Did you watch it? What did you think?
As usual, I think the new pres handled himself well. The guy's just chock full o' poise. I also think he made some good points selling portions of his stimulus plan -- particularly the green energy and medical records parts.
And as usual, when I force myself to watch one of these things, I sympathized with him and what he was trying to say, and got really irritated at some the stupid, facile, superficially provocative questions the media reps asked. For instance, I know we're supposed to think Helen Thomas is cute or something because she's so old, but what the hell did she mean by "so-called terrorists" (which the president politely called her down for, by setting out quite clearly what a terrorist is). And did she really want the president to blurt out, in response to her hectoring (see how she kept asking it, talking over him?), who in the Mideast has nukes and who doesn't? What did she expect him to say, something like "Oh, you mean, besides Israel?" Does she think a new president should gab with her, in front of the country, about whatever juicy tidbits he's picked up at those cool intel briefings?
And who was it, the CNN guy? who asked, as this guy's walking in the door and beginning to turn our resources more fully toward a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, "Hey, when can we leave Afghanistan?" What kinds of questions are these? Are they randomly chosen from questions overheard on the street, or what? What sort of intelligent answer could anyone possibly expect from such a question?
And The Huffington Post? A blog? A representative of Arianna Huffington gets a question, as opposed to... I don't know... the Chicago Tribune? What do they do, drag these names out of a hat? Or is it, "let's give one to a serious newspaper, one to a network, throw in a blog, and if there's a little old lady in tennis shoes we'll give her a shot, too?"
I've never really liked the combination of journalism and theater that is the news conference... all that posturing and primping before one's peers and the folks at home, everybody trying to impress somebody, and mostly persuading everyone as to what idiots they are. The very few such events I attended as a reporter, I kept my mouth shut rather than be part of the show. If I couldn't find out what I needed to know before such a cattle call, I wasn't doing my job. Later, as an editor, I told reporters they'd BETTER have the whole story ahead of time, and preferably have it filed. They should then attend the show on the remote chance that something would come up they didn't know already. They were not to ask questions during the conference unless they couldn't get them answered any other way (which they should regard as a failure), for the simple fact that they'd better know a LOT more than the TV and radio types who live off such events, so why should they get to feed off your good questions?
It occurs to me as I reminisce that I was not the easiest editor for a reporter to work for... probably a good thing I defected to editorial in 1994, and left all that behind.
Oh, well. I think I'll read some Moby Dick and go to bed.
Oh, by the way, I should probably say this to cover my bases -- I did NOT catch the beginning of what the POTUS had to say, I came in on the part about energy policy and health records. So maybe he said some dumb stuff before that (which I doubt), but I'm sure y'all will tell me if that's the case.
And yeah, I could have waited to post this until after I'd gone back and seen the start or read a transcript, but I thought I'd go ahead and give y'all a post on which to say what YOU (who I am sure watched every second of it) thought about it.
Posted by: Brad Warthen | Monday, 09 February 2009 at 10:07 PM
Hello, South Carolina!
Just in case you're wondering - here in 'blue' America, we think Helen Thomas is crazy, too.
Is she trying to channel Pierre Salinger, Gore Vidal, Hassan Nasrallah?
Posted by: Peter Kaufman | Monday, 09 February 2009 at 10:26 PM
I watched the whole thing.
While I don't agree with Obama's approach to the stimulus plan, it is such a breath of fresh air to watch a President who can at least make his case intelligently. After eight years of the fratboy notecard-reader, it was a nice change.
Unfortunately, much like the USC Gamecocks, it doesn't matter who is in charge if the players on the field are self-interested and ill-equipped in the fundamentals.
Nothing that term limits on the Senate and House wouldn't help solve. Until we can get congressmen who truly are interested in the betterment of the country, it won't make a bit of difference who sits in the Oval Office.
Posted by: Doug Ross | Monday, 09 February 2009 at 10:28 PM
Helen Thomas' question about Israel's nuclear arsenal was a softball for the President. Basically an in your face moment for the brainless right-wing idiots that thought he was going to be the Manchurian Muslim Candidate.
Posted by: Boston Dan | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 01:11 AM
Unless the president is telling us Pearl Harbor just got bombed or the equivalent, I have always thought ( regardless of whose the president ) white house press briefing are a waste of time. The press corp always sounds stupid and the president looks good because he controls the room. He can choose to answer or sidestep any question he desires.
Posted by: Richard L. Wolfe | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 01:32 AM
Obama's performance at his first news conference was impressive, but it wasn't perfect.
He used the phrase "myself and other economists."
Huh?
He said the stimulus bill now has "no earmarks."
