MooPig After the Fact Department :: "Government Furloughs Then and Now"

Government Shutdowns are Meaningless
Mashed articles by Pat Darnell  |  Apr 6, 2014  |  Bryan TX

We were mildly concerned last time we had a Federal Government shutdown and workers were furloughed. Our lack of concern is, after the fact, warranted.

Percentage of essential federal employees in 1996 vs. 2013.: "After the 1995-'96 government shutdown, the Congressional Research Service detailed (PDF) how many employees at different agencies had been furloughed. The employees who were "excepted" from furlough would now be considered "essential" federal employees (Emma Roller. SEPT. 30 2013. LINK)..."

'via Blog this'

CONCLUSION
Despite all the furlough hoopla, essential workers stayed on the job as "non-pay status workers." Government shutdown is nothing more than hat trick that bombastic politician hucksters have learned to use, when they are bored with everyday life. It happens when a bunch of congress persons need to call in a bunch of favors.

The preoccupation of Congress members with "size of government" bears no meaning in today's world. Government has its fingers in every business, every worker's pocket, and in every service. Just like banks, Government interrupts "perceived progress," with their funny rules, fees, regulations, and taxes. If you deal directly with the government you might make a profit, or break even in your business, but you as a contractor, are you a worker who could be furloughed? Who the hell knows! Thanks Ted Cruz, you are the modern poster child of PUTZ-dom.

Concerning the Chart above -- " ... This isn't a comprehensive list of agencies, for a variety of reasons. Some agencies, like Homeland Security, didn't exist in 1996. Others were incorporated piecemeal into new agencies. And not all agencies have said exactly how many of their workers will be furloughed [in the future]. (ibid. Roller) ..."


____________________Reference
http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/09/30/percent_of_essential_federal_employees_in_1996_vs_2013.html
http://images.businessweek.com/extras/11/02/ShutdownFedGovt95.906.doc.pdf
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/27/us/who-goes-to-work-during-government-shutdown.html?ref=politics&_r=0
http://www.slate.com/topics/g/government_shutdown.html
http://www.census.gov/#
http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat01.pdf

MooPig Government Regulations Department :: "What doesn't FDA regulate?

Transparency in the FDA
mashed articles by Pat Darnell |  Dec 29, 2013  |  Bryan TX

[Picture LINK unknown]

I am doing the right thing this morning. I am sorting through the FDA Gov site, and trying to wrap my mind around it.

Everything today seems like it is a Federal Case. We at MooPig Government Regulations Department are inundated with reports by whistle-blowers from within Government Regulatory Offices. Who to believe? Where do we draw the line to the cynicism that all this mess causes, until the American people just throw their hands up in surrender?

This is a good question. Our FDA does not regulate everything you think it would.

FDA Basics :: What doesn’t FDA regulate? How do I contact the agencies that do?: "What doesn't FDA regulate? How do I contact the agencies that do?

FDA does not regulate:

• advertising (except for prescription drugs, medical devices, and tobacco products)
• some consumer products, such as paint, child-resistant packages, baby toys, and household appliances (except for those that give off radiation)
• illegal drugs of abuse, such as heroin and marijuana
• health insurance meat and poultry (except for game meats, such as venison, ostrich, and snake) 
• restaurants and grocery stores 
• vaccines for infectious animal diseases

FDA shares the responsibility for regulating these products with other government agencies:

• pesticides (FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency regulate these)
• water (FDA regulates the labeling and safety of bottled water, while the Environmental Protection Agency develops national standards for drinking water from municipal water supplies)"

'via Blog this'

Let's look at one product line, shall we? Advertising in Tobacco. From FDA Transparency files we have this slide show:

Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the U.S.

