CBS Sees ‘Runaway Success’ in Failing ‘Cash for Clunkers’ Program

Photo of Kyle Drennen.
  • Bookmark and Share

Cars for Clunkers, CBS Reporting on the Obama administration’s ‘Cash for Clunkers’ car buying program running out of money, CBS correspondent Nancy Cordes offered a mixed message: "‘Cash for Clunkers’ has been such a runaway success....The program is so popular...word spread it would be suspended...because of fears that sales would soon swallow up the $1 billion for rebates the government had set aside."

At the top of Friday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez declared: "It’s a week old and incredibly popular. But is the government’s ‘Cash for Clunkers’ program coming to a screeching halt? We’ll see why it may run out of gas and why so many are angry." She later introduced Cordes’ report by explaining: "It appears that ‘Cash for Clunkers’ could be kaput. There’s been a lot of criticism that the week-old federal program is just too confusing. But the White House says it’s so popular that it’s already running out of money, so they’re reevaluating."

Story Continues Below Ad ↓

In her report, Cordes cited one new car salesman who happily remarked: "People are loving it. It’s wonderful. It’s a great stimulus package." However, she later concluded that the failing program let: "a lot of car sales and cash hang in the balance." Cordes then observed: "So the two big questions for lawmakers and the administration today. Number one, how could they have so vastly overestimated how long this money would last? And number two, where will they find the cash infusion to keep ‘Cash for Clunkers’ going?"

On NBC’s Today, correspondent Erin Burnett placed a little more focus on the program’s problems, rather than its popularity:

Analysts expected it would last maybe until Labor Day. So they didn't think this would last a long period of time to get through the 250,000 cars....And it looks like only about 50,000 cars have actually been sold. The dealers think that they'll very quickly get to the 250, which is why they suspended the program. They were worried maybe the government wouldn't be able to make good on some of those deals to buyers. So there was some confusion that....some real questions on the numbers here, especially given the concern about running out of cars is coming from the dealers, who certainly have a lot to gain by this program getting bigger.

However, co-host Ann Curry later discussed the program with Meet the Press host David Gregory, who stressed the success of the plan: "This was a program that was made to bolster sales for the auto companies which are hurting desperately. So to have a program run out so quickly, a sign of success, but a sign of tremendous need, too."

ABC’s Good Morning America provided the most comprehensive and critical report on the program. Unlike CBS and NBC, the ABC morning show highlighted major problems with the government website design to handle rebate requests. Consumer correspondent Elizabeth Leamy reported:

Part of the problem, the government website dealers must use to enter clunker deals is a clunker itself, sputtering and stalling....The computer crashes have caused a backlog. As many as 25,000 transactions that dealers have made, but the government hasn't yet officially approved....Now, dealers are worried they'll be stuck holding the bag....Some dealers are actually now making people sign something, saying they will return their shiny, new car, if the government reneges on the deal.

The only attempt to portray the program as a success was when GMA co-host Robin Roberts declared that it was "wildly popular" while introducing the segment.

—Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.


Comments Policy

All comments are owned by whoever posted them and are subject to our terms of use. They should not be assumed to represent the views of NewsBusters.

Viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

And the runaway

BAnkrupting success of free healthcare will be called what?

Substitute "Government Healthcare" for "Cash for clunkers"...

And "Trillion" for "Billion" 

 Capital Hill is a beehive today as Congress scrambles to find additional funds to keep the unexpectedly popular cash-for-clunkers incentives from grinding to a halt.

After word Thursday that the $1 billion allocated for the program was running out, both White House and Congressional leaders started looking for fresh funds to keep it going.

 http://www.autonews.com/article/20090731/BLOG03/907319988/1128

"Democrats: Breeding voters like farm animals since 1962".

People really need to pay

People really need to pay attention to this, and the Republicans should mine it for all it's worth. It exposes the following:

1. Government's total inability to plan

2. Obama's total inability to estimate

3. Government's inability to monitor cash outflow

4. Government's inability to collect data and information beforehand, to permit good estimates (see #2).

5. Unintended consequences (i.e., overwhelming numbers of people with their hands out) of giving something away for free.

6. Government's inability to have a backup plan when things go wrong.

Comeon House and Senate Republicans -- use this as your premier example of how things will turn out when Obama's government gets its hands on total control.

