The Michiganization of America

This is a remarkable slide show depicting the growth of unemployment in the U.S. in just two and a half years. In January 2007, before the credit and financial crises and the subsequent recession, the counties in purple or black — representing unemployment of 7 percent or more — were restricted to a handful of states.

Move forward to September of this year, and the whole map looks bruised.

I don’t intend this as a “blame Obama” post. The recession and the rise in unemployment started before he took office. But even “Saturday Night Live” understands that what the administration has been trying so far — namely, spending more money and piling up even more debt that will have to be repaid — isn’t working.

265 comments Add your comment

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:13 pm

More bad news for the Obama cult followers.

Health Care Reform
Support for Health Care Plan Falls to New Low

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/health_care_reform

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:15 pm

Peter = mindless, illiterate, baby killing lover.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:16 pm

I can’t wait to see liberal heads explode over this one.

Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama: The approval gap silently shrinks to a few points

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/11/not-that-it-matters-politically-because-shes-a-republican-idiot-and-hes-a-democrat-geniusbut-sarah-palins-poll-numbers-are-c.html

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
6:22 pm

Hey Ask a Native…….. I agree !

“Bailouts……a RICH Republican’s Welfare, example see Wall Street, AIG, the American Banking System……..those that are too ” LAZY ” to actually work honestly for a living !

Scamming is easier !

Selling stuff via Wall Street so stupid, even the guys selling it didn’t know what they were selling…..getting Raters such as Moody’s to give them A + ratings, when in fact they were Junk Bonds !

Then they call it …..” Intelligence Failure “……. right along with ” Mission Accomplished “.

Why……. because they scammed American’s out of their own prosperity !

David wake up !

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
6:23 pm

David = Name calling like little child, without intelligence to hold a good conversation or argument !

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
6:27 pm

Gee, everyone I know who recently lost their home either went into foreclosure or had to reluctantly sell due to MEDICAL DEBT/BANKRUPTCY. These lazy bums held 9-5s before their cancer diagnoses, which was totally their fault, and now they expect US to help THEM out?? Hmph! I have no problem with spending billions of $$$ “liberating” another country while my fellow citizens go without. They should have been more proactive. We will not be converted into Socialists. God Bless America.

Hey wingnuts, WWJD?? :-)

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
6:28 pm

David @ 6:17- that sounded like an insult? Are you a closet libbie? :-) Cause you know, ONLY liberals dish out insults when all else fails.

Linda

November 23rd, 2009
6:28 pm

Peter, your quote from the internet above PROVES exactly what I said.
DCI is not a “Republican” lobbying group. Fannie & Freddie were Dem puppets until they collapsed in ‘08. They would not have hired a Rep lobbying group. The article you quoted from a biased source called DCI Rep only because a Rep used them yrs later.
In both ‘03 & ‘05, the Reps introduced legislation in the Senate Banking, etc Committee to reign in Fannie & Freddie. You quoted, “All GOP members of the committee supported it; all Dems opposed it.” The letter accompanying the bill said, “If effective regulatory reform legislation…is not enacted this year, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie & Freddie pose to the housing market, the overall financial system & the economy as a whole.”
John McCain wrote, referring to Fannie & Freddie that they “were one of the real catalysts, really the match that let lit this fire.”
A congressional, federally-chartered government-sponsored enterprise spent $2 M to lobby against a congressional bill that would have reigned them in!!!
Only the leadership at Freddie knew about it & none of the Republican Senators had a clue that they were being targeted. Freddie paid our tax dollars to DCI who paid it to third parties: prominent constituents & financial contributors.
None of the lobbying money actually went to Rep Senators.
Only Reps were targeted by DCI because only Reps were in favor of reigning in F & F.
Of the 17 Rep Senators who were targeted, 8 of them still signed the bill anyway, along with 18 others. No Dems signed it.
Is this all you can come up with?

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:29 pm

Peter, awe poor baby. She can dish it out but can’t take it. Poor poor Peter.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:30 pm

ask a Native, just serving you back what you’d said to me. Now, back to the reservation with you hack!

Jess

November 23rd, 2009
6:31 pm

Ask a native,

The republicans have offered the following for health care. identify the problems and attack them rather than reforming an entire system which in many ways is the best in the world. The problems as they see it are covering those not covered, and cost. answer, pass a bill to achieve coverage for everyone. On cost, they would start by asking the president to go ahead and take that $500 billion from medicare and medicaid waste and fraud.

We do not have to reform an entire system which 60% t0 70% of americans are perfectly happy with.

There is no plan for a stimulus because that’s not the governments job. The economy will recover more quickly on it’s own than with govt. tampering. US by far the largest stimulus plan of the industrial countries. US the slowest to recover. Obama was told this would happen by Europeon leaders, but as usual, he’s a lot smarter than they are so he did it his way.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:32 pm

Peter, did it ever occur to you that most Democrat senators are rich people?

Every single democrat presidential candidate from the last 50 years has been a rich white dude. Well, except for Obama Hussein. He’s half white half black.

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
6:33 pm

I agree with ask a Native……F- my fellow American……

I want to be a Republican…….

