jasonxctf Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Bush Blames 'Junk Lawsuits' for Job Woes 38 minutes ago By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer President Bush (news - web sites) and rival John Kerry (news - web sites) on Tuesday offered different ways to boost the sluggish job market, the president calling for legal reforms to help workers and businesses while his Democratic opponent proposed ending tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas. Kerry, moving aggressively in the face of polls showing his candidacy lagging, used the latest forecast of a record budget deficit to bolster his contention that Bush is leading the country in the wrong direction. The Bush administration described the lower deficit prediction as positive economic news. In his second day of campaigning in Missouri, a state he won in 2000 by just 79,000 votes out of 2.3 million cast, Bush told a rally in suburban Kansas City that Kerry had stood in the way of legal reforms that would help generate jobs and protect workers and businesses. He called Kerry "one of the trial lawyers' most reliable allies in the Senate." Bush, linking Kerry policies to campaign donations from trial attorneys, said "junk lawsuits" hinder job creation and cost the economy more than $230 billion a year. With the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (news - web sites) predicting this year's federal deficit will reach $422 billion — less than earlier forecasts but still the highest ever — Kerry told supporters in North Carolina that the deficit represented other bad Bush choices. "Only George W. Bush could celebrate over a record budget deficit of $422 billion, a loss of 1.6 million jobs and Medicare premiums that are up by a record 17 percent," Kerry said. "W stands for wrong — the wrong direction for America." Kerry said he would end tax breaks for companies that outsource overseas, a potent issue in North Carolina and other states that have suffered job losses. "Because of George Bush (news - web sites)'s wrong choices, this country is continuing to ship good jobs overseas — jobs with good wages and good benefits," Kerry said. Kerry's criticism on the economic front came a day after he leveled harsh criticism at Bush over the war in Iraq (news - web sites), declaring that the president had sent U.S. troops to the "wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time." Bush dismissed Kerry's remarks on the war as yet another switch in position by a senator who originally voted to give the president the authority to act in Iraq. "No matter how many times Senator Kerry changes his mind, it was right for America then and it's right for America now if Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) is no longer in power," the president told supporters Monday in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Kerry's plan to deal with the problem of outsourcing jobs would eliminate rules allowing companies to defer paying taxes on income earned by their foreign subsidiaries until they bring the profits back to the United States. Kerry says the elimination would ensure that American companies will be taxed on their foreign subsidiaries' profits just like they are taxed on their domestic profits. "He's actually encouraging the export of American jobs," Kerry said of Bush's support for the current rules. The president's plan for dealing with job losses is through job training, increased funding for community colleges and creation of "opportunity zones" of reduced taxes. Bush said the jobs picture is improving, largely due to tax cuts that he said have helped push down the unemployment rate to 5.4 percent. The economy "is strong and is getting stronger," Bush told a Labor Day crowd in Poplar Bluff. Political analysts point to one potential problem for Kerry in Missouri — lingering bitterness in the Democratic Party's ranks over a primary election that ousted incumbent Democratic Gov. Bob Holden. Kerry needs a huge turnout of loyal Democrats to win the state in November. Missouri Democrats see their ticket as generating a lot of enthusiasm among voters, with women running for governor, U.S. Senate and secretary of state. The Kerry campaign sees Bush's frequent trips to Missouri as an indication the campaign sees trouble ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wong & Owens Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Well, at least they're arguing about something relevant now, as opposed to wasting more time pointing fingers at events from 3 decades ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonxctf Posted September 7, 2004 Author Share Posted September 7, 2004 on a side note, I love on the administration claims that they inherited "The Clinton Recession" I don't remember GHW Bush saying that he inherited "The Reagan Recession" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 on a side note, I love on the administration claims that they inherited "The Clinton Recession" I don't remember GHW Bush saying that he inherited "The Reagan Recession" That would be because he didn't. That recession happened in mid 90 to 1991. A full year and a half after taking office. According to the BLS the latest recession started in March of 2001 or about 6-7 weeks after taking office, making it about economically impossible for it to be a "Bush" recession. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 The internet bubble burst, Enron and WorldCom happened at the end of Clinton's tenure. The unemployment that followed didn't show until after Clinton was gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonxctf Posted September 7, 2004 Author Share Posted September 7, 2004 what does the BLR constitute a recession? I think of things as a roller coaster, no matter how high you go, at some point theres a correction and things start to dip... on the flip side... no matter how low you go, at some point theres a correction and things start to tick up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 what does the BLR constitute a recession? I think of things as a roller coaster, no matter how high you go, at some point theres a correction and things start to dip... on the flip side... no matter how low you go, at some point theres a correction and things start to tick up. The "official" definition of a recession is two or more quarters of negative growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
