And the job pays $400,000

Total political spending on elections this cycle is estimated to reach nearly $6 billion, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that tracks the influence of money in politics.

The researchers who compiled the report gathered data through public disclosure documents submitted to the Federal Election Commission and tax documents filed by nonprofit groups that are not required by law to disclose their donors. 

The estimated amount—$5.8 billion—is $400 million more than the record-breaking amount spent in the last presidential election cycle in 2008. 

The report includes spending on congressional campaigns in its calculation and estimates that the presidential race alone will cost $2.5 billion.

"Although a lot of money still remains to be raised and spent, the data already show that we're on track to break the extraordinary, record-setting sums spent in 2008," said CFRP Executive Director Sheila Krumholz. "That cycle was the first in which we crossed the $5 billion mark, and the big question now is whether we will already reach—or surpass—$6 billion just one cycle later. At a minimum, we'll come close."

Barack Obama: A “Record Setting” President

by David L. Goetsch

Once the passions of the moment have settled down and historians have had time to undertake a retrospective view of things, presidents are generally remembered by their records. Some benefit from the more objective perspective of history and some do not. At the moment, President Obama benefits from being telegenic, having the support of the mainstream media, and having a firm grip on the loyalty of Americans who subsist by dipping into the federal treasury. However, Obama is driving America’s train down a one-way track that will take it over a cliff, and what awaits us at the bottom of the cliff is disaster.

In years to come, when historians have had the time to gain a more realistic perspective on Barack Obama’s performance as president, they are going to have to analyze some facts that will be difficult for even the most liberal among them to excuse or ignore. Consider just a few of the records set by President Obama during his time in office, and while doing so also consider that the sources of the information presented herein include his own Office of Management and Budget and Bureau of Labor Statistics:

America’s sovereign debt rating has been downgraded for the first time in our nation’s history.

Federal spending is the highest it has been since World War II (25 percent of GDP).

The budget deficit is the highest it has been since World War II (10 percent of GDP).

Federal debt is the highest it has been since just after World War II (67 percent of GDP).

Employment as a percentage of the population is the lowest it has been since 1983 (just 58.1 percent of the population are working).

Long-term unemployment is the highest it has been since 1939 (45.9 percent of the total unemployed are now long-term unemployed).

Slowest recovery following a severe recession since World War II.

Lowest homeownership rate since 1965 (59.7 percent).

Lowest percentage of taxpayers paying income taxes in the modern era (49 percent).

Highest rate of government dependency in American history (47 percent of Americans receive one or more federal benefit payments).

Posing a question

Mull this over for a while ..

Who would you rather have handling your tax money ... someone who has never been associated with six figure amounts (Obama) or someone who is familiar with large dollar numbers (Romney).

I compare it to a singer or a musician who suddenly has large amounts of money, lottery winners who have won big ,,,, many can't handle the numbers. Think about that, I know I have, in the past, and especially now. Just look at the unbridled  spending that is directly responsible to Obama, and his family. It has been like a kid in a candy store. Obscene is the word that comes to mind.

I honestly do not think we can take another four years of it.

US Government spending - out of control

WHEN did government spending start getting out of control.

ANSWER: The first time a government worker, or anyone, had government money to spend.

It was not THEIR money, it belonged to the government. And, people have been taking advantage of that situation ever since. "Oh, it doesn't matter, it's government money, the implication being that there is a  limitless amount to spend, a bottomless pit of money, all, belonging to  someone else. There is little to NO accountability. Spend, spend, spend.

Careless spending began the moment the  government collected its first penny, and it has been going on ever since. Now we are even "carelessly" spending money that is not even ours. Much like a credit card, no accountability until it is too late.

Biden Spends $1 Million Annually for Weekend Trips

By Ronald Kessler

Washington, D.C. — Last June, President Obama appointed Vice President Joe Biden to root out wasteful government spending. But behind the scenes, it’s a different matter.

Every Friday, Biden takes a helicopter designated as Marine Two from the vice president’s residence to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and then hops on Air Force Two to fly back to his home in Delaware.

At the end of the weekend, he returns on Air Force Two, usually a Boeing C-32.

During warm weather, Biden regularly returns to Andrews on the airplane on Saturdays to play golf at the Air Force base with President Obama. After the golf game, he flies back to Delaware and returns to Washington on the plane on Sunday evening — all at taxpayer expense.

The cost of flying Air Force Two is $22,000 an hour, so each half-hour trip to or from Delaware costs about $10,000. Each golf game costs taxpayers $20,000. At that rate, the annual cost to taxpayers of Biden’s weekend trips is well over $1 million.

In addition, the Secret Service rents more than 20 condominiums in the Wilmington, Del. area for agents who must accompany Biden when he returns to his home state.

Biden’s press office had no immediate comment.

Obama: Government ‘Made This Country Great’

Who's on First .... If anyone understands the below two statements, please reply to joedooley@yahoo.com and explain them to me. I was having a pleasant Sunday morning, the sun came out, then I read this, and my head is spinning, round and round .......... made me think of Abbot and Costello, or a Bob Newhart telephone conversation. I must admit, my mind cannot comprehend to content  of the statement.

President Obama attacked Republicans for their desire to cut the government spending that “made this country great,” while also faulting them for failing to “balance the budget.”

Obama said that Republicans have “one message and that is, we’re going to make sure that we cut people’s taxes even more — so that by every objective measure our deficit is worse and we will slash government investments that have made this country great,” he argued, “not because it’s going to balance the budget, but because it’s driven by our ideological vision about how government should be. That’s their agenda, pure and simple.”