I want to spend Billions on “Helping other nations”, and keep allowing American’s to be Hungry and Poor!

I want to bilk those poor American’s until they are hopeless !

I want to call those American’s derogatory names !

I want to be a Republican !

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
6:37 pm

David did it ever occur to you ALL senators are Millionaires ! ? !

Did it ever occur to you the Bailouts were as “ask a Native ” says…….white man’s Welfare.

Linda please read the article yet again…….3 years before the failure, the Republican’s blocked the correcting of the ship, and coincidentally took over the operation until Failure hit !

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
6:38 pm

David @ 6:09- “the plan doesn’t exist” would have sufficed. Still foaming at the mouth, I see.

Continue proving my point about how you zealots are just as wacky as the dems you try to bash. Funny how everyone who disagrees with your neanderthal way of thinking is automatically labeled a liberal or Democrat, or some other derogatory depending on what time you took your meds. This strategy has worked for politicians for decades. Keep dancing at their expense, puppet. I, however, will not be led astray just because someone has an R or D behind their name. God bless you, and God bless America.

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
6:40 pm

Peter @ 6:33- capitalism. It’s the American way. No regard for your fellow man, as long as the free market is allowed to thrive who cares? The world guffaws as we try to figure it all out. Less stuff, more living. It really is that simple.

Jesus was a Socialist :-)

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
6:44 pm

Meanwhile in wingnut land, the golden girl Sarah Palin has exposed the GOP and its imperfections *gasp!* They ARE human! Limbaugh and O’Reilly attempt to clean up the mess left behind by the Alaskan Assassin, but they commit the same atrocities against Sarah Palin that they’ve accused the “liberal media” of doing all along. Sarah Palin remains the victim.

They’re all the same. They are ALL the same. Wake up, people. Sarah Palin will be running on an independent ticket in 2012. America continues to be (willingly) bamboozled. The jokes write themselves.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:46 pm

Peter, white man’s welfare? Guess the mask is off. Peter and Native hate white people.

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
6:46 pm

But ask a Native…..

Jesus is the crutch all Republican’s use…….even Bush said he prayed to “His God” before he attacked Iraq !

Maybe the Republican’s mean Jesus…..from Mexico ?

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
6:48 pm

Yes David as a white person I hate white folks…….HA HA HA……..

But as a White Person you hate America !

Linda

November 23rd, 2009
6:49 pm

Peter, a president can not just take off to war. All wars must have Congressional approval. The War in Afghanistan was approved in the Senate by a vote of 98-0 & in the House by 420-1. Our Congressmen & women not only can, but are obligated to review each & every piece of intelligence, thoroughly. You might be interested in reviewing some of the comments made by the Dems as well as the Reps on the internet.
The reason we went to war was because radical Islamic terrorists had been murdering Americans in dozens of countries in Asia, Europe & in the US for almost 30 years. We ALL knew they wanted to blow up the World Trade Center because they had already TRIED in ‘93.
These terrorists don’t hate us for anything we have DONE. They hate us for who we ARE. Appeasement has & never will work.
Maybe you’re right that this is a made-up war, but the families of terrorist attacks, including 9/11, beg to differ with you.
If terrorists had killed your family members serving in Saudi Arabia, on vacation in Spain, in a flight over Scotland, on a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea, having lunch in the World Trade Center & you wanted to put an END to all terrorism, what would your solution be?
Hey, ya’ll, anyone can chime in. All are welcome.

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
6:49 pm

David @ 6:30. The comment that you’re frothy over was specifically addressed @ wingnuts. If it applies to you, remain offended.

And thanks for your concern about my reservation, I think your comment says more than I ever could about the mental stability of wingnut conservatives like yourself. God Bless.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:50 pm

ask a Native, no, I could care less if you disagree with me. My problem with you came when you told me to shut the hell up.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:51 pm

ask a Native, the reservation comment was a joke. Wow, your stupidity reigns supreme!

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:52 pm

Peter, do you really want to turn this into a religious blog?

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:54 pm

ask a Native, Palin will end up selling more books than Hillary, Bill and Obama combined. People identify with real human beings and not robots like Hillary and Obama.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:55 pm

Peter, wow, do you know what satire means? Come on, look it up real quick why don’t cha.

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
6:56 pm

@ Jess 6:30: If it’s the best in the world, how come no one else in the world has one like it, nor wants it?

And before anyone gets started (this is not directed at you, Jess), I’ve lived in Canada and the U.K and I know first hand the opinions of their citizens about their health care so spare me the propaganda.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:57 pm

ask a Native, if we are so bad then why are millions coming here illegally?

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
6:58 pm

David @ 6:46- whatever you say, Joe Wilson.

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
6:58 pm

Hey Linda maybe Colin Powell can tell us all the truth, of all the lies, and why he quit working for Bush and Cheney ?

Why Cheney thought he left the party ?

Maybe you can say “Faulty Intelligence” or “Mission Accomplished” with a straight face, but not all Americans are oblivious to the lies and deceit.

Why don’t you write Dick Cheney and ask him about the “Secret Energy Meetings” that happened early on, and why we cannot get any minutes about those meetings ?