BTW, where was Obama's Car Czar in all of this? Isn't he responsible? What did he do? Is he going to get fired? I want to know. Does the MSM want to know?

___________________________________ 

Maybe this isn't going to help. Maybe you're better off not having this surgery but taking the painkiller - Obamacare

“Government's inability

“Government's inability to have a backup plan when things go wrong.”

Is this sort of like not having an exit strategy?

- Relying upon the State Run Media for your information is like relying upon an embezzler to manage your portfolio.

I'm sure it's running out

I'm sure it's running out of money much 'sooner than expected'...

 

FEARSSSSSSS

"fears that sales would soon swallow up the $1 billion for rebates the government had set aside"

You know, when you redistribute wealth (aka, somebody else's toil and sweat), it's easy to underestimate how many folks will want to take a free ride. It's easy because:

1) you don't know how the real world works.

2) you have no experience running a business (see also, number 1 above).

The Bad News . . . and the Good News!

The Bad News:  The Obama White House and its lapdogs in the Congress grossly underestimated the costs of buying up used cars.  But the President assures us that any health care reform bill he signs must pay for itself:  No new taxes.

Whatever passes for "self-sustaining" health care reform this year won't even last as long as the Cash for Clunkers program did.

The Good News:  If the funding is ever restored to the Cash for Clunkers program, and you've lost your health insurance coverage because the insurer cannot compete with "the public option," you can get money for that urgent surgery by certifying that you get less than 15 miles per gallon, quicker than queuing up for care under the public option.

Breaking...

House approves clunker extension 

JDW

DAILY WAVE

Jobs, jobs, jobs ... Spending, spending, spending

I'm shocked: government

I'm shocked: government FREE MONEY is POPULAR.

My God NO-ONE could have forseen that!

What next: Congress amazed to discover sick people use healthcare!

Thanks Barack: from post-racial to most-racial in just six months!

Fraud

135 pages of regulations.  Let's count on many getting rejected and the dealer has to ask the customer to find more money after his car is shredded

 

I would suggest the dealer not give title until they have cleared the money.  Smells like a ruse.

You bring the image to mind

You bring the image to mind of Chevy Chase's car at the dealership when he changed his mind in "Family Vacation".

People will save $30-40/ month for gas, but take on $300/ month debt. All the while creating a shortage of good used parts. Energy will be expended destroying a crankshaft and energy will be expended creating a new one. But we'll still have only one crankshaft!

Not necessarily true.  I

Not necessarily true.  I traded in a gas guzzler about a year ago for a MINI Cooper S.  I save approximately $150 a month in gas.  I also don't understand how this creates a shortage of used parts given that the cars being traded in will be used for just that.  It's giving a desperately needed boost to the auto industry, and that means they'll be paying back their loans to the government sooner than expected.  Seems like this is a good thing.  I only wish I waited another year to buy my new car.

On another note, has anyone here benefited by the program? 

Huh?

They'll [auto industry] be paying back their loans to the government sooner than expected.

Huh? Did Toyota get a loan? Toyota is a major participant in this scam.

___________________________________ 

Maybe this isn't going to help. Maybe you're better off not having this surgery but taking the painkiller - Obamacare

I get that.  Please read my

I get that.  Please read my other comments below.

→ KDW?

Certainly you don't assume Toyota is less American than GM or Chrysler, do you?

Hope is an excuse for doing nothing - Rush Limbaugh

Are you trying to trick me?

Are you trying to trick me? ; )

→ No, I'm not

California has a Toyota Tacoma plant.

San Antonio has a Toyota Tundra plant.

Mexico has a Chevy Silverado Plant.

I can buy Toyota Stock or Ford Stock, but I can't buy GM or Chrysler stock.

I won't soon forget GM and Chrysler slinking away with $80 billion dollars just to prop up their bloodsucking Union.  

Government funding auto Unions?  Maybe that sounds American to you, but I've got a different opinion.

Hope is an excuse for doing nothing - Rush Limbaugh

Cool, it's loan money.  $80

Cool, it's loan money.  $80 billion will be paid back, and incentives like this will make it happen faster.  Consumers are spending money, also good for the economy, even if a pretty big percentage is going to foreign companies operating in the US.  At least US workers are keeping their jobs as higher demand for cars is created by this program.  I don't know why this program wasn't designated for American cars in the first place, but I wasn't asked to sign the bill.