• Tobacco dependence is a life-threatening condition There are 45 million smokers in the

• U.S. and 440,000 people die every year Each day in the United States

• 3,600 kids under 18 years of age smoke their first cigarette, and over 700 kids become regular smokers (Slide 3)

Are you already bored with bullet presentations? I am. Let's push on:

FDA’s ability to enact science-based regulation has the true potential to reduce the death and disease toll from the most harmful products

• A main goal is to have a country free of tobacco related disease and death
• Passage of the Tobacco Control Act means that FDA has many tools to help meet that goal
• FDA regulates an extremely addictive and toxic product
• But people smoke for the nicotine while dying from the tar
• Ongoing debate about how to regulate products based upon where they fit on a “continuum of risk” given their toxicities and how they are used (Slide 12)

[Picture LINK] Narcoti-Cure, Cures the Tobacco Habit - Vintage Drug Pharmaceutical Advertising Art Nouveau Poster

CONCLUSION
It's a mess. I could spend a whole school term on this FDA web site. What stands out is their commitment to transparency. However, I cannot find any tidbits concerning "in-house whistle-blowers at the FDA." For those we must travel Google source maps, such as Former FDA reviewer speaks out about intimidation, retaliation and marginalizing of safety (By Martha Rosenberg Posted on August 22, 2012).

" ... The agency, [FDA], using so-called spy software designed to help employers monitor workers, captured screen images from the government laptops of the five scientists as they were being used at work or at home. The software tracked their keystrokes, intercepted their personal e-mails, copied the documents on their personal thumb drives and even followed their messages line by line as they were being drafted, the documents show. (ERIC LICHTBLAU and SCOTT SHANE. Published: July 14, 2012. LINK ) ..."

For instnace: looking for guidance on the fda.gov site is going to be a tough search for anyone trying to figure out how to guard against youth using tobacco products. Smokers' smoke for the nicotine, and die from the tar, that is a fact. But, does transparency refer to this type of searching, or to its internal investigations of its employees and their governmental contacts all over the world?

" ... Government agencies cannot discourage whistle-blowing and reporting of wrongdoing by monitoring employees, echoed a White House memo sent to all government agencies about the FDA spy program. (ibid. Martha Rosenberg. LINK ) ... "

[Picture LINK ]

_________________Reference
http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm203499.htm
http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/ucm308869.htm
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/Transparency/Basics/UCM378104.pdf
http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/7030
http://www.freevintageposters.com/search/label/food%20and%20drug%20administration
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/us/fda-surveillance-of-scientists-spread-to-outside-critics.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

MooPig Government Shutdown :: "Aftermath"

Some of our Favorite MEME's from the previous two Weeks
Gathered by Pat Darnell \ Oct 18, 2013 | Bryan TX

Brenda Drew says: " ... I've known other men to have pissy fits, but this spoiled rotten selfish greedy, racist, misogynist, homophobic, backwards thinking, evil, corrupt Fascist Domestic Terrorist band of TRAITORS TAKES THE CAKE! ***Note: I did NOT use the word, "Republican", that's a huge misnomer and they DO NOT deserve to be called, "Republicans"...they're FASCIST TRAITORS to our once upon a time great Democracy/Republic and they bastardize the Boston Tea Party and they are antithetical to our very basic liberal Democratic ideals and principles!!! (LINK) ... "

RESULT

This broad ax hucksterism by the Tea Party minority in the House of Congress turns out to be a lot of barking at the moon. And, this tirade cost the American GDP around $24 million. The douche bags in government, all of them, are never held "accountable" for their actions. This leads to grand-standing, lots and lots of litigation, and war.

___________________Reference

LINKS and Dates for the graphics are lost. They were captured off of faceBook and from emails.

MooPig Government Shutdown Department :: "Who Profits?"