But, according to Stimulus Watch, here's the list of projects cities have requested the stimulus bill pay for (note Columbia, Charleston, Sumter, Rock Hill, Hardeeville; details available at http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_city/):
Acworth, Georgia (4 projects)
Addison, Illinois (4 projects)
Akron, Ohio (236 projects)
Alameda, California (54 projects)
Alamogordo, New Mexico (19 projects)
Albany, New York (30 projects)
Albuquerque, New Mexico (130 projects)
Alexandria, Louisiana (26 projects)
Alexandria, Virginia (46 projects)
Alhambra, California (33 projects)
Allen, Texas (11 projects)
Allentown, Pennsylvania (47 projects)
Alpharetta, Georgia (49 projects)
Alsip, Illinois (8 projects)
Alton, Illinois (4 projects)
Amboy, Illinois (5 projects)
Amesbury, Massachusetts (5 projects)
Anaheim, California (15 projects)
Anasco, Puerto Rico (6 projects)
Anchorage, Alaska (46 projects)
Annapolis, Maryland (16 projects)
Anniston, Alabama (5 projects)
Apple Valley, California (10 projects)
Arco, Idaho (5 projects)
Arden Hills, Minnesota (4 projects)
Arimo, Idaho (4 projects)
Arlington, Texas (102 projects)
Arlington Heights, Illinois (7 projects)
Arroyo, Puerto Rico (3 projects)
Arvada, Colorado (4 projects)
Asheville, North Carolina (18 projects)
Ashton, Idaho (4 projects)
Athens, Georgia (57 projects)
Athens, West Virginia (1 projects)
Atlanta, Georgia (58 projects)
Auburn, Alabama (25 projects)
Auburn, Washington (38 projects)
Aurora, Colorado (1 projects)
Aurora, Illinois (8 projects)
Austin, Texas (162 projects)
Avon, Minnesota (6 projects)
Avondale, Arizona (56 projects)
Baltimore, Maryland (38 projects)
Bancroft, Idaho (6 projects)
Barceloneta, Puerto Rico (5 projects)
Bartlett, Illinois (6 projects)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (66 projects)
Battle Creek, Michigan (24 projects)
Bay Springs, Mississippi (26 projects)
Bayard, New Mexico (6 projects)
Baytown, Texas (42 projects)
Beaumont, Texas (5 projects)
Bedford, Texas (37 projects)
Belgrade, Minnesota (6 projects)
Bell, California (3 projects)
Bell Gardens, California (14 projects)
Bellevue, Idaho (7 projects)
Bellevue, Washington (11 projects)
Beloit, Wisconsin (63 projects)
Belzoni, Mississippi (3 projects)
Bessemer, Alabama (77 projects)
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (54 projects)
Beulah, Mississippi (4 projects)
Beverly Hills, California (4 projects)
Big Piney, Wyoming (4 projects)
Biloxi, Mississippi (5 projects)
Bingham Farms, Michigan (3 projects)
Binghamton, New York (35 projects)
Birmingham, Alabama (27 projects)
Blackfoot, Idaho (2 projects)
Bloomington, Idaho (4 projects)
Blue Island, Illinois (25 projects)
Blue Mound, Texas (2 projects)
Boise, Idaho (1 projects)
Bolingbrook, Illinois (33 projects)
Bollingbrook, Illinois (1 projects)
Bossier City, Louisiana (16 projects)
Boston, Massachusetts (40 projects)
Boulder, Colorado (9 projects)
Bourbonnais, Illinois (3 projects)
Bowling Green, Kentucky (53 projects)
Boynton Beach, Florida (13 projects)
Bozeman, Montana (7 projects)
Bremerton, Washington (10 projects)
Brewster, Washington (5 projects)
Bridgeport, Connecticut (147 projects)
Bridgeport, Washington (3 projects)
Bridgeview, Illinois (9 projects)
Brigham City, Utah (17 projects)
Brighton, New York (1 projects)
Brockton, Massachusetts (93 projects)
Brook Park, Ohio (3 projects)
Brownsville, Texas (3 projects)
Bryan, Texas (8 projects)
Buda, Illinois (1 projects)
Buffalo, New York (103 projects)
Buhl, Idaho (6 projects)
Bullhead City, Arizona (3 projects)
Bureau Junction, Illinois (3 projects)
Burley, Idaho (20 projects)
Burlington, Vermont (61 projects)
Burnham, Illinois (3 projects)
Burnsville, Minnesota (32 projects)
Caguas, Puerto Rico (18 projects)
Calumet City, Illinois (7 projects)
Camuy, Puerto Rico (3 projects)
Canton, Illinois (7 projects)
Canton, Ohio (5 projects)
Cape Coral, Florida (10 projects)
Carbon Hill, Illinois (3 projects)
Carmel, Indiana (62 projects)
Carpentersville, Illinois (14 projects)
Carrollton, Texas (2 projects)
Carrolton, Texas (1 projects)
Casa Grande, Arizona (10 projects)
Casper, Wyoming (56 projects)
Cathedral City, California (4 projects)
Cedar Point, Illinois (1 projects)
Cedarburg, Wisconsin (9 projects)
Center Line, Michigan (13 projects)
Cerritos, California (29 projects)
Chanhassen, Minnesota (18 projects)
Channahon, Illinois (13 projects)
Charleston, South Carolina (156 projects)
Charlotte, North Carolina (39 projects)
Cheltenham, PA, Pennsylvania (5 projects)
Cherry, Illinois (2 projects)
Chicago Heights, Illinois (27 projects)
Chicopee, Massachusetts (22 projects)
Chino Hills, California (4 projects)
Chula Vista, California (80 projects)
Ciales, Puerto Rico (19 projects)
Cicero, Illinois (4 projects)
Cidra, Puerto Rico (31 projects)
Cincinnati, Ohio (48 projects)
Citrus Heights, California (12 projects)
Clarksville, Texas (4 projects)
Clawson, Michigan (36 projects)
Clayton, Missouri (20 projects)
Cle Elum, Washington (1 projects)
Clearwater, Florida (11 projects)
Cleveland, Tennessee (10 projects)