→ Kidding, right?

You realize what you're suggesting is a severe ethnic penalty, don't you?

You're in favor of throwing more money, in the form of "Cash for Clunkers" to an Italian company (Fiat), but you're not willing to allow a Japanese company to participate?

All because Chrysler has an American sounding name?

We're not going to see those "loans" repaid, not GM anyway.  I think you know that.  What you seem to be saying is that you're willing to pay these so called American Companies $4500 per automobile sold so they can show (not make) a $,2000 profit.

In case you forgot, GM & Chrysler produce at a net loss of $2500 per auto sold. pronounced: legacy costs.

Hope is an excuse for doing nothing - Rush Limbaugh

Don't hold your breath, Lover of Ted

"Cool, it's loan money.  $80 billion will be paid back, and incentives like this will make it happen faster.  . . "

Not likely, according to many economists.  The US taxpayer will suck up the slack. 

"Consumers are spending money, also good for the economy, even if a pretty big percentage is going to foreign companies operating in the US.  At least US workers are keeping their jobs as higher demand for cars is created by this program."

The cars that are being purchased have long since been built; they've been sitting on dealers' lots.  Unless the Cash for Clunkers deal stimulates the purchase of millions of unsold 2009 models, the dealers won't be demanding many 2010 models, which are due out soon, no?

And without high demand for 2010 models, the US auto workers will continue to be furloughed or laid off.

On a related note, the mighty Obama White House is telling us that the economy is twice as bad as they thought it was -- how's that for wisdom?  That won't stimulate spending by anyone other than Uncle Sam; the Democrats will now call for a SECOND stimulus bill.

They're just full of illogical ideas for wasting our dollars on crap.

"Justice For MaryJo"

 

Everyone's an economist.

Everyone's an economist.  Everyone's an expert.  

→ Of course we are

Now you're claiming we're not economists?

Why the heck would I check my brains at the bed when I wake up?

If I weren't an economist, I wouldn't have taken steps to protect myself from the government's kleptomaniacal penchant.

Don't tell me you didn't see these economic hard times coming long before they arrived?  You didn't, did you?

WOW!

Hope is an excuse for doing nothing - Rush Limbaugh

Now be nice Cool.  

Now be nice Cool.  

Now that you mention it,

I do recall reading somewhere that many Mitsubushi Zeros were actually built in Motown and Junkers had a plant outside of Memphis.

Six Degrees to Barack Obama

. . . and Junkers rhymes with Clunkers (if you don't use the German pronunciation.)

Looks like it's all rainbows

Looks like it's all rainbows and unicorns for Kennedy

Speaking of regulations

Just heard this on my local news, many applications for cash for clunkers from Michigan dealers are being rejected. The reason is that some of the information necessary to qualify for the program is not available for cars registered in the state of Michigan. Just gets better and better.

 

If stupidity got us into this mess,
then why can't it get us out?
--Will Rogers

Can anyone out there find

Can anyone out there find out what share of this "Cluncker" money is going to Ford? Would it not be SWEET, if the only auto company that took NO BAILOUT MONEY, got the lion's share? The OBAMAUAW would get what it deserves!

even the imports are eligible

Even Honda and Toyota are advertising this program. I thought this was to stimulate the US automakers... 

"Maybe if we keep our heads buried in the sand, this will blow over" - The Congressional Republicans

Should have been limited to

Should have been limited to US car manufacturers ONLY.  This is a US government program.  Why should foreign companies profit?

In case you havent been paying attention

The so called Jap/Korean cars are more American then many so called US cars, so are many Benz for that matter. They absolutly should get to particapate. They have as many American workers as the other 3, plus they are not subsidizing a Union to boot. 

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

Did you really just say Jap?

Did you really just say Jap?

→ So what

You're the one who wants to discriminate against Japanese people because of their ethnicity

According to you, Italians are better than Japanese.

I've even seen the North Koreans referred to as NorKors!

And I must confess I've referred to Austrailians as Aussies.

Insidious, isn't it?

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

Bad mood today?  Someone

Bad mood today?  Someone sit on your favorite cowboy hat?  I can tell you're just arguing with me just to argue with me.  I'll leave it at that.

