Author Archives: PEB
Private Sector is Doing Fine – 24 Aug 12 Edition
“The private sector is doing fine” ~ President Obama
“I think he’s really defining what it means to be out of touch with reality.” ~ Willard Mitt Romney
In the 2nd Quarter the following earnings were reported by the private sector:
Yahoo reported $1.08 billion
Facebook reported $1.2 billion
EBay reported $3.4 billion
Macy’s reported $6.12 billion
Travelers reported $6.36 billion
McDonald’s reported $6.92 billion
Morgan Stanley reported $7 billion
Best Buy reported $10.55 billion
Amazon.com reported $12.8 billion
Google reported $12.21 billion
United Parcel Service (UPS) reported $13.4 billion
Coca-Cola reported $13.09 billion
Intel reported $13.5 billion
Dell reported $14.5 billion
Pfizer reported $15.1 billion
Johnson & Johnson reported $16.5 billion
Microsoft reported $18.06 billion
Citigroup reported $18.4 billion
Procter & Gamble reported $20.2 billion
Bank of America reported $22.2 billion
IBM reported $25.8 billion
Verizon reported $28.6 billion
AT&T reported $31.6 billion
Following are third quarter earnings:
Hewlett-Packard reported $29.7 billion
Following are fourth quarter earnings:
News Corp. reported $8.4 billion
Cisco reported $11.7 billion
The private sector added 163,000 jobs in July, according to the ADP report. Analysts had been expecting an increase of 120,000.
The Conference Board’s gauge of consumer confidence rose to 65.9 in July from 62.7 in June, better than the 61.5 economists expected.
The manufacturing sector in the U.S. Midwest expanded at a slightly swifter pace in July than it did the month before. The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago’s PMI gauge came in at 53.7, higher than expectations of 52.5 and a reading of 52.9 in June.
Home prices in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas climbed 2.2% in May from the month before on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, according the S&P/Case-Shiller report. That came in stronger than the 1.5% gain economists expected.
Sales of existing homes rose 2.3% in July from June to an annualized rate of 4.47 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors.
U.S. housing starts jumped 6.9% in June from May to a 760,000-unit rate, topping estimates of a 745,000-unit rate and marking the highest rate since October 2008.
The Labor Department reported producer prices climbed 0.3% in July from June, the fastest pace in five months. Analysts expected an increase of 0.2%. Excluding the food and energy components, prices were up 0.4%, also more than the 0.2% increase forecast.
The Commerce Department reported that building permits rose 6.8% to a rate of 812,000, the highest level in four years.
Retail sales climbed 0.8% in July from June, the largest increase since February and a bigger gain than the 0.3% economists expected.
The consumer sentiment reading of the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey showed consumer sentiment increased to 73.6 in early August from July’s final reading of 72.3. The August preliminary reading topped forecasts for an increase to 72.4 and marked the highest level since May.
Sales of new single-family homes rose 3.6% in July from June to an annualized rate of 372,000 units. Analysts were expecting an annualized rate of 365,000 units.
The broad S&P 500 struck its highest level since May 2008 on 21 Aug 12, while the Dow is sitting less than 60 points beneath its highest point since the end of 2007. Meanwhile, oil futures are jumping 1.5% as the U.S. dollar sinks to its lowest level since early July.
The Markit Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI rose to 51.9 in August from 51.4 in July, the first monthly increase in five months. Readings over 50 point to expansion while readings below 50 indicate contraction.
Orders for long-lasting U.S. goods rose 4.2% in July from June, blowing past estimates of a 2.4% increase. Excluding the transportation segment, orders were down 0.4%, missing estimates of a 0.5% gain.
Stock Market was 8077.56 on 19 Jan 09 and 13157.97 on 24 Aug 12
Who’s out of touch Mitt?
Texas Judge says if the President is reelected it could mean civil war?
Sometimes you just have to shake your head in wonder, and this is definitely one of those times; it seems Republican Tea Party (GOTP) county judge, Tom Head, from Lubbock, Texas, is pushing a new justification for a tax increase in his county.
Head told the local Fox News affiliate, FOX34, Lubbock’s law enforcement needs extra tax dollars in order to be prepared for a full-scale uprising, which he’s predicted could be caused if President Obama’s reelected.
“Judge” Head’s claiming the President’s seeking to sign a variety of United Nations treaties effectively setting aside the Constitutional law of the United States.
