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Just cuz it’s fun, more Caption This Photo madness!

Posted on March 19, 2009 by SM aka SM77

I just couldn’t resist!  These are from yesterday during Obama’s campaign stop in California:

Photo 1:

(update: please note the upper left corner)

captphoto_1237454410973-1-0

Photo 2:

captphoto_1237454878473-1-0

Photo 3:

r668015980

Open thread, but I found this gem to discuss:

WASHINGTON – At least 13 firms receiving billions of dollars in bailout money owe a total of more than $220 million in unpaid federal taxes, a key lawmaker said Thursday.

Rep. John Lewis, chairman of a House subcommittee overseeing the federal bailout, said two firms owe more than $100 million apiece.

“This is shameful. It is a disgrace,” said Lewis, D-Ga. “We are going to get to the bottom of what is going on here.”

The House Ways and Means subcommittee on oversight discovered the unpaid taxes in a review of tax records from 23 of the firms receiving the most money, Lewis said as he opened a hearing on the issue.

“If we looked at all 470 recipients, how much would they owe?” Lewis asked.

He did not name the firms owing back taxes.

Banks and other firms receiving federal money were required to sign contracts stating they had no unpaid taxes, Lewis said. But he said the Treasury Department did not ask them to turn over their tax records.

Neil Barofsky, special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, told the hearing that if an executive signed a contract knowing that information about unpaid taxes was false, “that would potentially be a crime.” He said his office will look to see if crimes were committed.

The revelation is sure to spark outrage on Capitol Hill, where the House is expected to vote Thursday on a bill that would impose steep taxes on employee bonuses at firms that have received bailout money.

To date, the Troubled Asset Relief Program has paid out more than $300 billion to private companies, with billions more on the way.

As much as I dislike Dodd, he’s not the only one at fault.  Jus’ sayin’.

Filed under: General |

« »

98 Responses

  1. sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 10:30 am said:

    Photo 1: Can’t see the Teleprompter!

    Photo 2: (guy in striped shirt) “¡Que pinche pendejo!”

    Photo 3: “F__ck, this is harder than I thought it would be.”

  2. catarina, on March 19, 2009 at 10:32 am said:

    photo three: Quick, check the rag for stigmata!

  3. Ron4Hills, on March 19, 2009 at 10:32 am said:

    Caption 1: “I didn’t get a harrrumph outta that guy!”

    Caption 2: “Hey wait a minute, Hussein ,Schmussein, that’s just a white guy dipped in caramel!”

    Caption 3: “In a unguarded moment W2 re-applies his caramel.”

  4. chatblu, on March 19, 2009 at 10:36 am said:

    Caption #1: Land ho!

    Caaption #3: Koolade makes you sweat.

  5. votermom, on March 19, 2009 at 10:43 am said:

    #1. Teleprompsident Obama suddenly realizes that a secret puma agent must have switched the font to 8 point.

    #2. “What do you mean, you never promised us healthcare?”

    #3. Warning: Plastic president melts in direct sunlight.

    • sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 10:48 am said:

      If you look at the top left corner, the teleprompter is RIGHT THERE.

      Obama is a hot ass mess.

  6. paper doll, on March 19, 2009 at 10:45 am said:

    I just hope Dodd goes down swinging…he ready should, since he’s going down anyway.

  7. WMCB, on March 19, 2009 at 10:49 am said:

    Oh, please, email this back taxes bullshit out to every news source you know, and anywhere else you can think of.

    If this gets coverage, the people are going to FLIP OUT.

    • sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 10:50 am said:

      This could be a PUMA Pac prowl!

      Paging Murphy, Mama Puma…. paging Murphy, Mama Puma…

  8. paper doll, on March 19, 2009 at 10:49 am said:

    I can’t BELIEVE this guy spends weeks and mountains of moola reenacting the primaries glory days rather than freaking working…I love how he takes Air Force One to camp David, and then lectures on waste.

  9. Joanelle, on March 19, 2009 at 10:50 am said:

    OT – AIG is a good diversion but yesterday they decided to monetize the deficit – brace yourself – the bottom is about to fall out from under us!
    Dak – could you expand on this for all of us???? 😯

    • the commenter, on March 19, 2009 at 11:32 am said:

      If I’m not mistaken monetization of the debt means increasing the money supply. In other words, the Fed prints up some more greenbacks to buy debt that the Treasury has issued. End result –> inflation

  10. JaniceB, on March 19, 2009 at 10:51 am said:

    Photo 1: “I’m speechless! There’s too much glare on my teleprompter!”

