Democrats & Liberals

America Unites with Moore, Okalahoma in Our Thoughts

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, the survivors, and all the rescue teams involved with the devastation that has hit Moore, Oklahoma.

How You Can Help:There are many ways we can all help, and CNN has a list of needs and ways that we can all pitch in. Every little bit counts!

Benghazigate Investigation Continues

This week, House committee meetings continued in regards to the happenings of the 9/11/2012 attacks in Benghazi. Once again fingers are pointing the blame on the former Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton. The whole agenda in this investigation is fueled by Republican interrogation to place responsibility on Obama.

Decent Job Report Adds To Six Months of Decent Growth

The BLS report today showed better than consensus job growth at 165,000. Upward revision to the previous two months brings the six month average to 208,000 jobs added per month. Unemployment ticked down just a hair to 7.5%.

Agreement in Abstract

You are my business partner. You told me you would ruin me, and put my many employees out of work, taking our business and ruining its credit for good, if I didn't agree to reduce the speed at which our debt built. I thought there was a better way to handle this, but you managed to force an agreement on this. To get that agreement, we hammered out a compromise.

Is this the Sign of the Stock Market Collapse?

The present scenario is that of a slowing down of the global economy. Consider last month, wherein, third quarter earnings of many a company declined and subsequently, their fiscal 2013 forecasts proved to be dampeners. An example of such a situation was faced by FedEx Corporation (NYSE/FDX). This global delivery bellwether company had to stare at a 31% drop in its third-quarter earnings following which fiscal 2013 forecasts too were cut.

What could have prompted the above announcement? Well, as per Edgar Online, Frederick W. Smith, who is the company's President and CEO, sold 202,000 shares of FedEx. In addition to this insider selling, there were about eight more insider sales, in the past six months, compared with only two insider buys. (Source: Thomson Financial). Also, there has been selling by institutions. As a result, if we consider the quarter -to -quarter results, there has been a drop in the ownership by 6.1%. When there are such observations about a company that reflects the state of the global economy, it does send out a message that conditions going forward may prove to be tough.

According to a report from the World Trade Organization (WTO), there could be a meager rise in the global trade by about 3.3% this year. As compared to the rise last year; i.e., only 2%, this is not much of an improvement. And the guidance calling for growth this year was 4.5%, according to Associated Press, April 10, 2013 in "Global Trade to Be Weaker than Expected." With the recent two decades having witnessed average growth of about 5.3%, the situation could possibly affect the recovery of the economy.

The Baltic Dry Index, which is a measure of the shipping demand, is negative and has remained so since some time. The stock market today is abuzz with talks of a near-looming market correction. Technical analysis by gurus suggests that this correction could further deteriorate. This has led to a growing demand for blue chip stocks and S&P 500 stocks. Small cap stocks and also technology stocks seem to be the less favored ones.

The scenario at the beginning of 2013 painted a bullish picture as far as investment was concerned. But investor sentiment seems to have paused, especially with stock readings being indeterminate in four straight sessions on the NYSE as well as on the NASDAQ. It would be advisable to wait before putting money into stocks at present as the stock market is susceptible to risk.

First there was the weak growth in the growth of the American economy in the last quarter of last year. It looks like in this first quarter of 2013, the results will be no different. Consumers have become cautious about their spending habits. The month of March this year saw orders for new durable goods in America suffer a drop by 5.7%. It is the second time that this has happened so far in the year, according to the United States Census Bureau, April 24, 2013.

Economy is slowing down in China, Germany, France and Italy as well, with manufacturing sectors of the first two nations suffering setbacks. France is ridden with a grave unemployment problem and could soon fall prey to recession, as Japan has. Italy too is riddled with the need for growth. Revenue growth has been troubling the U.S. multinational corporations and all these factors will be bound to affect the stock market.

On one hand, the American economy is being made to look robust through the money-printing strategies by the Federal Reserve. But in the event that this ploy had not been employed, would the U.S. not have been technically "bankrupt"? Where does that leave the U.S. economy and the stock market today?

http://www.profitconfidential.com/stock-market/

http://seekingalpha.com/article/1360551-is-this-an-early-warning-sign-of-a-stock-market-collapse

Boston Bomber: Enemy Combatant vs. Criminal Trial

Today, the suspect in the Boston Bombings received criminal charges, making it official that he will face a criminal trial in our federal court rather than as an enemy combatant. This shouldn't cause as much upset as it has, but there also seems to be a need to clarify.

Patriots' Day explosions

Multiple explosions have been reported in the City of Boston today. At least two explosions occurred at Copley Square near the finish line for the Boston Marathon, which also occurred today. Another explosion has been reported at the JFK Library. At this point, it is far too early to do anything, but make wild speculations, but we certainly will learn more as this plays out. Below the fold, I have included links to local media where one can find updates:

The Marathon Bombings: The Work of Hypocrites

There are two main categories of suspects that come immediately to mind, in this attack, though both could be wrong. First, al-Qaeda or al-Qaeda style attackers. Second, Domestic Terrorists. Personally, I don't know what rational motivation either side would have for these kinds of attacks, but whoever did it dealt the cause they claim to support a disservice.

Job Growth Disapoints, But Continues Moving Forward

Job growth slipped a little over the month but remains in positive territory still. Just 88,000 new payroll jobs were added in March and unemployment was little changed, ticking down slightly on a change in participation. January and February job numbers were revised upward another 61,000 combined.

Sacrificial Elements and the Keystone XL Pipeline

First, let's ask a few questions. Why Is the pipeline being built? To export the oil, not to keep in in North America. To lower oil prices? No, to fetch a higher price for the oil, especially in the Midwest. And the Tar Sands, what could go wrong with them? Quite a lot, actually.

Should it be surprising I like Democrats and Liberals more?

Let me take a second here to address a terribly important issue of national significance. Namely the fact that I seem to fall on the side of the Democrats more often than not. Apparently, this shocks and offends people, who expect that in my blog entries, I should be even-handed, that I should seek out complaints about the Democrats as much as I do the Republicans. Well, isn't that my choice? And more to the point, aren't I simply carrying out the purpose of this site in providing my side's perspective on matters?

Homosexual Marriage debated at the Supreme Court

Today, the Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments in Hollingsworth v. Perry and United States v. Windsor. The former case will determine the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 and the latter will determine the constitutionality of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Senate Passes Budget Resolution

Earlier this morning, the Senate passed a budget resolution, the first such resolution since the rise of the Tea Party.

The Unpainted Corner

The problem for Republicans is that Obama has no rational reason to agree to their destructive agenda. He has nothing to gain by giving in. It doesn't help his party, it doesn't appeal to the consensus of most Americans. They may question Obama's "charm offensive", but really Obama understands something they don't: that he is in the right place to demand that Republicans meet him in the center, and they are not.

Unemployment At Four Year Low After Good February Job Growth

Unemployment ticked down to 7.7% which is the lowest it's been since it was 7.3% in December 2008 and 7.8% in January 2009. Payrolls grew by 236,000 and the average of the previous four months is 205,000 jobs per month.