→ True enough

But I still fail to see why you think Italians should get the advantage of C4C and the Japanese shouldn't.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

When did I say anything

When did I say anything about Italians?  I ONLY said American companies.  Perhaps you misinterpreted something I posted here, but I never said anything other than support for the American auto makers.

→ Sooo

You are OK with loaning money to Chrysler but you don't want them to participate in Cash for Clunkers.

As I said before, to the same extent Toyota is a Japanese company, Chrysler (aka FIAT) is an Italian company.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

A PC ethnic chip on shoulder

Let’s see: Who, with a PC ethnic chip on his shoulder, started this silliness?

- Relying upon the State Run Media for your information is like relying upon an embezzler to manage your portfolio.

Dont think so

But I did type it, why? Should I had refered to your pc manual first?

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

Well, H & T do have US

Well, H & T do have US plants providing US jobs, but it is a little weird that a foreign corporation would ultimately see a benefit from this.

Plus, if I'm taking on new debt now and buying a new car that I expect to squeeze 8 years or so out of, it sure as hell wouldn't be a Chrysler or GM.

Of course I'm not typical - my car is 37 years old. 

I kinda feel the same way

But that Challenger has been on my mind since it came out. What is your 37yr old car?

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

→ gc

I'm with you on the Challenger.  I thought the '67 Mustang GT retro was sexy, but the challenger is gorgeous.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

If you're going to spend

If you're going to spend $45,000 on a Challenger (which is the cost of the SRT8 - the only one worth purchasing), why not just buy a '70?  

→ Why?

You think I could get a cherry, plum crazy for $45,000?

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

How's this, old

How's this, old man?

http://cgi.ebay.com/...

 

→ Seen it KDW

Nice car.  Appears somebody did a good job of restoration.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

Park it next to an '09 and

Park it next to an '09 and see which one gets more attention.

Already had that one

Though mine was a Convert, and blue. Why do you think only the SRT is worth getting? Not only that but I have been quoted an SRT for 39K, I have no use for the sunroof and the stickers or the molding. But more then likly I will be getting the RT loaded except the Sunroof. I have driven just about everyone our dealer has gotten in stock, including a Standard SRT. But really the only reason I dont have one yet, is I have been waiting to hear about a Convert?

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

I believe a muscle car needs

I believe a muscle car needs to have muscle.  Get the biggest engine you can afford, although I don't think it will qualify for the $4500.  Maybe the $3500...

Actualy it doesnt

Qualify for either, also I plan to drive it about 80 miles a day, would like my gas bill to be tolerable. The 5.7 isnt anything to sneeze at, with a few small modification it could be making 500 hp easy. 

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

Here's a thought: What if

Here's a thought: What if Chevy took the exact body of a '68 Camaro and put today's components inside.  Or Ford's '67 Mustang Fastback?  Couldn't they move a few million of these cars with the old body style?  Think about a '57 Chevy with a 400hp 4.6?

→ KDW

I was expecting a '68 Camaro retro along with the something akin to the '55 vette.

Ford did a good job on the Mustangs, and Dodge did an excellent rendition of the '70 Challenger.

Why Chevy didn't follow more closely is beyond me.

Lots of nostalgic boomers out there, and it's going to take some real bling to part them from their money.  (except for the confiscatory taxes, that is)

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

Oh, the 'Vette!  Talk about

Oh, the 'Vette!  Talk about a big, fat bloated automobile that if turned into that sweet little roadster of the 50s and 60s, could compete with any exotic sports car.  Chevy will continue to fail as long as they put out cars like the new Camaro instead of doing what Ford and Dodge successfully designed with their 'Stang and Challenger respectively.  Poor Chevy.

I am NOT

A chevy guy at all, but my bud has a new Camaro SS it is a nice car, drives well, better then the Mustang GT. I also get to drive a 08 Vett from time to time, its a real roadster, out handles my bosses Torbo Carrera, although I do love that car. Another freind of mine just recieved the new Caddi STS-V, although I have not driven it,,,,,,yet!!

Edit: might want to check this out before you continue to claim the Vett cant compeat

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

I'll clarify - Performance

I'll clarify - Performance wise, the corvette can outperform most.  Visually, it's a tank that has needed an update for 30 years.  They just keep getting it wrong.

That damn math thing again...