Clifton, New Jersey (4 projects)
Coahoma, Mississippi (13 projects)
Coal City, Illinois (2 projects)
Cocoa Beach, Florida (18 projects)
Coconut Creek, Florida (8 projects)
College Park, Georgia (8 projects)
College Station, Texas (7 projects)
Colonial Beach, Virginia (2 projects)
Colorado Springs, Colorado (69 projects)
Columbia, Missouri (44 projects)
Columbia, Mississippi (1 projects)
Columbia, South Carolina (67 projects)
Columbus, Ohio (14 projects)
Colville, Washington (9 projects)
Compton, California (15 projects)
Concord, North Carolina (31 projects)
Conyers, Georgia (9 projects)
Coral Gables, Florida (14 projects)
Coral Springs, Florida (24 projects)
Corozal, Puerto Rico (12 projects)
Corvallis, Oregon (10 projects)
Council, Idaho (1 projects)
Covina, California (16 projects)
Crawfordsville, Indiana (1 projects)
Crenshaw, Mississippi (3 projects)
Crest Hill, Illinois (11 projects)
Creston, Washington (2 projects)
Crouch, Idaho (4 projects)
Crown Point, Indiana (6 projects)
Crystal Lake, Illinois (4 projects)
Cypress, California (6 projects)
Dallas, Texas (65 projects)
Dalzell, Illinois (1 projects)
Danbury, Connecticut (16 projects)
Darby, Montana (2 projects)
Davenport, Iowa (6 projects)
Dayton, Idaho (7 projects)
Dayton, Ohio (93 projects)
Dearborn, Michigan (57 projects)
Dearborn Heights, Michigan (13 projects)
Decatur, Alabama (17 projects)
Del Rio, Texas (37 projects)
Denver, Colorado (24 projects)
Depue, Illinois (4 projects)
Des Moines, Iowa (45 projects)
Detroit, Michigan (70 projects)
Dexter, Michigan (10 projects)
Diamond, Illinois (4 projects)
Dixon, Wyoming (2 projects)
Doddsville, Mississippi (4 projects)
Doral, Florida (21 projects)
Duluth, Minnesota (105 projects)
Dunedin, Florida (4 projects)
Durango, Colorado (11 projects)
Durham, North Carolina (29 projects)
East Brooklyn, Illinois (2 projects)
East Chicago, Indiana (25 projects)
East Orange, New Jersey (16 projects)
Eastpointe, Michigan (14 projects)
Edina, Minnesota (6 projects)
edison, New Jersey (12 projects)
Edmond, Oklahoma (1 projects)
Edmonds, Washington (7 projects)
El Mirage, Arizona (9 projects)
El Paso, Texas (30 projects)
Elgin, Illinois (12 projects)
Elizabeth, New Jersey (60 projects)
Elk Grove, California (8 projects)
Elk Mountain, Wyoming (1 projects)
Ellisville, Missouri (5 projects)
Encampment, Idaho (1 projects)
Encinitas, California (5 projects)
Enfield, Connecticut (20 projects)
Englewood, Colorado (24 projects)
Espanola, New Mexico (14 projects)
Euclid, Ohio (36 projects)
Eugene, Oregon (74 projects)
Euless, Texas (36 projects)
Evanston, Illinois (30 projects)
Evansville, Indiana (76 projects)
Everett, Washington (9 projects)
Fayetteville, Arkansas (60 projects)
Fayetteville, North Carolina (34 projects)
Fife, Washington (10 projects)
Firth, Idaho (3 projects)
Flagstaff, Arizona (12 projects)
Flint, Michigan (32 projects)
Florence, Alabama (1 projects)
Florissant, Missouri (19 projects)
Flower Mound, Texas (2 projects)
Folsom, California (26 projects)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida (27 projects)
Fort Myers, Florida (3 projects)
Fort Smith, Arkansas (22 projects)
Fort Wayne, Indiana (119 projects)
Fort Worth, Texas (18 projects)
Fountain Valley, California (5 projects)
Frankfort, Illinois (10 projects)
Frankfort, Kentucky (2 projects)
Fraser, Michigan (11 projects)
Fredericskburg, Virginia (15 projects)
Freeport, New York (22 projects)
Fresno, California (10 projects)
Friars Point, Mississippi (11 projects)
Frisco, Texas (42 projects)
Gadsden, Alabama (33 projects)
Garden City, Idaho (10 projects)
Gardner, Illinois (3 projects)
Garland, Texas (24 projects)
Gary, Indiana (48 projects)
Gastonia, North Carolina (32 projects)
George Town, Idaho (4 projects)
Germantown, Tennessee (19 projects)
Gilbert, Arizona (32 projects)
Glendale Heights, Illinois (31 projects)
Glendora, California (29 projects)
Glenns Ferry, Idaho (13 projects)
Glenview, Illinois (7 projects)
Glenwood, Illinois (28 projects)
Goodman, Mississippi (1 projects)
Goodyear, Arizona (67 projects)
Grace, Idaho (5 projects)
Grand Forks, North Dakota (61 projects)
Grand Prairie, Texas (39 projects)
Grand Rapids, Michigan (98 projects)
Grand Ridge, Illinois (1 projects)
Granite City, Illinois (3 projects)
Granville, Illinois (1 projects)
Greeley, Colorado (9 projects)
Green Bay, Wisconsin (28 projects)
Greenville, Mississippi (17 projects)
Greenwood, Mississippi (9 projects)
Gresham, Oregon (10 projects)
Gretna, Florida (6 projects)
Grosse Pointe, Michigan (6 projects)
Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan (7 projects)
Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan (35 projects)
Guanica, Puerto Rico (2 projects)
Gunnison, Mississippi (6 projects)
Hallandale Beach, Florida (8 projects)
Hamilton, New Jersey (14 projects)
Hammond, Indiana (1 projects)
Hampton, Virginia (82 projects)
Hanna, Wyoming (4 projects)
Hanover, Minnesota (11 projects)
Hansen, Idaho (24 projects)
Hardeeville, South Carolina (1 projects)
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (35 projects)
