Hurray, Karen. Well said. It's very frustrating to know that Obama can spend so much time with his daughters, while his policies are requiring me to give up my position as SAHM (something that we worked hard and saved for)..

Well said!
It's hard to have any sympathy for these people. They had to know that their lives would change radically.
I was not happy when BO was "elected" but oh well. Let's make the best of it. Six months later and it is plain to see he truly does hate this country. Every single day he does or says or signs into law something objectionable. The libs posting here want to know what, specifically. Go read the newspaper.
Now, tell me this...has BO been in the Oval office once? What trip will he and the gang take now, on our tax dollar?

To start with, this farcical "stimulus" that was supposed to save hundreds of thousands of jobs has done nothing except increase the debt of this country. More and more companies are laying off workers and closing their doors. Others are not hiring. Still others are slashing benefits. Thanks, in part, to those conditions, placed there by the Obama Administration, I am on my way back to work.

LS-

Weren't these conditions present before Obama ever became president?

that "stimulus"? Nope. Not in the massive amounts. I know that "Bush started it," and that's what you're getting at. But Obama PROMISED to turn it around, and since he's been in office - with the chance (for 6 months now) to turn it around - he has QUADRUPLED this country's debt, and the unemployment rate has skyrocketed. He continues to promise to "create or save jobs", but in reality, his policies are encouraging businesses to cut jobs, wages and benefits. (in our small town alone, four storefront businesses - ones that had been established and thriving for the last 5 years, at least - have closed their doors)

So, no, those conditions did NOT exist before Obama took office, and frankly, I'm sick of hearing him blame everything on Bush, and not stand up and take responsibility for the disastrous policies that HE is enacting - shoving them through Congress, encouraging the "emergency" atmosphere, and whipping this country into a panicked frenzy over every single issue. There are a lot of people out here, working their BUTTS off, trying to keep - or find - jobs, and despite his flowery teleprompted speeches, he isn't doing a bloomin' thing to fix the problem. In fact, he is striving to make the problem worse.

Yes, Kat, my PERSONAL DEBT has increased. Unless, of course, you don’t consider my COUNTRY’S DEBT to be my personal debt. Because I do. You see, when my country has the kind of massive debt that it has, it drives the cost of everything up and deflates the dollar. So whatever debt I had is harder to pay off, because my dollar holds less value. Furthermore, because the government has no self-control, they must keep printing more and more money to cover what they spend. More money in circulation means that money is increasingly less valuable. So yes, in a manner of speaking, my debt has increased.

I’m sorry if you don’t equate the massive national debt with my “personal immediate debt”, but that’s the problem with people these days. If it doesn’t directly affect you, personally and immediately, it’s not important. The national debt is something that’s so huge and abstract, people can’t fathom it, so it’s not “personally and immediately” important.

But if you mean have my credit card bills increased, no, because I pay them off every month. I live within a budget, and have for a very long time.

And if you feel the need to dig far into my personal life, Kat, you are going to be sorely disappointed, because this is the internet, and I don’t hang my life out to dry on it. Let’s leave it at this: Yes, our personal situation HAS been affected by the changes that Mr. Obama has made. Businesses in our town are shutting down left and right. The ones that are left are not hiring, because credit has tightened up considerably, and where there is no credit, there is no money. They also see what is coming on the horizon: Cap & Trade and Nationalized Healthcare (which WILL eliminate private healthcare, whether you believe it or not), both of which will mean increased taxes/expenses for those companies. This DOES create an atmosphere of instability, both in the community and in the home. So yes, it is a REQUIREMENT that I return to work. That choice has been taken from me.

Again, if you’re looking for an example like, “Pres. Obama personally walked into my house and TOLD ME that I MUST go to work” that’s not going to happen. And I think that’s what you’re looking for. You’re telling me that I’m quoting “talking points” with all of this, but in reality, you’re refusing to see that what Mr. Obama does on Capitol Hill affects every single citizen in this country. Driving up our debt (Stimulus I, and the new-but-not-yet-written Stimulus II) and breaking campaign promises (“no one making under $250K will see their taxes increase. Period." Unless you smoke (tobacco tax passed in Feb or March), or use electricity (Cap & Trade)) affects the people of this country.