Democrats must be really bad at algebra because simple division apparently gives them fits:

The funds: $1B in rebates with an average of $4000 per transaction (trade-in/new car purchase)

The math: $1B / $4000 = 250,000 transactions. With roughly 20,000 car dealers nationwide, that equates to roughly 12.5 transactions per dealer. 

That lasted 4 days...

Now the House has "found" another $2B, so I guess we can extend the program for a little over a week...

Here's my exit question: How many of the transactions took place in a GM or Chrysler dealership?

Spot on!

Spot on!

Never underestimate the popularity of Money fer' Nothin'

Gee, people lining up for free money.  Surprise, surprise.

Where'd the money come from again?

On a somewhat related note, they just re-paved a road near me that was in perfectly good condition.  No pot holes.  No lose chunks of asphalt along the edges.  Looked like new.  According to the local paper, a lot of easiest stimulus projects to get going quickly are road "repairs", versus, say, bridges that really could use work.  

Instead, we get "make work".

What a waste.  President Spread the Wealth is an utter disaster.

Tar and feathering back in vogue this August.

If I understand this “program” correctly, Congress is giving away $1B of the taxpayers’ money so that some of the $1B might go to the Chrysler and GM so as to help them payback $80B of bailout money yanked from the taxpayers.

I hope tar and feathering come be back in vogue this August.

- Relying upon the State Run Media for your information is like relying upon an embezzler to manage your portfolio.

This stinks.

''Analysts expected it would last maybe until Labor Day.''

''...And it looks like only about 50,000 cars have actually been sold.''

Labor day is 5 weeks away.  If they sell 50,000 cars a week, they would sell 250,000 in five weeks.  They are on pace!  Something else is up.

 

What becomes of all these

What becomes of all these bombs people are trading in? If it's an operational vehicle (as is req'd), is it better to have them end up in landfills or rotting away in junkyards to save a few gallons of gas? They're not all going to be recycled anytime soon.

And I didn't see anything in the regs about emissions, so it seems to me like this is trading one form pollution for another.

How about shipping them all

How about shipping them all to Kenya?

Thanks Barack: from post-racial to most-racial in just six months!

Yeah - modular housing -

Yeah - modular housing - great idea Jack!

And a step up for George

We could earmark a couple for Barry's half-bro, give him a 3 room condo or somesuch.

I hope he fails, too.

 

 

→ Blonde

Are we talking about the brother who lives in a crate or the brother who makes unwanted advances at underage girls?

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

How about driving them to

Wonder if they give away

Wonder if they give away free AK 47s with some of those sales?

One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).

I don't know about AK47s,

I don't know about AK47s, but there's a good chance you might find a pickup with a rifle left in the gun rack.

Doubtful,

we certainly know how to take care of our weapons, and trucks, and cars.  I think Dear Leader plans on re-equipping the Cuban population with new cars. 

Cash for Clunkers

I thought this was a story about the porkulus package.  Although I guess the name could apply to any Congressional bill.

Once again, the Dems manage

Once again, the Dems manage to screw over their base. For decades, they've been pushing people to buy more and more fuel-efficient cars. Then, they develop a cash-for-clunkers program that specifically prohibits anyone with an older fuel-efficient car from participating. So, the middle and lower class folks, the core of the Democrat voter block, get nothing for having followed their "leaders" all these years.

And who's winning out? The people who said screw the emissions numbers, I'm going to buy a big old truck or SUV if I want to, i.e., more affluent people. The other winners - companies with fleets of older trucks who are capitalizing on a chance to cut fuel and maintenance costs, and replace aging vehicles, with new ones while the government pays part of the bill and they get to maximize their profits.

So, once again, the brilliance of the Dem leadership takes money away from the poor, downtrodden, fools who follow them, and makes the rich even richer.

I wonder,

I wonder how many people went out and bought an old gas-guzzling POS for $200, turned around and bought a new car, and have a for sale sign in it right now?

 

  MSM - shaping all the perceptions you need to believe, then confirming it with a poll.

→ None, banks

I was ready to do that with a junker my son has, but a full year of ownership and a full year of insurance coverage is a requirement of eligibility.

Hope is an excuse for doing nothing - Rush Limbaugh

CA... Are you listening

CA...

Are you listening to Beck right now?