Default would be an inexpressibly stupid event
Mashed articles by Pat Darnell  |  Oct 12, 2013  |  Bryan TX

[Picture LINK unknown]

Every investor should be afraid of a U.S. government debt default. But tearing a portfolio apart because of the risk of a default is risky, too. A U.S. default would be catastrophic. Even one day in default would harm the nation's credit rating, and have serious ripple effects, including:
• Damage consumer confidence, and possibly the economy.
• Cause interest rates to spike higher.
• Hurt stock and bond prices.
• Wound the value of the U.S. dollar on international currency markets. (John Waggoner, USA TODAY 9:34 a.m. EDT October 7, 2013. LINK)

Here's Who Profits If the Government Defaults | Mother Jones: "1. Short sellers: Most folks invest in stocks and bonds hoping the value of their investments will increase. But there's also money to be made by short selling—betting that the value of a stock or bond will drop. Short selling is an investment strategy that's typically employed by sophisticated investors and financial firms, but technically anyone can do it. Investors who bet that the value of US Treasury securities will dip would likely profit. Because a default could cause the US stock market to crash, shorting almost any US stock could make you money. In fact, you can even invest in specific mutual funds that specialize in short selling. "It's a very powerful and disillusioning feeling to know that smart rich people can make money even when America goes over Niagara Falls in a barrel," says Jeff Connaughton, a former investment banker and White House lawyer during the Clinton administration."

'via Blog this'

Precious metals and Virtual Money [BitCoin] will ride out the Government shutdown. Housing will suffer and jolt owners into foreclosures due to soaring interest rates -- but the banks, and holding companies make out like banshees. It will be a wild west land grab for greedy bankers.

" ... Jacob Lew, the current Treasury secretary, said in a letter to Congress in September: "The debt limit impasse that took place in 2011 caused significant harm to the economy and an unheard of downgrade to the credit rating of the U.S.. The drawn-out dispute caused business uncertainty to increase, consumer confidence to drop, and financial markets to plunge. If Congress were to repeat that brinkmanship again this time, it could inflict even greater harm on the economy. And if the government should ultimately become unable to pay all of its bills, the results could be catastrophic. (John Waggoner, USA TODAY 9:34 a.m. EDT October 7, 2013. LINK) ... "

With those poor credit ratings brought on by default, we pay higher interest rates for our credit. And government securities for sale would have to offer higher interest rates of return to attract buyers. That also increases interest rates for long term money like Housing, and would make borrowing for home buyers and businesses higher at the same time.


CONCLUSION
Markets will probably sell off as the deadline looms. If there's a last-minute resolution – as there was in 2011 – stocks and bonds should soar in value, as should the U.S. dollar.

 _________________________Reference
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/10/who-would-benefit-government-default
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/10/07/investments-in-default/2933457/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/10/07/position-your-portfolio-for-default/2935395/
http://goldnews.bullionvault.com/gold-investing-100720136
http://www.investing.com/news/commodities-news/gold-gains-as-u.s.-government-shutdown,-default-fears-weaken-dollar-253567
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/what-is-bitcoin-explained
http://thegenesisblock.com/us-debt-ceiling-highlight-bitcoins-role-asset-class/
http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue/2008/12/30/106350-financial-crisis-gives-pawnshops-a-boost/
http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-5-things-20131008,0,6197200.story
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/perverse-incentives-lead_n_328378.html
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/11/preppers-survivalist-doomsday-obama

Government Shutdown: 9 Million Moms And Babies At Risk As WIC Program Halts - Forbes

Government Shutdown: 9 Million Moms And Babies At Risk As WIC Program Halts - Forbes: "The government shutdown may be keeping National Parks closed and furloughed federal workers at home, but worse real-world effects could soon be felt by low-income mothers and their infants — already a marginalized group with unstable food supplies."

'via Blog this'

________________________Reference
http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2013/10/02/government-shutdown-9-million-moms-and-babies-at-risk-as-wic-program-halts/

MooPig Tech Coroner :: "The NSA's Hugely Expensive Utah Data Center is Unusable"

The Security Industry Blows it Again
mashed articles by Pat Darnell  |  Oct 9, 2013  |  Bryan TX

[Picture LINK]

" ... When the National Security Agency broke ground in 2011 on a $1.2 billion data center in Utah, it launched the largest defense construction project in the nation. (Laurie Bennett. June 9, 2013. LINK) ... "

The National Security Agency’s new billion-dollar-plus data center in Bluffdale, Utah was supposed to go online in September, but the Wall Street Journal’s Siobhan Gorman reports that it has major electrical problems and that the facility known as “the country’s biggest spy center” is presently nearly unusable:

The NSA's Hugely Expensive Utah Data Center Has Major Electrical Problems And Basically Isn't Working - Forbes: "Chronic electrical surges at the massive new data-storage facility central to the National Security Agency’s spying operation have destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of machinery and delayed the center’s opening for a year, according to project documents and current and former officials. There have been 10 meltdowns in the past 13 months that have prevented the NSA from using computers at its new Utah data-storage center, slated to be the spy agency’s largest, according to project documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal."