“He’s going to try to hand over the sovereignty of the United States to the U.N., and what is going to happen when that happens?” Head asked. “I’m thinking the worst. Civil unrest, civil disobedience, civil war maybe. And we’re not just talking a few riots here and demonstrations, we’re talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms and get rid of the guy.”
“Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats, living together! Mass hysteria!”
But wait, Head’s not done.
“Now what’s going to happen if we do that, if the public decides to do that? He’s going to send in U.N. troops. I don’t want ’em in Lubbock County. OK. So I’m going to stand in front of their armored personnel carrier and say, ‘You’re not coming in here,'” the judge said. “And the sheriff, I’ve already asked him, I said, ‘You gonna back me?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’ll back you.’ Well, I don’t want a bunch of rookies back there. I want trained, equipped, seasoned veteran officers to back me.”
So, why is Head going down this rabbit hole? Because it’s what conservative voters like to hear; it’s what all the fashionable candidates are saying today.
“Turning to the United Nations to tell us how to raise our kids, or whether we can have the Second Amendment rights that our Constitution gave us, I mean, that is the wrong way to go, right? Do not cede sovereignty,” said GOTP presidential wannabe Willard Mitt Romney. “I’m happy to talk there. I’m not willing to give American sovereignty in any way, shape or form to the United Nations or any other body. We are a free nation. We fought for freedom and independence. We are going to keep freedom and independence.”
Welcome to the new political world of the GOTP.
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Joe the Plumber says we should shoot immigrants?
During a fundraiser for Arizona Republican Tea Party (GOTP) State Senator Lori Klein featuring Ohio GOTP congressional candidate Samuel Wurzelbacher, aka “Joe the Plumber”, the from the 2008 presidential campaign poster boy reportedly said, “You know, for years, I’ve said, you know, ‘Put a damn fence on the border going to Mexico and start shooting.”
“I’m running for Congress, and that should be a bad thing to say. You know what, that’s how I feel. I’m not going to hide it because I’m running for an office. I want my borders protected. I’m very, very adamant about that,” he continued.
Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who’s running against “the plumber”, and who’s not just favored, but heavily favored to win, condemned his comments. “Joe, the Plumber’s comments have no place in a civil society,” she said in a statement. “A Member of Congress is sworn to uphold the Constitution, not to take the law into his own hands. He should take back his words and apologize to everyone who respects life, the Constitution and the rule of law.”
But Joe the Plumber wasn’t the only conservative celebrity in attendance; Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio also appeared at the fundraiser, according to the Prescott eNews.
Arpaio’s most recent publicity stunts been to launch his own private little probe into President Barack Obama’s birth certificate. The President of course has released his birth certificate showing he was in fact born in Honolulu in 1961 and Hawaiian officials have confirmed that fact, but to a red neck racist like Arpaio facts just aren’t good enough.
“As far as the birth certificate, I’m not done with it. I’ve taken a lot of heat on that, but let me make one thing clear: We are looking at forged documents. We’re not looking at whether he was born in Kenya or anything else, we are looking at fraudulent government documents from Hawaii, that’s been our thrust all along and we’re going to continue that. We know we have proof they’re fraudulent, but nobody wants to touch them; nobody, the candidates for president all way down the line, that’s sad, that is really sad.”
“I’m a big guy and I can take the heat,” he said. “I’m just trying to do what I think is right for Maricopa County and the United States of America.”
The crowd applauded him, and someone yelled, “Go get ’em Joe!”
So, we have two red neck racist good ol’ boys – apparently with collective IQ of a sand flea – preaching to a group of red neck racists – who also have the collective IQ of a sand flea – one preaching the murder of immigrants and the other, a county sheriff from Arizona, claiming he’s investigating the state of Hawaii; quite the confederacy of dunces we have in the GOTP today, yes sir, quite the confederacy of dunces.
Latest 2012 Presidential Polls – 21 Aug 12 Edition
Just eleven (11) short weeks to go until the November election and the Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential wanna-be Willard Mitt Romney’s trying to manage his usual amount of flip-flops and lies while “embracing” his new running mate, and yet distancing himself from him at the same time on almost every political subject under the sun from health care to taxes and budgets to woman’s issue; the honeymoon seems to have ended before it ever started, and Paul Ryan will likely go down as one of the most devastating VP selections by a major candidate ever, even to excel the abysmal choice of Sarah Palin in 2008.
So, how does the GOTP candidate stand up against the President?
The last favorability Monmouth/SurveyUSA/Braun poll of likely voters conducted from 15 – 19 Aug 12, showed the President with a 45% favorability rating compared to Romney’s 40%.