Hartford, Connecticut (3 projects)
Harvey, Illinois (13 projects)
Hattiesburg, Mississippi (43 projects)
Haverhill, Massachusetts (16 projects)
Hawaii County, Hawaii (59 projects)
Hayward, California (15 projects)
Hempstead, New York (17 projects)
Henderson, Nevada (37 projects)
Hennepin, Illinois (1 projects)
Hercules, California (20 projects)
Herriman, Utah (13 projects)
Hialeah, Florida (16 projects)
Hickory Hills, Illinois (10 projects)
Highland Park, Illinois (15 projects)
Hinesville, Georgia (7 projects)
Hobart, Indiana (18 projects)
Hoffman Estates, Illinois (8 projects)
Holladay, Utah (9 projects)
Hollywood, Florida (102 projects)
Homer Glen, Illinois (6 projects)
Homestead, Florida (29 projects)
Homewood, Illinois (1 projects)
Honolulu, Hawaii (142 projects)
Hopkinsville, Kentucky (26 projects)
Hormigueros, Puerto Rico (26 projects)
Houston, Texas (14 projects)
Hugo, Minnesota (6 projects)
Huntington Beach, California (21 projects)
Huntsville, Alabama (100 projects)
Hurst, Texas (37 projects)
Idaho City, Idaho (8 projects)
Idaho Falls, Idaho (25 projects)
Indianapolis, Indiana (36 projects)
Indio, California (31 projects)
Inglewood, California (33 projects)
Irvine, California (4 projects)
Irving, Texas (46 projects)
Irvington, New Jersey (19 projects)
Isle, Minnesota (7 projects)
Itta Bena, Mississippi (4 projects)
Jackson, Michigan (14 projects)
Jackson, Mississippi (186 projects)
Jackson, Tennessee (22 projects)
Jacksonville, Florida (36 projects)
Jamestown, New York (3 projects)
Janesville, Wisconsin (37 projects)
Jefferson City, Missouri (30 projects)
Jerome, Idaho (10 projects)
Johnson City, Tennessee (11 projects)
Jonestown, Mississippi (15 projects)
Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico (19 projects)
Kalamazoo, Michigan (73 projects)
Kangley, Illinois (1 projects)
Kansas City, Kansas (75 projects)
Kansas City, Missouri (98 projects)
Kauai County, Hawaii (27 projects)
Keego Harbor, Michigan (45 projects)
Kellog, Idaho (1 projects)
Ketchum, Idaho (15 projects)
Kettle Falls, Washington (6 projects)
Key Biscayne, Florida (1 projects)
Kileen, Texas (55 projects)
Kingman, Arizona (25 projects)
Kinsman, Illinois (1 projects)
Kirkland, Washington (11 projects)
Knoxville, Tennessee (41 projects)
Kokomo, Indiana (41 projects)
Kokomo, IN, Indiana (8 projects)
La Mesa, California (4 projects)
La Porte, Texas (3 projects)
LaBarge, Wyoming (1 projects)
Lake Havasu City, Arizona (91 projects)
Lake Oswego, Oregon (1 projects)
Lake Station, Indiana (70 projects)
Lakeland, Florida (5 projects)
Lakewood, California (15 projects)
Lakewood, Colorado (9 projects)
Lakewood, Ohio (16 projects)
Lakewood, Washington (50 projects)
Lancaster, Pennsylvania (6 projects)
Lansing, Illinois (7 projects)
Lansing, Michigan (20 projects)
Laredo, Texas (51 projects)
Lares, Puerto Rico (1 projects)
Largo, Florida (20 projects)
Las Cruces, New Mexico (2 projects)
Las Marias, Puerto Rico (13 projects)
Las Vegas, Nevada (48 projects)
LaSalle, Illinois (19 projects)
Lauderdale Lakes, Florida (17 projects)
Lauderhill, Florida (17 projects)
Laurel, Mississippi (24 projects)
Lava Hot Spring, Idaho (5 projects)
Lawrence, Indiana (43 projects)
Leavenworth, Washington (1 projects)
Leland, Illinois (1 projects)
Lenexa, Kansas (14 projects)
lewiston, Idaho (39 projects)
Lewiston, Maine (55 projects)
Lexington, Kentucky (196 projects)
Lima, Ohio (59 projects)
Lincoln, Nebraska (52 projects)
Little Rock, Arkansas (53 projects)
Livermore, California (46 projects)
Livonia, Michigan (5 projects)
Lodi, California (9 projects)
Lombard, Illinois (15 projects)
Long Beach, California (30 projects)
Longview, Texas (8 projects)
Longview, Washington (3 projects)
Lorain, Ohio (21 projects)
Los Angeles, California (321 projects)
Lostant, Illinois (2 projects)
Louise, Mississippi (1 projects)
Louisville, Kentucky (244 projects)
Lufkin, Texas (1 projects)
Lynchburg, Virginia (58 projects)
Lynn, Massachusetts (30 projects)
Lynwood, Illinois (15 projects)
Macon, Georgia (24 projects)
Madison, Wisconsin (64 projects)
Mahtomedi, Minnesota (4 projects)
Malad, Idaho (4 projects)
Malden, Massachusetts (27 projects)
Manati, Puerto Rico (16 projects)
Manhattan, Illinois (5 projects)
Manhattan, Kansas (29 projects)
Manhattan Beach, California (7 projects)
Manlius, Illinois (1 projects)
Marbleton, Wyoming (9 projects)
Marcus, Washington (1 projects)
Marietta, Georgia (19 projects)
Marion, Ohio (41 projects)
Mark, Illinois (2 projects)
Marseilles, Illinois (13 projects)
Marshall, Michigan (9 projects)
Mattawa, Washington (10 projects)
Matteson, Illinois (5 projects)
Maui, Hawaii (88 projects)
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (29 projects)
Mazon, Illinois (4 projects)
McAllen, Texas (113 projects)
McKinney, Texas (12 projects)
McNabb, Illinois (2 projects)
Meadville, Mississippi (3 projects)
Medicine Bow, Wyoming (1 projects)
Melrose, Minnesota (7 projects)
Mentor, Ohio (14 projects)
Merced, California (36 projects)
Meriden, Connecticut (52 projects)
Meridian, Idaho (34 projects)