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

→ Cars.gov

Yes, bt this is as spooky as it gets.

The government intends to allow itself free access to our computers.

Damn them.

Hope is an excuse for doing nothing - Rush Limbaugh

Thanks so much Cool... I

Thanks so much Cool...

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, (I do believe what I was hearing, it's just a phrase) but I'll tell you what I hope there is a blog post about this soon.

It is absolutely terrifying....what bothered me here was my satellite was freezing up for a few seconds here and there, so I missed a wee bits...not only did it say in this country it said in foreign countries too.

They are reaching into us all....which we know they can, but this is something else again.

Wake up America!

I will look for the link later today after the show.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

This is hilarious!  The

This is hilarious!  The previous administration illegally listened in on our calls and claimed it was all in the name of "The War on Terrorism" - no one sneezed at that.  Now it's a different administration and all of a sudden your invasion of privacy is an issue?  What gives?

→ Ted

Allegorically, you've just opened your mouth and removed all doubt.

They're already listening to

They're already listening to our phone calls.  What makes this any different?

→ Yeah, Yeah

Are you a lemming?

I'm serious.  Are you really that much of a follower?

Hope is an excuse for doing nothing - Rush Limbaugh

Cool, what are you getting

Cool, what are you getting at here?  I'm stating some simple facts here.  Are you denying what has happened and what is happening now?

 

→ Eyewax problems?

The Patriot act stated beforehand that the intention was to warrantlessly eavesdrop on conversations where at least one participant was overseas and was on the Government watch list.

The authority of the tap ended when the call ended.

If you don't see a difference between that and a perpetual wiretap and/or computer content surrender, you are deliriously misguided in the name of Obamification.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

Oh so you're just going to

Oh so you're just going to rewrite history?  It's been reported time and time again that the warrantless wiretapping was not limited to "eavesdrop on conversations where at least one participant was overseas and was on the Government watch list."  Where do you come off making this stuff up?  Your government did that to you.  Are you really that obtuse that you refuse to believe that your president would allow that to happen under his watch?  Why was it necessary to immunize the telecoms from lawsuits if what was going on was legal?  You are wrong about this, bigtime!  

→ OK Ted

Now you are obliged to link me to a case, (not an anecdote) of an American who was stripped of due process under the circumstances you describe.

Failure to do so will determine which of us is wrong.

It's a big, wide Internet.  Better get to searching.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

Here's a story from one of

Here's a story from one of your favorite organizations:

http://www.aclu.org/...

Now while I don't have an individual American who provides backup, I ask you to provide the same for your argument.  In your argument, it's okay for the government to invade our privacy, unless you're actually prosecuted for doing something illegal.  Of course, the only way for them to find out you're doing something illegal is by illegally spying on you in the first place.  

So what's the difference, I ask again, whether it's Bush or Obama spying on us.

Oh, I see.  You didn't vote for the latter. 

Grumpy, we've taken up enough space hijacking this thread (thanks BT).  Let's move on. 

→ None necessary

I was in favor of wiretapping overseas calls to known terrorists.  I need not research my belief that the borders, as well as international discourse between Americans and overseas suspected terrorists should be monitored.

And your admission that you don't mind the Federal Government performing regular searches on your hard drive is something you don't have to defend to me.

When it comes down to it, you can invite the local police into your home to search for contraband if you want.

I just don't see why you would want to, but you obviously have no problem with it.

But suppose, a proud relative sends you a photo of their newborn baby, unwashed, umbilical cord intact.  Possession of that pic meets the criteria of child porn.  It's enough to haul you in for questioning, anyway.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

I personaly dont want to pay our government

To spy on its own citizens, Ted, the overseas wire tapping dont enter into it. Not only that, but they dont have the resorces to do it, and they could never stay ahead of the software that will be written to preventing them. Yea, lets spent our mony on this, would make the war on poverty and drugs look like childs play. Ted this should be a no brainer even for you. 

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

Yeah, there's a naked baby

Yeah, there's a naked baby on the cover of Nirvana's Nevermind album, but I don't see anyone getting arrested.

And come on Cool, you know enough about California to know drugs are legal here! 

→ Legal drugs?

The part aout drugs being legal in California is news to me.

I heard they just uprooted something like 1.2 billion in Pot field a couple of weeks ago.

