors Thought Dead Man Was Halloween Display

What ever happened to "love thy neighbor."

in reference to:

"Residents of a Southern California apartment complex say they saw a lifeless body slumped on a neighbor's patio, but didn't call police because they thought it was part of a Halloween display."
- Neighbors Thought Dead Man Was Halloween Display - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Billionaire Arrested for Insider Trading

This is what Wall St. has become: a giant money grubbing machine. "Greed is good" is the message. How life imitates art. And the near stock market collapse hasn't changed a damn thing. And the of us are just spectators to this disgusting game. And those in charge of stopping this activity are in bed with the same corrupt enterprise.

in reference to:

"Hedge fund tycoon Raj Rajaratnam is one of six charged with running a scheme that netted at least $20 million in illicit gains."
- Billionaire Arrested for Insider Trading - Forbes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Power Company Switches Off Cancer Patient's Oxygen Machine

This shouldn't be happening in America. But those who oppose health care reform don't care about people like Mable Randon.

in reference to:

"Mable Randon is suffering from the late stages of cancer. She's bound by a wheel chair and only breathing with the help of an electrically-powered oxygen machine. Rucks Russell of KHOU in Houston reports that the local power company sent her a disconnection notice because of late bills. She applied to the Critical Customer Program, a payment plan seemingly tailor-made for people in Randon's condition who depend on electric life support -- but she was denied."
- Power Company Trying To Switch Off Cancer Patient's Oxygen Machine (view on Google Sidewiki)

US Pays $400 Per Gallon For Gas In Afghanistan: Pentagon

Doesn't sound like a good deal.

in reference to:

"The Pentagon pays an average of $400 to put a gallon of fuel into a combat vehicle or aircraft in Afghanistan."
- US Pays $400 Per Gallon For Gas In Afghanistan: Pentagon (view on Google Sidewiki)

The U.S.’s 2009 budget gap widened to $1.42 trillion

You cannot run deficits when you are a debtor nation. That is unsustainable. That means that we depend on the generosity of the Communist Chinese, or we print money. All that does is create inflation. We are on the verge of financial catastrophe - still.

in reference to:

"The U.S.’s 2009 budget gap widened to $1.42 trillion as
the deepest recession since the 1930s crippled tax revenue and
the administration increased spending to rescue the economy.
The shortfall for the 12 months ended Sept. 30 was more than
triple the $455 billion record set a year earlier, the Treasury
Department said today in Washington."
- Geithner Says U.S. Must Instill Confidence in Fiscal Management - Bloomberg.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

DC woman to be sentenced for killing 4 daughters

Once again the system failed the most innocent in our society. How do 4 children go missing for months and no one notice? There has to be a way of accounting for all children in our society. This should include regular required physical and psychological testing for all youth.

in reference to:

"A D.C. woman convicted of killing her four daughters and living with their decomposing bodies for months returns to court Friday to be sentenced."
- DC woman to be sentenced for killing 4 daughters (view on Google Sidewiki)

Interracial Couple Denied Marriage License in La.

This is a major story that isn't even on the front page of the NY Times. That this sort of thing goes on in America would explain why Republicans are using racism as a political strategy. We need to find out how this clown got to where here is. And how soon do we get rid of him. And we need to ask every Republican what they think of this judge. Let's smoke these racists out.

in reference to:

"A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have. Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.
"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.""
- Interracial couple denied marriage license in La. - Yahoo! News (view on Google Sidewiki)

6-Year-old "Balloon Boy" Story: Media Hits a New Low

I've never seen a more trivial story become a major news event. The Press/media has hit a new low. It including the interruption of regular scheduled programming in NYC about an event that occurred in Colorado. The early reports were about a runaway balloon that might've involved a 6-year-old. It turns out there was no boy in a balloon. Therefore, the press, including the NY Times spent a major amount of time covering a story about an empty balloon. So it might make ironic sense that the family involved in this possible hoax, are kooks.

"When the Heene family aren't chasing storms, they devote their time to scientific experiments that include looking for extraterrestrials and building a research-gathering flying saucer to send into the eye of the storm. In this ultimate swap, the Heenes swap lives with a psychic mom who speaks to the dead and can control the weather, her husband and her children -- who believe they are destined to be star," the promotional copy read.

Father Richard Heene is an amateur scientist and storm chaser, according to a 2007 Denver Post profile. He is a co-author of the Web site The Science Detective.

Here's a video CBS news. Katie Couric called the event "incredible." I call it pure sensationalism.

Watch CBS News Videos Online
The NY Times has this "story" featured prominently on its homepage.

For hours on Thursday, people around the country were gripped by television images of a homemade, silver balloon careening through the skies near here, whooshing over fields and trees and yards with a 6-year-old boy believed inside.

[...]Sheriff Alderden flashed two thumbs up and said simply: “He’s alive. He’s in the house.”

Asked about the possibility that the event was a hoax, he said: “From our investigators on the scene, by all accounts, the angst and anguish this family was experiencing was genuine and the relief they experienced when he reappeared was genuine. I can’t imagine he would have been instructed to hide by his parents.”

There was nothing on the front page on the what should have been the top story: a justice of the peace refusing to marry an interracial couple.

Burned Teen Michael Brewer Holding on to life; Prognosis Grim

We need to ask how our society continues to breed such savages. Until we answer that question our nation is in danger.

in reference to:

"Four days ago, Michael Brewer Jr. was celebrating his 15th birthday with his family, a happy teenager doing back flips in the swimming pool. On Wednesday, the slight, blonde-haired teenager was heavily bandaged in intensive care at the University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Burn Center, suffering from burns on 65 percent of his body. Gone were his eyebrows and eyelashes, along with most of the hair on the right side of his head. If he survives, his recovery will take months, say doctors.The Deerfield Beach seventh-grader was burned by five schoolmates who attacked him during a squabble over a video game and a bicycle, according to authorities"
- Burned teen Michael Brewer holding on to life; prognosis grim - Today's Top Stories - MiamiHerald.com (view on Google Sidewiki)