So, who’s more electable right now?
In the most recent viable’ national poll(s) – which are any group other than the Washington Times or Rasmussen (which are generally always skewed not just to the right, but far to the right) – the most current Monmouth/SurveyUSA/Braun poll of likely voters conducted from 15 – 19 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:
President Obama 46/Romney 45
The most recent CNN/Opinion Research poll of registered voters conducted 7 – 8 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:
President Obama 52/Romney 45
And finally, the most recent FOX News poll of registered voters conducted 5 – 7 Aug 12, if the general election were held today:
President Obama 49/Romney 40
If the general election was held today, according to national polls, Willard Mitt Romney loses to President Obama in the general election.
According to state polls, if the General Election were held TODAY (note these are based on current poll numbers – not projections), the Electoral College totals based on all available current poll numbers the President defeats Romney 347/191:
Results of 10 consecutive simulations based on poll data as of 21 Aug 12
Obama 286/252
Obama 279/259
Obama 282/256
Obama 292/246
Romney 277/261
Obama 325/213
Obama 341/197
Obama 322/216
Obama 300/238
Obama 285/253
Of 10 simulations Romney manages only one very close victory, while the President beats Romney 90% of the time and most of those by comfortable margins.
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Romney Staffers Tossed Supporter from Rally For “Anti-Mormon” Coffee Sign?
This past weekend Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential wannabe Willard Mitt Romney ordered coffee ice cream at a Nantucket eatery, but back in January, according to news reports, his staff ejected a man from a Florida rally for holding up a sign with the word “coffee” written on it.
Alan Reynolds, a Romney supporter showed up to the Hialeah rally holding up a sign which read, “Tea Party includes Cuban Coffee Romney”. Once Romney’s staffers spotted the sign Reynolds was escorted away from the scene.
It’s more than a little disturbing when more and more people are removed from campaign rallies these days when they ask uncomfortable questions of candidates, or when they hold up signs with “coffee” written on them, especially from conservative rallies where they’re supposed to worship the Constitution. Makes you wonder if they’ve ever read it.
While being escorted out, Willard’s staff told Reynolds the sign was offensive saying, “Romney doesn’t drink coffee. It’s against his religion.”
This just makes the whole “coffee ice cream” incident all the more strange; you’ll kick someone out of a rally for holding up a sign with the word “coffee” on it because your candidate doesn’t drink coffee, but then say eating coffee ice cream is no big deal? If nothing else it points to the fact – yet again – that neither Romney, nor his staff, is apparently ready for the White House. Someone should hold up a coffee sign at the next Romney rally just to see what happens, perhaps now coffee is more acceptable to Willard? Has he acquired a taste for the forbidden drink since running for President, or did someone decide it would make him more human to order coffee ice cream?
It’s stupid to remove someone from a rally because they hold up a sign that might offend the Mormon candidate because it says “coffee”, but it’s even more stupid when that candidate orders coffee ice cream. Not ready for prime time.
For Romney, as a Latter-day Saint, coffee is forbidden, but coffee ice cream OK?
According to the Associated Press (AP), Republican Tea Party (GOTP) presidential candidate, Willard Mitt Romney believes drinking coffee is forbidden by Church doctrine, as is tea, alcohol, tobacco and drugs, but apparently for Romney eating coffee ice cream is OK?
Over the weekend Romney ordered coffee ice cream at Millie’s restaurant in Nantucket when he bought treats for his staff and mingled with diners.
Has no one ever told Romney the flavoring in coffee ice cream is derived from the same beans coffee is? That in fact, the flavoring comes from brewing coffee? It’s the same as drinking coffee; it’s not some kind of a free pass for Mormons.
Reportedly it’s not clear if Romney took more than a bite or two as he shook hands and posed for pictures in the crowded and buzzing vacation eatery, but that doesn’t matter; why is the first Latter-day Saint presidential candidate ordering coffee ice cream to begin with? It doesn’t make any sense, and it’s one more apparently obtuse thing this so-called candidate has done to require some serious questions into his character. Either you live the standards of the Church you claim to believe or you don’t. If you’re a faithful member of the LDS Church you don’t go around ordering coffee ice cream.
Romney’s aides apparently shrugged off the ice cream choice, saying the candidate can have whatever kind of ice cream he likes, which of course is not entirely true; if you’re a Latter-day Saint you don’t order coffee ice cream anymore than you walk into the local Pub and order an O’Doul’s. Appearances do matter, it just appears while running for office Romney’s devotion to his Church doesn’t.
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