Meridian, Mississippi (60 projects)
Merigold, Mississippi (3 projects)
Merino, Colorado (2 projects)
Merrillville, Indiana (14 projects)
Mesa, Arizona (88 projects)
Mesquite, Nevada (1 projects)
Mesquite, Texas (10 projects)
Miami, Florida (440 projects)
Miami Beach, Florida (18 projects)
Miami-Dade, Florida (263 projects)
Michigan City, Indiana (18 projects)
Middletown, Connecticut (7 projects)
Midwest City, Oklahoma (8 projects)
Milford, Ohio (2 projects)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (71 projects)
Mineral, Illinois (1 projects)
Minneapolis, Minnesota (1 projects)
Miramar, Florida (2 projects)
Mishawaka, Indiana (21 projects)
Missoula, Montana (28 projects)
Missouri City, Texas (11 projects)
Mobile, Alabama (20 projects)
Moca, Puerto Rico (6 projects)
Modesto, California (67 projects)
Moline, Illinois (53 projects)
Monroe, Louisiana (17 projects)
Montpelier, Idaho (4 projects)
Moore, Oklahoma (9 projects)
Moorhead, Minnesota (10 projects)
Morgan City, Mississippi (3 projects)
Morris, Illinois (6 projects)
Moses Lake, Washington (4 projects)
Mound Bayou, Mississippi (6 projects)
Muncie, Indiana (58 projects)
Murray, Utah (17 projects)
Murtaugh, Idaho (4 projects)
Muskogee, Oklahoma (9 projects)
Napa, California (9 projects)
Naplate, Illinois (1 projects)
Naranjito, Puerto Rico (8 projects)
Natchez, Mississippi (12 projects)
Naugatuck, Connecticut (12 projects)
Neponset, Illinois (1 projects)
New Berlin, Wisconsin (16 projects)
New Bremen, Ohio (3 projects)
New Haven, Connecticut (17 projects)
New Iberia, Louisiana (9 projects)
New Munich, Minnesota (1 projects)
New Orleans, Louisiana (69 projects)
New Rochelle, New York (7 projects)
Newark, California (4 projects)
Newark, New Jersey (69 projects)
Newdale, Idaho (5 projects)
Newton, Kansas (21 projects)
Niles, Illinois (25 projects)
Norfolk, Virginia (102 projects)
Normal, Illinois (19 projects)
Norman, Oklahoma (21 projects)
North Chicago, Illinois (38 projects)
North Little Rock, Arkansas (14 projects)
North Miami, Florida (24 projects)
North Miami Beach, Florida (20 projects)
North Olmsted, Ohio (15 projects)
North Richland Hills, Texas (21 projects)
North Royalton, Ohio (17 projects)
North Utica, Illinois (4 projects)
Northampton, Massachusetts (10 projects)
Northbrook, Illinois (33 projects)
Northport, Washington (1 projects)
Norwalk, Connecticut (33 projects)
Norwich, Connecticut (7 projects)
Oak Brook, Illinois (16 projects)
Oak Park, Illinois (10 projects)
Oak Park, Michigan (3 projects)
Oakland, California (75 projects)
Oakland, Mississippi (4 projects)
Oakland Park, Florida (29 projects)
Oglesby, Illinois (4 projects)
Okanogan, Washington (2 projects)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (104 projects)
Olympia Fields, Illinois (16 projects)
Omaha, Nebraska (102 projects)
Onancock, Virginia (1 projects)
Ontario, California (16 projects)
Ontario, Oregon (13 projects)
Orange, New Jersey (31 projects)
Oregon City, Oregon (10 projects)
Orem, Utah (59 projects)
Orland Park, Illinois (41 projects)
Orlando, Florida (139 projects)
Orofino, Idaho (1 projects)
Ottawa, Illinois (28 projects)
Pace, Mississippi (6 projects)
Pacific, Washington (6 projects)
Palatine, Illinois (10 projects)
Palm Bay, Florida (8 projects)
Palm Desert, California (12 projects)
Palos Park, Illinois (9 projects)
Paris, Idaho (4 projects)
Park Forest, Illinois (5 projects)
Parma, Ohio (13 projects)
Pasadena, California (45 projects)
Patillas, Puerto Rico (11 projects)
Paw Paw, Illinois (1 projects)
Pawtucket, Rhode Island (9 projects)
Pembroke Pines, Florida (86 projects)
Peoria, Arizona (107 projects)
Peotone, Illinois (8 projects)
Peru, Illinois (10 projects)
Petal, Mississippi (13 projects)
Pharr, Texas (6 projects)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (122 projects)
Phoenix, Arizona (76 projects)
Pine Bluff, Arkansas (43 projects)
Pine Lawn, Missouri (8 projects)
Pinecrest, Florida (4 projects)
Pinellas Park, Florida (12 projects)
Piscataway, New Jersey (4 projects)
Pittsburg, California (8 projects)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (52 projects)
Plantation, Florida (32 projects)
Pleasanton, California (18 projects)
Plymouth, California (5 projects)
Plymouth, Indiana (1 projects)
Pocatello, Idaho (23 projects)
Ponca City, Oklahoma (13 projects)
Ponce, Puerto Rico (47 projects)
Port Aransas, Texas (13 projects)
Port Huron, Michigan (13 projects)
Port St. Lucie, Florida (52 projects)
Portage, Michigan (9 projects)
Portland, Maine (17 projects)
Portland, Oregon (5 projects)
Prichard, Alabama (8 projects)
Princeton, Illinois (7 projects)
Princeton, Minnesota (15 projects)
Providence, Rhode Island (81 projects)
Provo, Utah (38 projects)
Quincy, Illinois (3 projects)
Quincy, Massachusetts (4 projects)
Racine, Wisconsin (8 projects)
Rancho Cordova, California (7 projects)
Rapid City, South Dakota (8 projects)
Redding, California (17 projects)
Redlands, California (11 projects)
Redmond, Washington (4 projects)
Redondo Beach, California (15 projects)
Reno, Nevada (25 projects)
Renton, Washington (7 projects)