    Photo 2: “I know you voted for me because I’m Teh One, so don’t get mad at me now! Get over it! Where else ya gonna go?”

    Photo 3: “Oh Gawd! I need a ciggie!”

  11. Jangles, on March 19, 2009 at 10:51 am said:

    What I like about this the most is how Obama brought the heat of this meltdown on himself. He is the one who used his bullyprompter to throw gasoline on the fires of AIG. Why did he get out there in front to play cheerleader of the mobs? His ratings are falling and it looked like a quick, cheap way to gain the populist flag. He unleashed a firestorm and now he is burning in it. LOL

    • perries, on March 19, 2009 at 11:31 am said:

      I was thinking about this last night and I believe he did it because, well, he was a community organizer and that is what they do. They inflame the mob to go after corporations to shake them down. Same reason he set his baying pack on Rushbo, without pausing to think that perhaps community organizer ummm skills aren’t really what it’s about when you are president.

  12. Jangles, on March 19, 2009 at 10:52 am said:

    My caption for #3.

    Blowback sucks.

  13. Jangles, on March 19, 2009 at 10:56 am said:

    BTW. I am in Ojai, CA; a pretty liberal artsy community. There are demonstrators in front of the post office with petitions to impeach Pelosi. LOL Such a fun filled day in sunny CA.

    • perries, on March 19, 2009 at 11:33 am said:

      Interesting tidbit Jangles!

      Also, I have heard so much about the beauty of Ojai. Would love to go some day.

    • birdgal, on March 19, 2009 at 1:15 pm said:

      Someone needs to start this in her own district: SF and Marin counties. But they love her, so it probably wouldn’t work.

      • EricaLeigh, on March 19, 2009 at 3:33 pm said:

        Well, I’m across the bay and can tell you not everyone around here loves her.

  14. bluelady, on March 19, 2009 at 11:00 am said:

    #1- Wait, I see them……
    #2- The ponies are coming…..
    #3- Man, am I green!! (don’t know how to do an honest day’s work)

  16. bostonboomer, on March 19, 2009 at 11:15 am said:

    1. Is there an economist in the house? I need a new Treasury Secretary!

    2. Whew! I don’t think these two went to Obama camp!

    3. Now I know what they mean by flop sweat.

  17. WMCB, on March 19, 2009 at 11:15 am said:

    Someone on another blog noted that when those paltry little stimulus checks were sent out to average Americans, if you owed back taxes or child support, they took it out.

    Different rules for the Big Boyz, once again.

    • sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 11:20 am said:

      Exactly, I stopped paying my school loans in 2006 (I haven’t even finished school yet), and I can’t even dream about finishing my degree until I pay back what I owe.

      Each time I file for taxes, any refund money also goes back against the school loans.

      AND THEN I SEE THIS. Bailouts galore for the rich & non-taxpaying companies.

  18. TheRealKim, on March 19, 2009 at 11:29 am said:

    #1: Speak up, move to the front, I can’t see you or hear you
    #2: Your homeless and want to know if there is room in the White House
    #3: Man, Michelle is gonna be pissed off that I told those homeless people they could move in.

  19. TheRealKim, on March 19, 2009 at 11:31 am said:

    WMCB: They took my son’s stimulus package, because he was “no longer in the military” and owed for some supplies that weren’t turned.

    They stop-lossed him a month later. He is in Iraq right now.

  20. Stateofdisbelief, on March 19, 2009 at 11:32 am said:

    #1 – Obama elevates teleprompter #1 to position as 5-star General.

    #2 – Obama promises supporters a pound of arugula in every pot.

    • sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 11:40 am said:

      #1: LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s the TOTUS! Salute!

