Clark: Well, they didn't bring more troops out to Anbar. What they did is the Saudis, basically in 2005, gave up on the U.S. policy, and they started working directly with the tribes. I went through the region in 2004 and 2005. I went through each of the Gulf States. I talked to the leaders and they said, 'You Americans are crazy. You're ignoring the tribes.' The Saudis put money behind it. They worked the tribes, and that helped bring the condition which made the Sunni Awakening possible.

Scarborough: So, so General, you are crediting the Saudis with success in Western Iraq. You're crediting Iran with success in Eastern Iraq. I think that's giving short shrift for what the troops did.

Clark: No, I don't think so. I think the troops are a very, very important part of this, but I think you have to look at whole situation in there, Joe.

Source: http://securingamerica.com/...
----------

This incredible article by Matt Taibbi at Rolling Stone exposes what's really happened to the economy: the fallout of Republicanomics, of robbing the poor to feed the rich and their military-expansionist fantasies.

It started with a stark description of individuals' lives as described by Middle Class Vermonters to their Senator Bernie Sanders who asked his constituents how the economic "downturn" was affecting them. Expecting a few letters, he was swamped with over 700, telling of such harrowing experiences as burning furniture to stay warm and property taxes (thanks to RepubliBush Federal Tax Cuts to the Rich) are eating into their food money, not to mention education. Health care and dental care, of course, already are out of question. Welcome to Third World America.

There are some ugly details written into the housing bailout that will cause pause to even desperate homeowners.

As we discussed launching a Netroots platform in the run-up to Netroots Nation, the consistent theme in people's comments was, "I can't make it to Austin, how do I get my ideas into the platform?!?!?"

The concept, initially proposed by Jerome Armstrong, was to open the site to the world after kicking it off with a pair of Netroots Nation workshops.

That means now anyone can help create the Netroots platform - including YOU!

Just go here:

www.netrootsplatform.org

Read on for the details...

"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied."
 - Otto Von Bismark

 Otto may have been one of history's great bastards, but he was also a Machiavellian genius when it came to modern politics.
 For instance, on March 10, Bear Stearns denied rumors that they were having a liquidity problem. On March 15, Bear Stearns was effectively bankrupt.
 On February 7, 2002, WorldCom denied rumors that it was about to go bankrupt. On July 19, WorldCom went bankrupt.

 This pattern gets repeated almost every single year like clockwork. Which is why the news today is more worrying than normal.

In an attempt to get media attention directed away from Barack Obama and toward his pro-business, pro-oil drilling policies, John McCain announced that he planned to deliver an address from an oil rig in Louisiana.

According to a report from Politico.com's Jonathan Martin, McCain wanted to get a photo op to counter Obama's European trip.

Meanwhile, today (after McCain's plans were leaked to the media), we find out that a massive oil spill has shut down the Mississippi River.

UPDATED: McCain canceled his trip.  Will be in Ohio instead.

While Congressional and Senate Republicans stand in the way of Democratic Party initiatives to solve America’s economic woes and Bill Shuster complains about the ineffectiveness of inactivity, 9th District Congressional Candidate Tony Barr works toward real solutions for working people in Pennsylvania 9th Congressional District.  In a statement released on Wednesday July 23rd, The Democratic Party Challenger offers a series of proposals intended to aid Central Pennsylvania’s economic woes.

Read Tony Barr's statement below

Of course we knew this all along. When President George W. Bush is with his cronies behind closed doors and the cameras are (supposedly)turned off, sometimes he lets a little truth slip out.

Greg Mitchell of The Huffington Post reports that Houston's ABC affiliate has produced embarrassing footage of Bush at a local fund-raiser for Pete Olson, blaming Wall Street for "getting drunk" and screwing up the American economy.

On last night's edition of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart and John Oliver talked about the recent testimonies by members of the Bush administration on Capitol Hill for numerous different scandals. As Stewart explains - some or refusing to testify while others are testifying and refusing to say anything. Oliver claims that this is an historic administration that one day will have their names retired in the rafters of the Capitol building. Fathers will one day be able to tell their sons that yes, they saw the greatest douches of all time.

Also, Lewis Black rants about the economy and the "End of an Empire Sale". I'll try not to spoil it but suffice it to say that Lewis Black is always funny. There is also a new segment of Obama Quest up as well.

Enjoy the video recap and chime in with your thoughts / comments:

Cross posted from Future Majority.