Rexburg, Idaho (6 projects)
Rialto, California (8 projects)
Richfield, Minnesota (5 projects)
Richmond, Indiana (7 projects)
Richton Park, Illinois (9 projects)
Rico, Colorado (1 projects)
Rio Rancho, New Mexico (4 projects)
Riverdale, Illinois (22 projects)
Riverside, California (13 projects)
Riverside, Washington (1 projects)
Riviera Beach, Florida (3 projects)
Roanoke, Virginia (7 projects)
Rochester, New York (27 projects)
Rock Hill, South Carolina (4 projects)
Rocky Mount, North Carolina (54 projects)
Romeoville, Illinois (16 projects)
Rosedale, Mississippi (2 projects)
Rosemount, Minnesota (7 projects)
Roseville, Michigan (12 projects)
Roseville, Minnesota (8 projects)
Rowlett, Texas (9 projects)
Rupert, Idaho (1 projects)
Sacramento, California (30 projects)
Sahuarita, Arizona (17 projects)
Salem, Oregon (36 projects)
Salem, Utah (6 projects)
Salinas, Puerto Rico (13 projects)
Salmon, Idaho (1 projects)
Salt Lake City, Utah (106 projects)
San Antonio, Texas (63 projects)
San Bernardino, California (26 projects)
San Bruno, California (5 projects)
San Diego, California (130 projects)
San Francisco, California (30 projects)
San Gabriel, California (1 projects)
San Jose, California (13 projects)
San Juan, Puerto Rico (31 projects)
San Leandro, California (23 projects)
San Marcos, California (11 projects)
San Ramon, California (9 projects)
Sand Springs, Oklahoma (23 projects)
Sandwich, Illinois (6 projects)
Sandy City, Utah (2 projects)
Santa Ana, California (47 projects)
Santa Barbara, California (52 projects)
Santa Cruz, California (9 projects)
Santa Fe, New Mexico (20 projects)
Santa Monica, California (4 projects)
Santa Rosa, California (28 projects)
Sapulpa, Oklahoma (2 projects)
Saratoga, Wyoming (1 projects)
Sauk Village, Illinois (5 projects)
Savannah, Georgia (31 projects)
Schaumburg, Illinois (21 projects)
Schenectady, New York (26 projects)
Scottsdale, Arizona (41 projects)
Seatonville, Illinois (1 projects)
Seattle, Washington (52 projects)
Seneca, Illinois (2 projects)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin (14 projects)
Sheffield, Illinois (1 projects)
Shelby, Montana (20 projects)
Shelbyville, Kentucky (3 projects)
Shelley, Idaho (8 projects)
Sheridan, Illinois (1 projects)
Shorewood, Minnesota (5 projects)
Shreveport, Louisiana (230 projects)
Sidney, Ohio (9 projects)
Sidon, Mississippi (3 projects)
Silver City, New Mexico (20 projects)
Silver Creek, Minnesota (4 projects)
Simi Valley, California (39 projects)
Sioux Falls, South Dakota (22 projects)
Snoqualmie, Washington (9 projects)
Soda Springs, Idaho (4 projects)
South Daytona, Florida (9 projects)
South Holland, Illinois (19 projects)
South Tucson, Arizona (32 projects)
South Wilmington, Illinois (3 projects)
Southfield, Michigan (44 projects)
Southgate, Michigan (2 projects)
Sparks, Nevada (52 projects)
Spokane, Washington (20 projects)
Spring Valley, Illinois (2 projects)
Springdale, Arkansas (7 projects)
St. Augusta, Minnesota (2 projects)
St. Charles, Idaho (4 projects)
St. Clair, Michigan (6 projects)
St. Clair Shores, Michigan (14 projects)
St. Cloud, Minnesota (32 projects)
St. John, Indiana (4 projects)
St. Johns, Arizona (11 projects)
St. Louis, Missouri (178 projects)
St. Louis Park, Minnesota (20 projects)
St. Paul, Minnesota (6 projects)
Stamford, Connecticut (80 projects)
Standard, Illinois (1 projects)
Staples, Minnesota (7 projects)
Star Valley Ranch, Wyoming (6 projects)
State College, Pennsylvania (4 projects)
Sterling Heights, Michigan (30 projects)
Stockton, California (28 projects)
Stow, Ohio (3 projects)
Stratford, Connecticut (17 projects)
Streator, Illinois (9 projects)
Strongsville, Ohio (2 projects)
Sugar City, Idaho (6 projects)
Sumner, Mississippi (2 projects)
Sumner, Washington (1 projects)
Sumter, South Carolina (43 projects)
Sunnyvale, California (15 projects)
Superior, Wisconsin (26 projects)
Sutter Creek, California (14 projects)
Tacoma, Washington (31 projects)
Tallahassee, Florida (65 projects)
Tamarac, Florida (8 projects)
Tampa, Florida (55 projects)
Tavares, Florida (25 projects)
Taylor, Michigan (22 projects)
Taylorsville, Utah (22 projects)
Temecula, California (13 projects)
Terre Haute, Indiana (21 projects)
Terry, Mississippi (11 projects)
Teton, Idaho (5 projects)
Thornton, Colorado (38 projects)
Thornton, Illinois (8 projects)
Tinley Park, Illinois (13 projects)
Tiskilwa, Illinois (3 projects)
Toledo, Ohio (116 projects)
Toluca, Illinois (1 projects)
Tombstone, Arizona (13 projects)
Tonasket, Washington (1 projects)
Tonica, Illinois (3 projects)
Torrance, California (2 projects)
Tracy, California (14 projects)
Trenton, New Jersey (32 projects)
Troy Grove, Illinois (1 projects)
Tucson, Arizona (28 projects)
Tulsa, Oklahoma (33 projects)
Turlock, California (22 projects)
Tuscaloosa, Alabama (5 projects)
Tutwiler, Mississippi (3 projects)
Tyler, Texas (1 projects)
University Heights, Ohio (18 projects)
Utuado, Puerto Rico (5 projects)
Vancouver, Washington (7 projects)
Varna, Illinois (1 projects)
Ventura, California (17 projects)