      • Stateofdisbelief, on March 19, 2009 at 11:42 am said:

        Looks llike the teleprompter is working well

        • sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 11:52 am said:

          This is what TOTUS had to say about (from Teleprompter’s blog link below:)

          Are they insane? With this rabid press corps constantly looking to pin Him down for every friggin detail about obscure legislation like the TARP funding? Or the economic stimulus bill? All that kind of detail can’t be fit on little note cards. Or even 5x7s. Sure, He rehearses, but nothing can compare him for those white, hot interrogation-room-style kleig lights, or those razor-sharp questions from the likes of Ed Schultz and that bag lady in the front row. Believe me, this is going to be a knock down, drag out fight worth monitoring over the weekend.

  21. laurie, on March 19, 2009 at 11:34 am said:

    About bernanke printing money:
    “When Does Faith in Financial Engineering Wane?”

    Which brings me back to the original question – having spent down conventional monetary ammunition over the past 25 years, when does Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke revert to a overtly inflationary policy? The answer: When he no longer believes there is a way to financial engineer the US (and global) economies out of the current environment. Then you are left with only two options – sit back and allow deflationary forces to take hold (a true liquidationist position), or initiate the time honored process for eliminating a debt overhang, inflation.

    http://tinyurl.com/cs38ql

    • bostonboomer, on March 19, 2009 at 11:44 am said:

      Laurie,

      I’ve been reading the econ blogs and this looks very risky to me. Dakinikat said she would put up a thread about it today.

      Look at this.

      http://market-ticker.denninger.net/

      The danger here is that this really is “the last bullet in the gun.” If it fails, our currency and political system would appear to many who read this to go down the toilet in a hyperinflationary detonation.

      Not so fast grasshopper.

      See, if he fails, it won’t be simply a United States phenomena. Quite to the contrary. That failure will in fact be global – Bernanke has guaranteed it by tying The Fed to every other major central bank in the world via his “unlimited swap lines.” We may be a cheap $5 hooker in the bar, but of the hookers, we’ve got crabs and everyone else has AIDS!

      The error in the hyperinflationist scenario is that without being able to couple price increases back into wages they are unsustainable – price increases instead collapse demand. If gasoline goes to $20/gallon you will buy less of it – a lot less – not because you want to, but because you simply don’t have the money. This in turn destroys the gasoline retailer and oil company’s operating cash flow, which in turn causes them to lay off more people. In a debt-laden economy the debt percentage (of GDP) continues to rise even as spending drops and a mad dash to try to redeem what debt can be repaid soaks up all available money.

      The nightmare scenario that is staring us in the face, right here, right now isn’t hyperinflation. It is in fact a collapse of monetary systems driving demand for dollars through the roof in a crescendo of attempted redemptions into collapsed (“no bid”) asset prices – a demand that Ben will not be able to meet, as the collateral backing those dollars will have all been exchanged for toilet paper. Whether Bernanke holds all this trash on his balance sheet or manages to scam Treasury into exchanging it for T-bills, the result is the same – there is no collateral behind Bucky and as employment collapses no production to replace it with either.

      The mad scramble will be on, and as it happens trade will be choked off by not a collapsing dollar but other currencies collapsing around the world.

      Paradoxically, the DX, or dollar index, will skyrocket – not go through the floor – as this plays out.

      Unfortunately this shuts down virtually all exports – at a time when we desperately need them, as we cannot borrow to consume any more. he economy collapses, along with government funding and our currency – but not through hyperinflation. The mad dash to redeem and sell anything and everything instead collapses pricing (that is, it becomes out-of-control deflation in an exponentially-increasing fashion) irrespective of Ben’s attempt to halt it.

      The “death spiral” ends in the destruction of our monetary base – not due to hyperinflation but due to the inability to borrow any more funds, the reduction of the currency’s base to a giant circle jerk, asset fire sales in a mad liquidation dash and ultimately, the collapse of both the monetary and political systems in the United States as tax revenues collapse to very close to zero.

      This is a national security emergency that quite literally can take down our government and way of life within months or even days, and I’m willing to bet that not one person in Congress understands the seriousness of the matter.

      By refusing to confront the bankrupt nature of institutions under Bernanke’s supervision and by choosing instead to continue to bail them out and take their trash onto his (our) balance sheet, Bernanke is risking something much worse than a Depression.

      He is literally risking the end of America as a political and economic power.

      The guy at Market Ticker says that everyone should have enough cash to last 2 years, and try to become self sufficient–chickens, goats, and enough land to grow all the food you need. Those who can’t do that will be fu&*ed.