'via Blog this'

" ... The NSA described the center’s mission as supporting “the intelligence community’s efforts to further strengthen and protect the nation’s cyber security.”

Its aim, officials said then, was to help other government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, in protecting national security networks.

It appears that its purpose is also to plumb other computer networks, in the United States and abroad. The New York Times reports that the center is designed to “to store huge volumes of personal data indefinitely.” (Laurie Bennett. June 9, 2013. LINK) ... "




[Muckety Map LINK]

EXCERPT  |  " ... When I [Kashmir Hill] wrote about the Utah data center holding less information than was previously thought given the current limitations of technology in this space, some critics scoffed. They suggested that the NSA is far more advanced in its technology than companies like Google and Facebook with which I was drawing comparisons. This report from the WSJ about the flawed plans for the data center encourages some skepticism about NSA tech. And it definitely raises questions about the NSA budget. The center itself cost over a billion dollars to build, has a $1 million+ monthly electricity bill, and has cost up to $100,000 each time a “kill zone” happens. Those numbers are as disturbing as the privacy concerns raised by the Snowden leaks. (Kashmir Hill, Forbes Staff. Oct 7, 2013. LINK)..."

_________________________Reference
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2013/10/07/the-nsas-hugely-expensive-utah-data-center-has-major-electrical-problems-and-basically-isnt-working/
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/all/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304441404579119490744478398.html?mod=wsj_nview_latest
http://news.muckety.com/2013/06/09/the-national-security-industrial-complex/42991
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304441404579119490744478398.html?mod=wsj_nview_latest
http://www.muckety.com/ptmoyb.htm?map=38EA3BC7474B3D7A26E254B7D44E037A.map&autoGroup=7,7
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2013/03/04/nsa-utah-data-center-visit/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2013/07/24/blueprints-of-nsa-data-center-in-utah-suggest-its-storage-capacity-is-less-impressive-than-thought/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2013/07/26/nsa-utah-datacenter/

MooPig Government Shutdown Department :: "Follow Us into the Breach"

Knick Knack Paddy Whack, Give the Dog a Bone ...
Mashed articles by Pat Darnell  |  Oct 6-7, 2013  |  Bryan TX


October 1, 2013 -- "Lines in the sand have been drawn: Senate Democrats and the president won’t accept changes to Obamacare as part of a government funding deal, and House Republicans are refusing to pass anything that doesn't give them some concessions on the health care law they've been fighting since taking over the majority. (Kate Nocera and Evan McMorris-Santoro BuzzFeed Staff. October 1, 2013. LINK) ..."

 U.S. Service Academies Prepare For Government Shutdown: "Administrators and faculty at the five United States service academies are bracing themselves for the impending government shutdown, which stands to disrupt the education of thousands of cadets and midshipmen across the country. Mandatory across-the-board spending cuts imposed by sequestration have already taken a toll on the academies so far this year, forcing cutbacks to student services, extracurricular activities, and, in the case of the Naval Academy, classes."

'via Blog this'

At an accounting career fair.

Austin, TX

In our Military -- “USNA has an approximate 50/50 military to civilian instructor ratio and there will be circumstances where military instructors are not able to substitute for civilian professors in the classroom,” Erickson said in an emailed statement. Arabic and Chinese language classes will be canceled, as will chemistry, engineering and physics laboratories. As far as other classes taught by civilians, Erickson explained, “Many instructors were able to pre-package 4-5 days’ worth of classes in order for one of their military counterparts within the department to substitute and instruct the class in the event of the government shutdown. (September 30, 2013. Ellie Hall. LINK) ... ”

CONCLUSION
It’s an outrage that they are playing these types of games with the American people. And I think at the end of the day [Boehner and Cruz] will rue this day because they side with a minority in their caucus and Boehner is not running the House. A minority is.