In one of his Netroots Nation recaps, Kevin mentioned a new organization called Qvisory, which essentially aims to be the AARP for young people.  In conjunction with the research group Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner, Qvisory just released a poll on the economic concerns of young people.  

We all know that the economy is the  #1 issue for (non-latino) youth.  The poll has some good information that fleshes out young voter's economic concerns.  Here's the situation in which many young people today find themselves:

  The robbery of our country by a small elite has continued, unabated, for the past eight years. That may sound like a radical statement. But, it is simply a fact--a fact reported today by that radical, left-wing publication, The Wall Street Journal...

Are you watching how your tax dollars are being used by the Federal government.  Do you think it's furthering the cause of the wonderful concept of "GLOBALIZATION", and if so what is a normal everyday  American citizen's role in globalization?  To finance it?

>

A few readers who have left responses to my notes on college debt have mentioned the role that colleges and universities play, and several of the news articles I've mentioned have made passing reference to their role, too. So I wanted to spend at least one day looking at what's happening right now in college tuition increases. The problem is, there are thousands of colleges and universities across the nation, so I picked one area in the middle of the country -- St. Louis, Missouri -- and started first by searching Google for blogs and news outlets there. It turns out, there are plenty, and they cover the issue well.

(Thanks again to the Rescue Rangers for supporting this issue and re-posting my note last night.)

Well, i know everyone is sick and tired of the man doing stupid things and further dragging America through the mud. I just want to draw everyone's attentions to the latest Bush moment, caught by ABC cameras. This man's callous indifference has been shown many times. But here, once again is your Commander and Chief giving us his expert remarks in his own incoherent, almost alien style.

http://ca.youtube.com/...

(if anyone can tell me how to embed this link in the post i will do so)

Maybe this could be used as a video collection of all the Bush errors?

Give it a shot everyone! Let's see what you got!

Update : Sorry for the short diary by the way. I know some get a little hot under the collar about that kind of thing!  But come on.. a Bush screw-up.. all forgiven?

It all happened so quickly.  Within two months two giant hedge funds collapsed.  Because they were leveraged at about 250 to 1 they just took everyone with them.  The banks, the investors, everyone.  There was just no money.  Within six months the national unemployment rate soared to 25% and those that had jobs found their salaries greatly reduced.  The internal revenue service could not collect enough money and for the first time in U.S. history, this great nation defaulted on its loans.

Now we could not borrow at all.Troops overseas and government employees everywhere skipped paychecks.  And from there things went from bad to worse.  Inflation got completely out of control, hitting 55% in 2012 as the federal government rapidly printed money to to make up for the shortfall.  Wheelbarrows full of money were dumped so that the wheelbarrow could be stolen.

Today I was thinking about the business impact of recessions. As I flipped through Forbes and Fortune, it seemed to me that, while the headlines weren't trumpeting the news, the sidebars sure seemed to point directly to the great struggle that small business owners are facing.

That leads me to the question: Do recessions actually benefit large corporations?

There are some items up on News Unfiltered that may interest the community.

McCain's trip to Maine yesterday with former President Bush reveals a duo of dense on the economy:

After a week in which John McCain received more criticism for his ties to top economic advisor Phil Gramm, who echoed Senator McCain's sentiments that America's economic problems were "psychological" by saying we are in a "mental recession," McCain is in Maine today, where his out of touch positions and attitude on the economy will be on full display. Today, McCain will raise campaign cash in Maine with former President George H.W. Bush and his wealthy friends (if McCain was really trying to erase his reputation as being out of touch with Americans and their economic concerns - he might have thought twice about appearing with the elder Bush who himself didn't understand the economy as president.) John McCain is not only taking help from the Bush family to raise money, he's calling for the continuation of the Bush-Republican economic policies that have been a disaster for America's families.

Read more.

These are words I longed to hear. Never thought I would hear:

             Cap ...     Executive ...     Compensation

How do Americans feel about a possible $25+/- billion "bailout" of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the institutions which hold about half of the nation's mortgages?

Personal and family PAIN involved in all these foreclosures is simply incalculable and completely ignored. One out of every 200+/- homes in FL/CA/AZ is being Foreclosed! (1/122 in NV.) usnews

Senator Jim Webb talked (on Charlie Rose last night) about executive compensation at corporations where American taxpayers are holding the bag. I for one am grateful for this kind of leadership. At least that would be some progress.