  22. catarina, on March 19, 2009 at 11:35 am said:

    great captions, all.
    don’t know whether to laugh or cry!

  23. Easterner, on March 19, 2009 at 11:38 am said:

    Get a hold of this new blog! It is hillarious.

    http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/

    Yes, it’s the teleprompter’s blog.

    • Stateofdisbelief, on March 19, 2009 at 11:40 am said:

      Now THAT’S funny! ROFLMAO!

      The teleprompter is even on Twitter!

    • sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 11:42 am said:

      “Barack Obama’s Teleprompter’s Blog

      Reflections from the hard drive of the machine that enables the voice of the Leader of the Free World”

      LOL!!!!!

    • sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 11:43 am said:

      I LOVE THIS!!!!

      It’s Time
      Well, last night didn’t go well. What can I say? I was tired. By the time Barack and the Irish PM stood up, the President and I had already done two major policy speeches, three nomination announcements, and light dinner banter for a table of twelve. And by the way, that “ad lib” last night about Guinness? Mine.

      So why am I going public now, when for the past two years I’ve let others do the talking? Well, this is a thankless job, and I sure don’t want to take the fall for communications missteps. But more important, I expect you’ll be seeing a lot more of me over the next few months and years. Barack and I don’t go anywhere without each other; we even complete each other’s sentences … well, more mine than his, but let’s not split hairs.

      I sense new text being loaded now, so I’ll have to be going.

    • perries, on March 19, 2009 at 12:04 pm said:

      People are emailing this to me too. It’s instantly viral.

    • votermom, on March 19, 2009 at 12:12 pm said:

      OMG That’s too funny!!!!
      All hail TOTUS!

    • WMCB, on March 19, 2009 at 12:37 pm said:

      OMG, I LOVE IT! I hope it goes viral as hell – too funny!

    • Joanelle, on March 19, 2009 at 3:00 pm said:

      oh, Easterner – that is very funny thanks 😆

  24. laurie, on March 19, 2009 at 11:38 am said:

    From Tim Duy’s Fed Watch-“Quick Post on the Oregon Employment Report”

    A quick forecast, based on monthly nonfarm payroll figures since 2000, indicated that the Oregon job loss for February would be -13,800. This was a relatively pessimistic forecast, especially compared to the official state forecast, but I thought it was justified given the strong spike in initial unemployment claims at the end of last year.

    Today the official numbers were released- nonfarm payrolls in Oregon declined by 21,700. A number best described as virtually freefall. The unemployment rate now stands at 10.8%. Dismal.

    http://tinyurl.com/d7qb6r

    • sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 11:49 am said:

      And that’s Oregon. Big land state, little in population though.

      I don’t even wanna know Florida’s.

  25. ainnj, on March 19, 2009 at 11:47 am said:

    That’s just what we need right now, a few trillion of funny money and some hyperinflation. Bring on the locusts!!

  26. jules, on March 19, 2009 at 11:49 am said:

    Dodd has “pledged to go through his list and give back or donate to charity the contributions linked to bailout money. The bulk of Dodd’s AIG money during the just-completed campaign season came from about a dozen AIG executives” (three of whom may have received bonuses).
    http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/ci_11945511

  27. sam, on March 19, 2009 at 11:52 am said:

    Rush has been referring to POTUS as TOTUS (Teleprompter of the United States).

    Photo number one really supports the TOTUS title (wouldn’t it be fun if someone collected as many pictures as possible of Obama reading from his teleprompter and assembled into a great big collage).

    The following article is from yesterday, but in case anyone missed it, I’m including the link. I found it surprising to actually see the Obama myths covered in such a prominent political news source.

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20118.html

    “I’ve concluded that much of the conventional wisdom about Obama is wrong. Here are five of the biggest misconceptions:”

    To summarize, the 5 myths are that he is bold, a great communicator, put together a team of rivals, is smooth and has a good relationship with the media.

    • sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 11:55 am said:

      What KILLS ME is that we knew this a year and some odd months ago.

      They belittled us, called us racists and every name in the book all because we did not want to vote for an empty suit.

      Now the curtain is up, it’s their show and they are screwing up in ways that we knew they would.

      Oh well, we told them so.

