With the price of gas rising faster than at anytime in recent memory, President Obama is paying the cost in the recent polls. But congress is also bearing the blunt, with their ratings at 36% and falling. All this, while there is not a gas shortage. Speculators are making billions by artificially raising the price over the conflict in Libya that in no way affects America.It's all smoke and mirrors and it's killing us all.
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With President
Obama's approval ratings dropping every day, 70% of the people polled are saying the economy is getting worse, even while most economic experts say the economy is improving. With the percentage of people out of work down to 8.8% this month, the public perception, aided by conservatives who, at ever turn, tell the public the economy is crumbling, is that Obama is in trouble. His approval ratings have dropped to 46% and with gas prices rising, they will only fall further. No matter that no one -- Obama, the congress or even OPEC -- can stop the rising cost of fuel.
The rise in gas prices is a smoke-and-mirrors gimmick that speculators are using to drive up oil prices for their own profits. It is predicted that the big oil companies are ready to release earnings that are expected to be record highs, even while there here is no shortage of oil. At the same time, everyday Americans are in culture shock trying to fill-up their tanks just to get to work. The days of leisure driving are now over. While their wages are either frozen in place or lower than ever, this gas crisis is taking a toll on everyone, especially Obama. But a look at the polls of how Congress is doing should be a sobering thought to anyone.
House Speaker John Boehner's ratings are at 32% and falling, while the rest of Congress is not far behind. No matter how hard the Republicans try and place the blame of rising gas prices on Obama and his administration, the public sees through the facade. While no one would have ever expected the Middle East to explode, and Libya of all places to be in a Civil War, instead of working together in a bi-partisan way, this past Sunday on every talk show, the Republicans tried their best to shift the blame to Obama.
It's not working.
We now are hearing the Republican members of Congress baying at the moon about raising the debt ceiling. Boehner and others are saying unless some real savings, as in cutting entitlement programs, are put forward, they will let the budget ceiling fall by the wayside. They are bluffing. If the United States were to default on paying our debts, not only us but the rest of the world would see their financial houses crumble. It's the same game they played on the budget and it's getting old. If they can't think of anything new to say and do, they need to sign the bill and get together and keep this country solvent.
Rep. Paul Ryan has proposed a budget that will raise the budget over $6-trillion dollars, while at the same time cutting federal assistance for Medicaid, Medicare and even Social Security. A whopping 78% of Americans say they oppose cuts in Medicare. And 69% oppose cuts in Medicaid. Messing around with Social Security is dead in the water.
So why do the Republicans continue to praise Ryan's so-called budget? Because they have nothing else. They know, if not for the gas prices that are making Americans so angry, Obama's ratings would be off the charts. They can only hope the speculators keep the price of oil up. For the Republicans, it's the only game in town!
My name is Kenneth Sibbett and I've been writing all my life. While writing mostly fiction and short stories, I have written many, many articles concerning the welfare of this country and the currents events going on around the world. I was born in the early fifties, when we used to hide under our desks at school in drills in case we were attacked by Russia with nuclear weapons. We have come a long way since then.
We are now the premier power in the world and we are in reality the worlds policemen. We go everywhere that is of national security to this nation and and with two wars going on, and perhaps a third in Libya, everyone should be interested in whats going on in this world of good guys, bad guys, radical Islamic terrorism, and even our own homegrown terrorists.
I have been writing my own blog for the online magazine Salon for over two years. Under the name scanners blog on Open Salon,I risen to be one of the most popular writers on the site. For the last two years I have also contributed my time and my ideas to Newstrust.com., an online site that finds and shares good journalism online, so we can make more informed decisions as citizens. We, as reviewers, read dozens of newspapers and magazines articles everyday, to find out the quality and separate fact from fiction. We promote good journalism, news literacy and civic engagement.
I am also a member and contibuting writer to OpEdNews. I've had some very well recieved articles that I have written for OpEdNews, which has some of the best writers in the country as members. I have a range of ideas for writing on events that are shaping this world. As many of you, I too have been effected by the downturn in our economy and have written extensively about this and the past administrations and their economic problems and proposed solutions. Please join me as I take you around the world with news and opinions that effect us, the everyday person. The everyday American. Thank You.
Kenneth Sibbett