Verona, Illinois (1 projects)
Virginia Beach, Virginia (87 projects)
Visalia, California (60 projects)
Vista, California (6 projects)
Waco, Texas (17 projects)
Warren, Ohio (33 projects)
Warwick, Rhode Island (10 projects)
Washington, Washington, D.C. (8 projects)
Waterbury, Connecticut (7 projects)
Watseka, Illinois (4 projects)
Waukesha, Wisconsin (22 projects)
Wayne, Michigan (7 projects)
Webb, Mississippi (4 projects)
Wellington, Florida (17 projects)
Wellston, Missouri (1 projects)
Wenatchee, Washington (6 projects)
Wenona, Illinois (1 projects)
Wesson, Mississippi (7 projects)
West Brooklyn, Illinois (3 projects)
West Hartford, Connecticut (21 projects)
West Haven, Connecticut (10 projects)
West Jordan, Utah (9 projects)
West Palm Beach, Florida (26 projects)
West Sacramento, California (19 projects)
Westlake, Ohio (5 projects)
Westland, Michigan (25 projects)
White Plains, New York (18 projects)
Whiting, Indiana (15 projects)
Wilbur, Washington (1 projects)
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (24 projects)
Wilmington, Delaware (7 projects)
Winnsboro, Texas (70 projects)
Winston-Salem, North Carolina (82 projects)
Winter Springs, Florida (5 projects)
Winthrop, Washington (4 projects)
Woburn, Massachusetts (19 projects)
Woodridge, Illinois (18 projects)
Woonsocket, Rhode Island (16 projects)
Worth, Illinois (5 projects)
Wyanet, Illinois (3 projects)
Yakima, Washington (16 projects)
Yarrow Point, Washington (8 projects)
Yauco, Puerto Rico (16 projects)
Yazoo City, Mississippi (34 projects)
York, Pennsylvania (3 projects)
Youngstown, Ohio (13 projects)
Yuma, Arizona (25 projects)
Zanesville, Ohio (12 projects)
Posted by: p.m. | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 03:03 AM
p.m., you could add up every blinkin' earmark from 2001 to the present (including the stimulus bill) and it wouldn't add up to what we've spent trying to force Iraq into the mold of a western democracy.
Posted by: Steve Gordy | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 07:35 AM
How many terrorist attacks and lives lost do the liberals think is tolerable? Is there any point at which they would lift a finger to defend themselves, much less someone else?
9/11 was a real emergency, requiring genuine fast response.
Spending a trillion dollars over 5 years on a backlog of pork projects does not address the immediate job losses, most of which are due to liberal legislation.
Posted by: Lee Muller | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 08:16 AM
It was stunning to see a president who could actually talk intelligently about issues in the pressure packed environment of a press conference. Even more impressive was his performance in Indiana. Imagine Bush showing up in a town that voted for John Kerry and answering real questions, tough ones at that, without all the screening that goes with it. One lady asked Obama about the problems with his cabinet appointees tax evasion issues. Rather than dodge it he simply said it was a legitimate concern and something he would pay more attention to in the future. Imagine President Sarah Palin in such a venue. I shudder to even think about such a horror.
Posted by: bud | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 08:21 AM
9/11 was a real emergency, requiring genuine fast response.
-Lee
What we have here is the blog equivalent of the hanging curve ball. Lee, go watch our idiot former president as he continues to read "My Pet Goat" loooooooooooong after he KNEW a terrorist attach was under way. Just watch the video. If his actions on that day constituted a fast response then Alex Rodriguez played baseball without the aid of performancing enhancing drugs.
Posted by: bud | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 08:25 AM
Obama visited an elementary school last week and read a book to the students, while Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid scraped up every piece of pork they could into a spending bill.
Obama is just the front man, the mouthpiece, selling old Democrat projects that could not pass in regular appropriations bills, much less on their own.
Posted by: Lee Muller | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 08:39 AM
Elkhart, Indiana is out of work because liberals wrecked the RV and SUV market, which are manufactured in Elkhart.
Obama has no answer for saving those jobs.
His answer is extended unemployment checks, welfare, Food Stamps, and vague job training for the far-distant mythical "green jobs".
He could go to any town and his answer to the jobs destroyed by his Democrat comrades is the same for everyone: "Only the government."
Posted by: Lee Muller | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 08:44 AM
All the liberal thinkers out there should watch this video of Milton Friedman explaining the concept of greed and capitalism. In two minutes he obliterates the whole "we're all in this together" mentality that pervades this society.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A
Greed in the form of self-interest is what moves society forward.