“Seven months of effort will not immediately transform and correct the 8+ years we've had that put us into this mess.”

I’m sorry, “this mess” that we’re in? Not ALL Bush’s fault. And I’m no fan of Bush. He had me at 9/11. He LOST me at Medicare Part D that pays for prescription drugs. He betrayed me with his immigration policies and by introducing TARP. Obama could have had me on day one if he had come out and spoken the truth: That TARP (Stimulus I) was a load of crap and pork, a waste of time and money, and dangerous for our country. Instead, he did exactly what I expected of him, “I don’t like that there’s so much pork in this, but I’m going to sign it anyway.” He could have begun to fix “8+ years” if he had stuck with his PROMISES of no more pork and “transparency”. Instead, we’re getting pork on top of pork, and more opacity and double-speak than any administration in history.

“ ‘But Obama PROMISED to turn it around...’
That comes across a bit whiny, but it may not be your fault. Over the past 30 years, it's become quite common, and I daresay characteristic of most Americans, to expect INSTANT GRATIFICATION.”

Please do not patronize me. I’m sorry if you didn’t understand my snark. But I did mean it when I said that Obama PROMISED to turn it around, because he did. I am not expecting instant gratification. I’m expecting him to keep his promises, and take his responsibilities as the President of the United States seriously. I don’t expect him to turn the economy around in seven months, but I don’t want him dragging it further down, either. I am insulted and ashamed when he and his administration MAKE JOKES about not reading the legislation that they are forcing through at warp-speed. He and his administration are preying on that instant gratification that you speak of – making EVERYTHING into an emergency that MUST be passed RIGHT NOW or we will all SUFFER. Consequently, we are getting crap legislation filled with unrelated garbage that we don’t need and can't afford. Further, I expect him to treat me with the respect that I deserve as a citizen of this country. Having him tell me, multiple times a week, that I have to “tighten my belt” and “sacrifice for the greater good” while he’s golfing almost daily, throwing Luau’s on the WH Lawn, and eating $100/lb Kobe Beef is not respectful. It is arrogant and smug. (and before you argue with that, remember that in his former life, he was a lawyer... the profession that invented the phrase, "appearance of impropriety")

“These are challenging times. Difficult decisions are being made every day by millions of people. Some of the toughest ones are being made by our President. He cannot make the right ones 100% of the time... Personally, I'm glad that it's him who has to decide, rather than John McCain and Sarah Palin. “

We agree on a few points here. I agree that difficult decisions are being made, and it’s the President’s responsibility to make some of them. I also agree that he can’t make the right decisions 100% of the time. But it would be nice if he made the right decision SOME of the time. So far, there have been precious few good decisions made. I am not glad that it’s him who is deciding, and I fear the direction that those decisions are taking this country. Like you, I am also glad that John McCain is not at the helm. He is simply more of the D.C. “Old Boy” system, and I don’t think he would have been any better than Obama. He simply would deliver us to the same place that Obama is rocketing us toward, albeit in a much slower fashion. I do like Sarah Palin a lot, though. I believe that she is a breed apart from any of the crackers who are on Capitol Hill now, and I would vote for her in a heartbeat. She has done great things for Alaska, and I would like to see her do the same for the U.S. So what if she isn’t polished like those who are there? She’s not afraid to stand up to the machines, and it’s about time we had more like her – people who are not afraid to buck the system to do what’s right, rather than what’s popular.

“If we as a country don't like what President Obama has done by 2012, we can vote him out.”

God willing, we will still have that right. With the beating that the Constitution is taking (and has taken for the past century – yes, all the way back to Teddy Roosevelt), and the crap that Obama is pulling with the Census (partnering with ACORN), it will be a miracle if we will be allowed to vote, let alone vote him out of office.

LS, in need of instant gratification, huh? You don't know her very well, do you?

Thanks, Sandyone. :)