SUMMARY
This Sunday morning, Tailgunner Ted Cruz went on CNN’s State of the Union to give his take on why it’s OK to hold the United States hostage. Cruz’s ship has been sinking for weeks now, but even weighed down with a billion tons of political self-interest, he plunges boldly ahead into waters that, according to him, aren’t exactly uncharted. According to him, taking hostages is just business as usual — and sad to say, these days, isn’t completely wrong. Ted Cruz Thinks Extortion is Politics as Usual in D.C.

But, cite all the historical precedent you want, Ted … what your little group of terrorists are doing is NOT what we do in America. But, don’t worry, Ted … you may sink, but your legacy is secure. Because if there’s one thing America loves to say about terrorists, it’s this … We will never forget.

_________________________Reference
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/us-service-academies-prepare-for-government-shutdown
http://www.buzzfeed.com/katenocera/government-shutdown-how-we-got-here
http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/minnesota-government-shuts-down
http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/the-funniest-government-shutdown-signs
http://www.buzzfeed.com/chelseamarshall/dogs-who-long-to-go-to-their-nonessential-government-jobs
https://aattp.org/check-super-funny-government-shutdown-signs-photos/
https://aattp.org/called-out-tea-party-causing-taxation-without-representation-via-shutdown/
https://aattp.org/truth-gop-congressman-govt-shutdown-cruzs-mess/
https://aattp.org/ted-cruz-thinks-extortion-is-politics-as-usual-in-d-c-video/
http://aattp.org/watch-devastating-new-ad-rips-crybaby-boehners-temper-tantrum-video/

MooPig's Furlough Department :: "Furlough This"

Precedent of Government going Postal
Duplicitous merging of articles by Pat Darnell   |  Oct 6, 2013   |  Bryan TX

" ... A HuffPost/YouGov poll released Saturday shows that both parties are facing blame for the government shutdown, which stretched into its fifth day. According to the survey, 25 percent of Americans see Republicans and Democrats as being equally at fault. On party lines, 36 percent point a finger squarely at Republicans and 33 percent place more blame on President Barack Obama and the Democrats. ( Chris Gentilviso. Posted: 10/05/2013 | Updated: 10/05/2013. LINK) ... "

You gotta love Huff Post... eh? I think one day they will be a great network, as long as they provide lots of graphics like they do. House Republicans are standing against poor working people and standing for plutocratic corporations and transnationals. President Obama stands for anything that can keep him from being assassinated.
[PHOTO's LINK]

Furloughed Worker Protests
Furloughed federal employes march in front of a shuttered Independence Hall at Independence National Historical Park Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Social Security Administration
A man peers through a window as people came and went from the Social Security Administration Card Center building after being turned away for certain services due to the partial government shutdown, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/The Star Tribune, Elizabeth Flores)

Bureau Of Land Management
U.S. Post Office letter carrier Jacob Ribald peeks into the window of the Bureau of Land Management office on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 in Las Cruces, N.M. "I have a lot of mail for them," said Ribald, "at least I tried, right?" The door is locked and a sign is posted saying that the site is closed because of the government shutdown. (AP Photo/The Las Cruces Sun-News, Robin Zielinski )

Note: "AFGE"
Web definitions
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is an American labor union representing over 600,000 employees of the federal government, about 5,000 employees of the District of Columbia, and a few hundred private sector employees, mostly in and around federal facilities. ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFGE ...