And David, if you don’t think the Iraq WAR was about the oil contracts, and the Cost plus Contracts that bilked America…..then hey you probably will want Palin for President as well !

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:59 pm

ask a Native, if other countries have such great health care then why do more people come here for surgery than anywhere else in the world?

Canada, Middle East, Asia, Europe. All come here for major surgeries.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
6:59 pm

ask a Native, whatever you say Michael Moore.

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
7:00 pm

David insists on adding words to my post. It’s the Barney frank mantra, I refuse to entertain doorknobs or dining room tables.

Swamp land in California for the first poster who can point out where I said America was “bad”.

Linda

November 23rd, 2009
7:00 pm

Kyle@5:17, My preschool neighbor would find you comment discriminatory & discouraging.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
7:01 pm

Peter writes: And David, if you don’t think the Iraq WAR was about the oil contracts, and the Cost plus Contracts that bilked America…..then hey you probably will want Palin for President as well !

Well Peter, she does have more experience leading than your lord and savior Obama. He has not once led since he entered the White House. And no Peter, if Iraq was all about oil then why isn’t gas down below a dollar?

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
7:01 pm

ask a Native continues to spew lies and rhetoric and fails to answer simple questions. Poor whittle Native. It must be so lonely on that reservation.

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
7:03 pm

ask a Native, how is your boyfriend Barney Frank? I heard that you two had a lovely weekend getaway to the Bahamas at taxpayer expense.

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
7:04 pm

What crap is this Linda……….”Maybe you’re right that this is a made-up war, but the families of terrorist attacks, including 9/11, beg to differ with you.”

Gee I would think the families of 911 would want Bin Laden dead as I do……

Iraq had Zero to do with 911……Pulling at straws I guess…..No my bad……Dick Cheney made Up bull crap about the connection, and the polls STILL say Republican’s still DO believe that made up lie !

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
7:05 pm

Peter, if Iraq is a made up war then why doesn’t Obama Hussein, your lord and savior, bring them all home?

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
7:06 pm

David @ 6:59, you’ve got to be kidding me. I don’t care who’s coming here for a nose job. Americans are leaving this country IN DROVES for HEALTH CARE that’s more affordable elsewhere. I’m not your seeing-eye dog, I know you know where to find the stats.

Again, spare me the propaganda. I have lived in the aforementioned nations and they’ll take a flawed universal system over ours any day.

I did not intend for this to become a debate abt health care. It tied into another point I made as intended. The end.

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
7:07 pm

David @6:51. Haha?

atlshirt.com

November 23rd, 2009
7:08 pm

everyone of you are blind, either republican or democrat.. This is exactly what our government wants.. they want us at each others throats, so that we are not at thier throats..

WILL ANYONE ADMIT THAT IT IS BOTH PARTIES FAULT ??

United we STAND , Divided we FALL, and boy are we falling.. Keep on believing the BS that our government ran media tells us.. keep on fighting between one another, and keep on losing your freedoms and liberties..

Maybe one day, we will all wake up and see what is actually going on, and then we could all UNITE and STAND up to a CORRUPT government !!!!

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
7:09 pm

Gosh David, you forgot you live in a capitalistic market……they want YOUR MONEY as well…..duhhhhhhhh………they are not going to lower gas prices !

The Bush Family is in the OIL Business…… Come on now Little King George, was not a good President, but what a Family guy he was !

Setting up all that good business for family, and opening up a new region as well to make more money from……Hard to negotiate with a dictator one puts into place !

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
7:09 pm

When all else fails, hurl insults.

I thought this was the liberal way? David is a closet liberal, I suppose. You’re in good company, right along with Rush, Glenn and O’Reilly.

“We’re entertainers!” :-)

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
7:13 pm

Hey atlshirt.com ……..You are correct…….. But it is not the government…. You are speaking of the small groups…..Back to Yale we go………the secret societies that run the country, and want chaos, and confusion, along with the rocky stock market, so they can buy up everything, and have their order !

David Axelfraud

November 23rd, 2009
7:14 pm

ask a Native, I didn’t know heart surgery was considered a nose job. My wife is a doc at a major hospital and she sees a lot of overseas patients who can’t get surgeries in their own countries.

Propaganda? You mean like democrats who usher out one person and claim that the person represents every single American?

No, you intended this to be a diversion from the real topic. Democrats who ruin states and bankrupt them like Michigan and California.

StJ

November 23rd, 2009
7:14 pm

“Michiganization” is just a side effect of another word based on “California” (also the title of a Red Hot Chili Peppers song), which we have been subjected to for years. You do the math.

[Funny how "the page cannot be displayed" at certain times. The oh-so-wonderful devices of censorship.]

ask a Native

November 23rd, 2009
7:14 pm

@7:08- I have been preaching that “liberal nonsense” forever.

Peter

November 23rd, 2009
7:15 pm

Gee David……..”Peter, if Iraq is a made up war then why doesn’t Obama Hussein, your lord and savior, bring them all home?”

I think he is doing so……BUT……… Bush allowed Bin Laden his Personal “Terrorist Protection Program”….thus our problems in Afghanistan !