Most pictures are worth a thousand words. This one's worth several thousand. Click it to see it at full size.

The explanation:

The second graph shows the job losses from the start of the employment recession, in percentage terms (as opposed to the number of jobs lost).

For the current recession, employment peaked in December 2007, and this recession was a slow starter (in terms of job losses and declines in GDP).

However job losses have really picked up over the last 9 months (4.4 million jobs lost, red line cliff diving on the graph), and the current recession is now the 2nd worst recession since WWII in percentage terms - and also in terms of the unemployment rate (only early '80s recession was worse).

Don't forget this, either:

Or this:

Nice work, Obama.

Ready for a prime example of Barack Obama's incredible narcissism and utter military ineptitude? Read Bob Woodward's account of a briefing in Afghanistan conducted by deployed Marines for Obama's National Security Advisor, General Jim Jones:

Jones was carrying out directions from President Obama, who said recently, "My strong view is that we are not going to succeed simply by piling on more and more troops."

...

During the briefing, (Brig. Gen. Lawrence) Nicholson had told Jones that he was "a little light," more than hinting that he could use more forces, probably thousands more. "We don't have enough force to go everywhere," Nicholson said.

But Jones recalled how Obama had initially decided to deploy additional forces this year. "At a table much like this," Jones said, referring to the polished wood table in the White House Situation Room, "the president's principals met and agreed to recommend 17,000 more troops for Afghanistan." The principals -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; Gates; Mullen; and the director of national intelligence, Dennis C. Blair -- made this recommendation in February during the first full month of the Obama administration. The president approved the deployments, which included Nicholson's Marines.

Soon after that, Jones said, the principals told the president, "oops," we need an additional 4,000 to help train the Afghan army.

"They then said, 'If you do all that, we think we can turn this around,' " Jones said, reminding the Marines here that the president had quickly approved and publicly announced the additional 4,000.

Now suppose you're the president, Jones told them, and the requests come into the White House for yet more force. How do you think Obama might look at this? Jones asked, casting his eyes around the colonels. How do you think he might feel?

Jones let the question hang in the air-conditioned, fluorescent-lighted room. Nicholson and the colonels said nothing.

Well, Jones went on, after all those additional troops, 17,000 plus 4,000 more, if there were new requests for force now, the president would quite likely have "a Whiskey Tango Foxtrot moment." Everyone in the room caught the phonetic reference to WTF -- which in the military and elsewhere means "What the [expletive]?"

That's right, campers. It's all about Obama: his feelings, his reputation, his political future, his comfort. Don't pester him with requests for reinforcements. Sasha and Malia have to make do with the allowance Daddy gives them; you can do the same with what he's already given you. Run along now, and accomplish your mission without any politically uncomfortable casualties, OK? The Redistributor-in-Chief has to get back to socializing the health care system.

Jules Crittenden's bluntly-worded assessment follows, after the jump.

From the blog of the lefty group Upper Arlington Progressive Action:

We know how important the Supreme Court is to the success of progressive initiatives. We need to keep our eye on where the top nine are moving.

Of course it's important to you nutballs. It's the only way to advance your most cherished agenda items, since they'd never pass muster in Congress (much less any public initiative or referendum).

The guy can't be trusted to be faithful to his wife and kids, and he can't be trusted to perform his duties without running off to Argentina for some sweet, sweet lovin'. Hey, Governor! Resign and disappear, already.

Sheesh.

Socialized medicine doesn't result in "affordable insurance for everyone", no matter what the politicians say. Just look at what happened in Massachusetts when they tried it.

Now do you get it? When Republicans like former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney tell you that they know how to provide health insurance for everybody, remember that they're full of crap. When slicksters like Barack Obama and Teddy Kennedy talk soothingly about how their public "option" will magically provide care for the uninsured, remember that they're full of crap.

Socialized medicine never works better than the private sector at providing the best possible care for the greatest number of people. Never.

Courtesy of Tom Blumer:

Questions for those advocating the "public plan" option in Obamacare:

1. Will the "public plan" pay income and other taxes like the companies who run private plans must? (Example: Aetna alone incurred $790 million in income tax expenses in calendar 2008, and over $3.5 billion in the past four years. The company's most recent 10-K [PDF] indicates that this expense is almost entirely related to its Health Care and Group Insurance.)
2. What will anyone do to keep the "public plan" from taking advantage of other unfair advantages, which could at least include general government absorption of administrative costs, sales-tax exemptions, property-tax exemptions, "public service" advertising, and much more?
3. Will the "public plan" be just as vulnerable to class-action and no-limit malpractice lawsuits as private plans currently are?
4. If the answers to Question 1, 2, or 3 are "no" or "I don't know," how can you possibly claim to know that the "public plan's" competition against private plans will be conducted on a level playing field?

Very good questions, Tom. I've asked similar questions and made similar accusations that have so far gone unanswered. I'm sure the Obamabots will respond soon. Yup. Really soon.

Any day now ...

The Ohio Republican Party appears to be moving full steam ahead toward endorsing John Kasich for Governor. That's funny ... I thought the primary contest was still underway. When last I checked, Kevin Coughlin was still angling for a chance to take on Ted Strickland.

