How well the economy is doing on November 6, 2012, will likely be the single most important factor in how America votes.
And even though Republicans appear dead-set on blocking any legislative measure President Barack Obama comes up with that could actually stimulate growth, the president isn't entirely impotent when it comes to goosing the economy between now and Election Day -- on his own.
Several progressive thinkers contacted by The Huffington Post described six approaches Obama could still take unilaterally -- if he's willing to get a bit more assertive about things -- that could make an impact before November.
Obama himself has indicated he's thinking along these lines. "Now, there are steps that we can take absent congressional action," he said during a Friday press conference in France.
He cited the measures he approved in late October to reduce the burden of student loans. And, he said at the time: "We're going to keep on rolling out administrative steps that we can take that strengthen the economy."
But Obama wasn't exactly giddy about the prospects of executive action. Congress controls the purse strings, which means, as he put it: "If we're going to do something big to jumpstart the economy ... Congress is going to need to act."
Another caveat: Two days after the 2010 midterm elections, with a near-certain legislative deadlock looming, The Huffington Post spoke to a number of progressive leaders and compiled an entire agenda Obama could have pursued without Congress's help. Obama didn't adopt any part of it.
Follow Dan Froomkin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/froomkin
Gary Brumback
www.uschamberofdemocracy.com
www.democracypowernow.com
That could have paid off every MORTGAGE and CREDIT CARD IN AMERICA $11 TRILLION and still LEFT $5.8 TRILLION!
OR
JUBILEE is needed! JUBILEE IS A GREAT TRADITION AMONG ALL PEOPLES!
JUBILEE is DEBT FORGIVENESS and it can be:
1. VOLUNTARY - BY THE BANKS - UNLIKELY - This Proposal will not happen!
2. DONE WITH A NEW LAW DONE BY THE BRIBED CONGRESS - UNLIKELY
3. THE PEOPLE CAN DO IT THEMSELVES BY SIMPLY HAVING TENS OF MILLIONS NOT PAY BACK LOANS! WE THE PEOPLE SIMPLY STOP FEEDING THE Z0MB1ES EVERY MONTH WITH OUR LOAN PAYMENTS!
NOTE: Mortgage Bankster Association “Walked Away” from HQ - $79 MILLION BUILDING and MORTGAGE - IT IS OK IF BANKSTER WALK AWAY FROM DEBTS!
UNITED WE CAN - 15% DOING THIS COULD TOPPLE THESE OVER-LEVERAGED Z0MBIES!
Either by law or TAKEN by the PEOPLE THEMSELVES no longer paying as States recommended in 1930's - Pay your property taxes but not your loans.
Threatening China, without even the consideration of what would be the repercussions of such a move and a means of dealing with the fallout, is stupid. Adamantly refusing to mention the word 'deficit', as if not talking about it would fix things, somehow, is stupid. And, to be blunt, demanding that federal contracts only go to "high-wage" companies completely runs counter to the very argument for the current environment, with costs being low across the board, being the perfect opportunity for doing the "work that America needs done".
Demanding that banks, unilaterally, write-down the principals on all mortgages not only will result in a major jolt to the banks, it'll also shift the entire burden of dealing with the asset value whole onto the financial sector, without an ounce of the burden put on the folks who took advantage of the housing market, refinancing against their homes every couple years, to pay for things that they had no ability to afford in the first place. Then again, we're not supposed to be talking about that.
The middle class and poor hide the money under their matresses. They learned not to trust banks from the Great Depression Days. But the young think they know better. They think "credit" is necessary.. It's how the were conditioned. That does'nt make it smart or right. The ones who will win, will be the one who can think out of the box and see the future.
The more you know about history, the more you'll know about the future. It does'nt take a rocket scientist, just some good old fashioned studying and research., and following good advice.
No, it is not. If you don't have the cash, you should'nt buy it. Then banks would have no control over you, let alone the country.