“Significant amounts of work that should be reserved for federal employee performance are now performed by contractors because the current definition of inherently governmental is narrow, unclear, and unenforced,” said Mark Whetstone, President of the AFGE National Citizenship and Immigration Services Council. “In striving to retain in their agencies important and sensitive functions, some managers have tried to compensate for the narrowness of the existing definition by employing weaker designations—closely associated with inherently governmental, critical, core, etc.—to protect from outsourcing pressures functions that may not meet the statutory definition but should still be performed in-house. However, these efforts have left the definition even more unclear. And, of course, even a robust and crystal-clear definition is meaningless if it is not enforced. (AFGE, Christina Erling. May 20, 2010. LINK)”

CONCLUSION
Enemies of the USA attack from within our government and from outside it. Anyone who thinks they can do better somewhere else should go there. I think that Washington DC has become indefensible, and it is a great risk to have all the federal government in one place so close to the coast. Therefore the federal government should be housed in a metal building somewhere in Utah. And all the officials should attend by video conference. They could just ride around in automobiles tricked out for transmitting and receiving and attend mobile-like with the Speaker of the House actually a 'Bot -- Speaker of the House-bot ...

SUMMARY
Plutocrats close down the US government and all its contractors for no apparent reason. But it is interesting watching the developments from this shutdown. For instance, the George W Bush library is closed to all its one visitor and three workers. Now that is a total shame.



________________________Reference
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/05/government-shutdown-blame-poll_n_4045780.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFGE
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/05/jim-mcdermott-gop-shutdown_n_4049873.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/04/dennis-ross-cr-obamacare_n_4046284.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/05/dennis-ross-government-shutdown_n_4050231.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000037
http://www.afge.org/?PressReleaseID=1163

Visual of Planned "Ground Zero" Re-Build

PHOTO SOURCES
HERE and HERE

HUNHjH?!

Anyone have a clue about this POLITICS entry?
Retrieved by Pat Darnell

COLUMBUS, OH—With its membership swelling in recent months, the mysterious organization that secretly pulls the levers of American power was forced to suspend its weekly meeting Monday, having grown too big to fit inside Marriott Conference Room B. "To successfully carry out our clandestine operations and continue maintaining the ignorance of the masses, we will now require the full amenities of Conference Room A," said an unidentified man, who is believed to have covertly orchestrated the economic collapse of Iceland last year. "We must postpone the Cataclysmic Event until such time as a more comfortable meeting space is available." According to confidential records, the hidden regime's enrollment has more than doubled since it gained free access to the Marriott's swimming pool and gym facilities.

Shadow Government Getting Too Large To Meet In Marriott Conference Room B
May 5, 2009 | [SOURCE]

######### AND #######

Nation Ready To Be Lied To About Economy Again
May 4, 2009 | [SOURCE]

According to a CBS News/New York Times poll, 98 percent of Americans no longer appreciate President Barack Obama's attempts to break down the economic crisis into simple terms they can understand. Instead, many say the president should have the decency to insult their intelligence by using complex jargon to confuse and deceive them, perhaps even implying that the subprime mortgage fallout was just a big misunderstanding that resulted from a clerical error.

"I know when he's telling the truth, and it bothers me," recently laid-off schoolteacher Mary Hanover said of Obama. "He gets this serious expression on his face and says things like, 'This is the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.' Who needs to hear that? For Christ's sake, smile a bit and say we just found a diamond mine under Montana that's going to pay for everything. I'll believe you."

"Please, treat me like a child. Treat me like a five-year-old," Sacramento resident David Cooke, 64, wrote in a letter to Congress. "I lost everything when the Dow tanked, and I'm too old to start working again, so why punish me further by explaining in detail the clever ways these investment firms ripped me off and how they're all going to get away with it?"

Thus far, many policymakers in Washington have responded favorably to their constituents' requests, saying they respect and understand the public's need for dishonesty.

"I think we can accommodate the American people on this," Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) told reporters. "Why, just today we made excellent progress with GM, whose CEO Fritz Henderson told us that every penny of federal and taxpayer funds would go directly to the construction of three new auto plants in Detroit that will create over 90,000 new jobs and spark the economic rebound we've been waiting for."

Continued Reid, "Things are looking very, very bright."
Retrieved Excerpts by PD