Posted by: Doug Ross | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 09:30 AM
Socialists, liberals and others who have never been in business only know their personal greed. They do not understand the concept of Enlightened Self Interest which runs the free market.
As you said, Doug, if there really is such a need for domestic spending, why not end all foreign aid and spend the money in America?
If there are not enough jobs for American citizens, why are we tolerating 20,000,000 illegal workers from Mexico?
Posted by: Lee Muller | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 09:47 AM
It bothers me when you go getting all worked up,Lee.A full body massage could really get your,uh,mind off the woes of the world...
BTW-Who's Peter Kaufman ? And why does he have to come Down South to beat up on little 'ol ladies?
Posted by: gayguy | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 09:51 AM
And let's not forget that even with 7% unemployment, 93% of people DO have jobs. And there are jobs out there available for people who are willing to work, willing to make decisions to move to where jobs are, willing to invest time in learning new skills.
As Lee said, we could open up a bunch of jobs for Americans if the laws regarding entering the country illegally and employing workers without proper documentation were enforced.
How much of a strain on the economy is a result of tax dollars being spent on illegal immigrants?
Posted by: Doug Ross | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 10:03 AM
i listened to the first half hour on the radio and he seemed to be talking fast and with to an edge to his voice like he was nervous. i thought the 'no earmarks' line was especially humorous, and wondered aloud whether he could stand behind it. of course none of the 'journalists' would challenge him on it. someone shouold tell him its time to get past 'blame bush', he knew what he was inheriting when he took the job, and to think another trillion in debt is inconsequential is ludicis. I mourn for my country, the ones who died defending it, and my children who will be paying for this incompetence.
The O and the current Senate present a great case for the repeal of the seventeenth amendment.
Posted by: blue bunny | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 10:06 AM
As much as I like Obama that was one incredibly boring press conference. Every point discussed was stated previously in different venues by different people. The Elkorn, Indiana town-hall address was far more interesting.
Posted by: bud | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 10:41 AM
And let's not forget that even with 7% unemployment, 93% of people DO have jobs.
-Doug
Unemployment is at 7.4% and rising. But that just doesn't tell the whole story. There are thousands of discouraged workers who simply gave up. There are millions of others who are underemployed. Folks are suffering. It's just not true that there are jobs out there that people simply refuse to accept. Job training is not readily available. And even if it is the costs to acquire the skills is prohibitive, especially for older workers.
Posted by: bud | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 10:45 AM
Bud,
Give us some examples of the people who are suffering? Auto workers who allowed their unions to price them out of the marketplace? Manufacturing workers who should have seen the writing on the wall years ago and begun the process of finding new skills?
According to statistics I saw yesterday, the sector with the lowest unemployment is: Government workers. Imagine that. 3% unemployment.
Posted by: Doug Ross | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 11:30 AM
Thank you, bud. You have created a new category. I can hear NBC News now telling us that unemployment is up to 8 percent and the worker discouragement index has skyrocketed to 51.3 percent.
As Obama said last night, his "bottom line is 4 million jobs saved or created."
How do you measure jobs saved? When have a lot of workers not been discouraged?
Let's face it. Some jobs aren't a whole lot of fun, and a thousand years from now, some jobs still won't be a whole lot of fun.
Next year, 4 million people will still have the same jobs they have now, so Obama's bottom line is a given -- 4 million jobs will be saved, even if not one permanent job is created by his $850 million boondoggle.
Posted by: p.m. | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 11:31 AM
A kind reader reminds me via e-mail that I forgot to complain about maybe the stupidest question of all:
Here I am, a 55 year old single American who has been unemployed for months on end, and all the while paying for my own Individual Health Insurance, worried that the stimulus package is NOT going to help me on the health issue because it ONLY seems to be targeted to those with "COBRA" Health Insurance plans, and hoping so much that a reporter will ask about health insurance or about the health of America--------and what question do we get from one of the last reporters to ask a question???----What does Obama think about the A-Rod steroid scandal.
I sort of missed that question -- I think I was clicking from one channel to another, noting that none of them were synchronized (if you clicked in the right direction, you could hear the same sentence spoken twice, or even three times -- "I hear everything twice!") -- but then I heard Obama answering, in all seriousness, and I thought with horror, "Did somebody just ask him about baseball?!?!?"
At that moment, I thought, if I were president, I'd answer sarcastically. I'd say something like, "This is a news conference. I think the sports conference is down the hall."
Posted by: Brad Warthen | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 12:20 PM
Gee, Brad, did you think Obama was going to look into the TV camera and announce a bailout for YOU?
The spending bill does have $50 BILLION to start up socialized medicine, by having every doctor submit their planned treatment to a government agency for approval. They will deny care to the elderly and others for whom it is "not cost beneficial", like 55-year-old whining editors.
Posted by: Lee Muller | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 12:31 PM
Can anyone tell me what Lee just said has to do with ANYthing that I or anyone else just said?
Posted by: Brad Warthen | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 01:27 PM
Sounds like you didn't bother to read any details of the Pelosi Porkulus Bill, Brad. Go read the parts around page 440 on federal oversight of medical diagnoses and treatment - rationing of care and denial of treatment.
(Whining)
"Here I am, a 55 year old single American who has been unemployed for months on end, and all the while paying for my own Individual Health Insurance, worried that the stimulus package is NOT going to help me on the health issue because it ONLY seems to be targeted to those with "COBRA" Health Insurance plans, and hoping so much that a reporter will ask about health insurance or about the health of America-"
Asking Obama about a baseball player or benefits for McDonald's workers is no more banal than a grown man expecting a politician to give him "free" health care.
Posted by: Lee Muller | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 02:38 PM