      • sam, on March 19, 2009 at 11:59 am said:

        The guy that wrote the article worked for the Republican National Committee last year, and he obviously became aware of many of these myths during the campaign season. I’ve always suspected the Republicans didn’t play to win.

    • laurie, on March 19, 2009 at 12:00 pm said:

      LOL

  28. TheRealKim, on March 19, 2009 at 11:54 am said:

    I didn’t see last night’s town hall, but someone said he did not use a teleprompter. DId he or didn’t he?

  29. perries, on March 19, 2009 at 12:01 pm said:

    #1 The sun – the glare is blotting out the teleprompter text. What to say… my mind is a blank… where are my handlers… hey, there’s my reflection, don’t I look cool as always! I’m so fascinating. I could gaze at myself forever. Where was I?

  30. sam, on March 19, 2009 at 12:12 pm said:

    http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3842395&referralPlaylistId=undefined

    I just got this link to Greta’s interview with Chris Dodd off of Gretawire. Greta was a good one to get this interview, because she asks follow up questions (such as who in the Treasury asked for the language modifications).

    • staunchwoman, on March 19, 2009 at 12:38 pm said:

      So Geithner has a “flood of issues on his desk” and we need to “have confidence in him” and give him time to deal with them?

      What happened to walking and chewing gum at the same time?

      AND Dodd is an ignoble cad. It’s clear as hell that he’s guilty as hell, and also clear that he’s doing all he can to foist the guilt off onto the treasury dept (who i’m sure deserves it). What’s that saying? There is no honor among thieves.

  31. staunchwoman, on March 19, 2009 at 12:41 pm said:

    #1 – Look! What’s that over there! Ignore the men behind the empty suit!

  32. AfricanAgainstO, on March 19, 2009 at 1:43 pm said:

    Photo 1: The Hell with this prompter – can I get an ear piece?
    Photo 2: What eyes you have – I love you more than my husband
    Photo 3: Give me back my tele prom – I don’t know what to say?

    By the way I love this caption exercise – good way to vent out.

  33. okasha skatsi, on March 19, 2009 at 2:24 pm said:

    Photo 1: “You were right, Colonel Custer, sir. Here comes them Injuns.”

  34. CarolynKB, on March 19, 2009 at 3:08 pm said:

    Photo 1: Ahoy there matey. You might not recognize me, Michelle won’t let me wear my sailor suit anymore.

    Photo 2: No habla espanol, without a teleprompter

    Photo 3: That Damned Dodd is making me sweat.

  35. a rightish visitor, on March 19, 2009 at 3:09 pm said:

    #1- Commander Teleprompter, sir! Sgt. Karaoke reporting for duty, sir!

    #2- If you look close enough, you can see the words of the teleprompter reflecting off the back of his empty skull.

    #3- Damn, I need a uh uh uh, breathalyzer…I mean a uh, inhalator!

  36. TeresaInPa, on March 19, 2009 at 3:47 pm said:

    Obama is SHOCKED that he asked Dodd to write in that loop hole. He is shocked angry and disgusted at himself for sure.

  37. Owen, on March 19, 2009 at 4:41 pm said:

    Photo 3:

    George Bush wipes off the latex blackface(barackface?)

    As far as the article…. anybody ever see “Dave?”

    For God’s sake get someone with some common sense in office!!!!

  38. KJMontana, on March 19, 2009 at 6:58 pm said:

    Photo 1: Before I get started, I salute the one that makes me who I am… my teleprompter.

    Photo 2: You’re right. Every time Obama’s lips move he IS lying.

    Photo 3: Preznident’n is hard. Can I go read to some second graders now?

  39. okasha skatsi, on March 19, 2009 at 7:59 pm said:

    Photo#3: Hot flashes–they’re not just for PUMAS anymore.

  40. sm77, on March 19, 2009 at 9:00 pm said:

    LISTEN TO CONFLUCIANs SAY!

  41. Benjamin, on March 20, 2009 at 3:07 am said:

    Coming in late – but I can’t resist responding to this:

    1. “Hey Rahm, where’s the teleprompter?!”

    2. “Actually, if you keep your status as illegal, you might have a better shot at getting a drivers license.”

    3. Okay, Rahm, I’ll sign the rest of these. Just don’t expect me to read this stuff.”

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