It's not up to the Ohio GOP to pick the party's nominee. It's up to us, the voters, to choose our nominee in the primary election. The state party ought to butt out until then.

After all, Bob Taft, "Uncle Bob" Bennett, Kevin Dewine, Ken Blackwell, Jim Petro and friends haven't exactly covered themselves in glory over the past several election cycles.

We'll pick our guy without your interference, thanks.

My mind boggles at the the sheer brilliance of it all. Even though he left the government on August 13, 2007, Karl Rove managed to start 2500 Department of Justice investigations into innocent community leaders from industrial states in the Great Lakes region. Everybody knows that Rove hates overweight Italian Democrats, especially when they stand in the way of his continuing attempts to suppress voter turnout among blacks eager to vote for Our Lord and Savior Barack Obama.

Why else would County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora and County Auditor Frank Russo be under investigation?

No corruption here. They're as pure as the wind-driven snow! You know the fix is in when two editors from that obvious right-wing rag, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, are seen plotting over dinner with the arch-conservative "Uncle Bob" Bennett, former head of the Ohio Republican Party.

Only a brilliant intellect of Jimmy Dimora's prodigious stature could untangle the wispy tendrils of this wingnut conspiracy, a plan so incredibly subtle that it continues to unfold during the administration of its original target. Only the sinister mind of Darth Rove could manipulate the levers of power so deftly that even President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have not detected the plot. Thankfully we have Jimmy Dimora to rely upon, so that the well-meaning but clearly misguided Department of Justice can investigate its own investigation and stop itself from mindlessly marching to the Evil One's tune.

Hats off to Karl Rove, the evil criminal mastermind! Someday justice will be done, but until then he deserves our grudging admiration.

Remember this ad from October 29th, 2008?

Gosh, Candidate Obama sure did make a big fuss about the evil idea of taxing your private health care benefits, didn't he?

Of course, now he's the President. Things have changed. He has a lot of big, expensive programs to fund, including a complete government takeover of your health care. He has to keep his options open ... especially the so-called public "option", which won't fund itself. That gigantic price tag is something he has to deal with, you know. He's going to "let the process work its way through":

You wouldn't be so gauche as to hold it against him if he taxes your private health care benefits to fund Obamacare, would you? C'mon, what's a broken promise and some more crushing taxation between friends?

It might read something like this:

No law, bill, resolution or any act of Congress shall exceed 2000 words, including all footnotes, amendments and signatures. Congress shall not vote on any item longer than that. Each item requiring a vote shall be read aloud in its entirety in session to a majority of members. Those not in attendance may not vote on the item.

Certainly worth discussing, no?

The following snotty quote is a lie.

Why would [the "public option"] drive private insurers out of business? If private insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality health care, if they tell us that they're offering a good deal, then why is it that the government -- which they say can't run anything -- suddenly is going to drive them out of business? That's not logical.

Barack Obama
June 23, 2009

Oh, it's logical. The so-called "public option" sounds nice at first, but it's actually a sneaky scheme to engineer a total government takeover of your health care.

You have to remember that the government isn't a fair competitor. It doesn't have to play by the same rules as your employer. It doesn't have to make a profit, keep its employees happy, or provide excellent service to its "customers." It will take you as a "customer" even if you can't pay, because it can just absorb the loss and print more money. Private companies can't compete against the entity that makes and enforces the rules ... especially when that entity is run by statists progressives who have decided to eliminate those private companies. The game is rigged from the start.

When it comes to covering expenses for employee pay and benefits, your employer has two choices:

Unless your boss is nuts, he'll stop paying for your health insurance. What if your boss actually is nuts, and decides to keep paying for your private health plan? Your employer's competitors will cut their expenses by dumping their health coverage, and their cost savings will mean they'll run your employer out of business ... and you'll lose your job.

Although it's bad enough to face a choice between eventually losing your private health care or losing your job, Congress is about to kick things into high gear. They're getting ready to tax your private health insurance. It won't be long until the so-called "public option" will be your only option.

The statists progressives have been working toward that goal all along, and last year during the presidential campaign a few were honest enough to admit it.

Today? Eh, not so much.

Can you name a government entitlement program that ended up spending less than its advocates predicted?

I just caught the lawn care company applying Round-Up to every plant under 2' tall in my beds. Just lost $400+ of wildflowers, perennials, baby shrubs, and any large plants hit by the windblown spray. No wonder last year's starts (also $400+) all died too.

I'm drafting an itemized bill now. If they refuse to reimburse me, they'll learn how foolish it is to pick a fight with someone who buys bandwidth by the megabit.

Can you name a single Obama policy decision so far that's had the intended result?

It's just plain disastrous.

Source

Source

Source

She actually reads the "Cap and Trade" bill:

I wonder if Representative Betty Sutton (D-OH), my Congresscritter, has actually read this monstrosity? Even if by some miracle she reads it, she ought to think long and hard before voting "yes."

I'm just not smart enough to understand his brilliance. Mea culpa.

Come March, 2010 I'm going to subscribe to HBO just to watch this.

I still watch my DVD boxed set of "Band Of Brothers" at least once a year ...

... so I suspect I'll be buying this one in about a year's time.

H/T: BLACKFIVE

You lose. Now take your frivolous lawsuit and your lying husband and go crawl under a rock somewhere.