israel4ever Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I am interested in this argument from this point of view...has your life(style) changed for the better, for the worse, or not at all since Bush has taken office? Explain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonxctf Posted September 7, 2004 Author Share Posted September 7, 2004 my lifestyle has actually gotten better since Bush came into office. Put an asterik * next to that however since I had just left college and got my first job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I am interested in this argument from this point of view...has your life(style) changed for the better, for the worse, or not at all since Bush has taken office? Explain. I spent much of the past couple years helping companies source products overseas and outsourcing. Bush has been very very good to me. I'm out of that now. I can feel better about myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Controlled Chaos Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I am interested in this argument from this point of view...has your life(style) changed for the better, for the worse, or not at all since Bush has taken office? Explain. you tried this question months ago.... Yes my lifestyle has changed for the better!!!!!!!!!! Since 2001 I bought: A townhouse and finished my basement $$$. A new car. A new bedroom set. A new dining room set. A 60 inch TV. DVD players. $1200 worth of flooring s***...I'm getting married...Don't even ask me how much the fricken ring and wedding bands and wedding gift were. Our honeymoon our hall...and that is just the big purchases...Im not counting 100 bucks for this 100 for that... I'm doing well...I am making 42% more now than I was at this time 4 years ago. I know I know, now is where you tell me...."yeah, um but you're in the minority" My answer isn't good ...if its not the answer you want. The company I work for is successful, my friends are all working and doing fine, my cousin who just graduated college got a job right away. I know some people are having trouble, but it certanly isn't as gloom and doom as people make it out to be. I don't know anyone unemployeed right now. I don't even know anyone who knows anyone. I have known people that had their company's close and the ones that didn't want to collect unemployment for a while, got jobs right away. Fact is I don't attribute others successes or my successes to bush being in office, nor would I attribute a lack of successes to bush being in office. You want to paint this picture like all is bad because of Bush. Gimmie a break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 Fact is I don't attribute others successes or my successes to bush being in office, nor would I attribute a lack of successes to bush being in office. You want to paint this picture like all is bad because of Bush. Gimmie a break. B-I-N-G-OOOOO... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 I am interested in this argument from this point of view...has your life(style) changed for the better, for the worse, or not at all since Bush has taken office? Explain. I'm better off. WAY better off, in fact. When Bush was elected I was unemployed from a job that I was working 70+ hours a week, very few days off, no Holidays off, no Holiday pay, no overtime. Now, I'm in a "cushy" job. I own my own house, which I remodeled a little bit. Married. Two cars. A 2 year old. Another one on the way. (There, that's my announcement. ) I'll steal this from Chaos: The company I work for is successful, my friends are all working and doing fine, my cousin who just graduated college got a job right away. I know some people are having trouble, but it certanly isn't as gloom and doom as people make it out to be. I don't know anyone unemployeed right now. I don't even know anyone who knows anyone. I have known people that had their company's close and the ones that didn't want to collect unemployment for a while, got jobs right away. Fact is I don't attribute others successes or my successes to bush being in office, nor would I attribute a lack of successes to bush being in office. You want to paint this picture like all is bad because of Bush. Gimmie a break. I could have wrote that myself. It's right on the money from what I see and know. My brother-in-law finished school at the end of May from Purdue-Lafayette and moved in with us in hopes of getting a job downtown. He starts with Wachovia Securities next week with a pretty decent starting salary. In the meantime he's been working part tme at a bar and living pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonxctf Posted September 7, 2004 Author Share Posted September 7, 2004 how my life has changed over the past 4 years is really of no significance in this arguement... one thing that does bother me over the past 4 years... Dow January 2001: 11,000 Dow September 2004: 10,341.16 Equaling a loss of nearly 6%. For those looking to retire soon, or are looking to build up their retirement portfolio, a 6% drop over 4 years isnt the way to do it. While we all know that the DOW Average does not equal how the economy is doing... this certainly says something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soxman352000 Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 OK George I like, but that is just stupid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
israel4ever Posted September 8, 2004 Share Posted September 8, 2004 you tried this question months ago.... Yes my lifestyle has changed for the better!!!!!!!!!! Since 2001 I bought: A townhouse and finished my basement $$$. A new car. A new bedroom set. A new dining room set. A 60 inch TV. DVD players. $1200 worth of flooring s***...I'm getting married...Don't even ask me how much the fricken ring and wedding bands and wedding gift were. Our honeymoon our hall...and that is just the big purchases...Im not counting 100 bucks for this 100 for that... I'm doing well...I am making 42% more now than I was at this time 4 years ago. I know I know, now is where you tell me...."yeah, um but you're in the minority" My answer isn't good ...if its not the answer you want. The company I work for is successful, my friends are all working and doing fine, my cousin who just graduated college got a job right away. I know some people are having trouble, but it certanly isn't as gloom and doom as people make it out to be. I don't know anyone unemployeed right now. I don't even know anyone who knows anyone. I have known people that had their company's close and the ones that didn't want to collect unemployment for a while, got jobs right away. Fact is I don't attribute others successes or my successes to bush being in office, nor would I attribute a lack of successes to bush being in office. You want to paint this picture like all is bad because of Bush. Gimmie a break. Please don't put words in my mouth. I am asking a question, that's all. I can tell you that since Bush (overreacted and) changed the INS to Customs and Border Protection, under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security, I will make $3000 - $6000 per year LESS than I would have under the old system, and have a LOT more responsibilities than I had. I am also breathing more polluted air, and drinking "dirtier" water since restrictions on pollutants have been eased by the current administration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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