I could be wrong.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

My comment was a bit

My comment was a bit sarcastic, but aside from medical usage, many cities have decriminalized marijuana possession.  The Buffalo Bills running back who was busted with an illegal firearm but caught smoking pot in his car in LA was not cited for the pot offense because the town he was in had decriminalized it.  Funny stuff, eh?

ILTK

"It's been reported time and time again that the warrantless wiretapping was not limited to "eavesdrop on conversations where at least one participant was overseas and was on the Government watch list.""

Yes, we know it's been "reported" time and time again. We know WHO reported it time and time again. And we know WHO lapped it up like a dumb-as-rocks lib time and time again. You and your moronic, ideologically screwed-up ilk that had a singular -- and revolting, in mine and many people's books -- agenda. Bring down Bush.

ILTK, you're an a-wipe who lives in CA and kinda doesn't think the War on Terror was necessary, and that 9/11 thing was just an aberration.... we were never reeeeeeally at "war" (I mean, come ON guys), yada yada. Sadly, NY and NYC is crawling with a-wipes like yourself, too.

Look at you, like a chicken with your head cut off all because your president at the time was doing everything in his POTUS power, legally, to protect your sorry *ss.

 

Hahahahahaha

Then you must be one of those War on Errorismists who think there's MWDs still buried in Iraq (we just haven't found them yet!), and that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11.  Give it a rest already.  Your presumptuous statements show your ignorance for anyone not in your inner political circle.

But you're right, the illegal, warrantless wiretapping...just a myth.  But listen to Glenn Beck!  He'll tell you what's really going on out there.  If you're that concerned with the government monitoring your internet usage, you'd better stop typing now.  After all, with all the Dems in power right now you just might find yourself locked up.

But to clear things up, because, well, you obviously lump everyone not like you into 1 tightly wrapped up category, I do not think 9/11 was an aberration, and the war on terror was and is necessary (if only it was fought properly). You make me laugh.  I'm laughing at you.  Sleep on that.

ILTK

You're dumb, ILTK.

Yes, I totally lump people like you together into a tightly wrapped and oh-so-sorry category. All the gook you're throwing at us -- warrantless wiretapping, WMD's, Saddam no link to 9/11 -- is the usual dense, programmed libtard talking points. You're all like robots without independent thought.

Iraq, Afgahnistan, all of it, was part of The War. It was a very successful war, waged by a fine president and a smart-as-heck administration that thought outside the box for once, at least in this foreign policy arena.

Put down your broken-record t.p.'s and step back for a minute. Look at the entire Middle East region now compared to before-9/11. What do you see?

I'm giving you some of my valuable time because, I dunno, like someone once told me I try too hard to change people. I'm a dreamer, I suppose.

So, again, what do you see? Give me your pre- and post- 9/11 world report. (Please.)

I thank you in advance. 

 

CA... You couldn't have

CA...

You couldn't have put it any plainer here.

I just sat back down and saw all this since we posted.

Leave it to Ted to attempt to make something out of nothing regarding what we were talking about and him digging into the previous administration as a comparison.

Obamification indeed...I love that.

He must of slipped away from Dkos for a bit.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Oh yeah, because a fair

Oh yeah, because a fair comparison is hardly worth mentioning here, isn't it?  No, I wasn't at Kos - I was on vacation in this awful place known as Montana.  Must be the most backward thinking place in this country - and I live in California!!!!

→ How was Montana?

And in returning to California, you doubtless, raised the collective IQ of both States.

Sorry, couldn't pass that one up.

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

vacation

y,all come back now. You hear??

Backward Big Sky Country

Backward Big Sky Country smiled after you departed.

....we did our job well.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Yes, now go hop on your

Yes, now go hop on your motorcycle with no helmet, and cross your fingers that the guy heading your direction isn't legally drinking and driving - oh wait, they just repealed that law - LAST YEAR!!!  Okay, well at least they make you wear a seatbelt when you drive.  No, wait, Montanans are fighting that as well.  A bunch of smarty-pants in Big Sky Country.

I left Ca. my home state

I left Ca. my home state because of lefties like you.

You, along with others of your ilk that are helping destroy a once great state.

Are you getting an IOU from the State Ted?

We already have enough lefties here Ted, glad you returned home.

Funny you couldn't handle Montana, come and visit in the winter time....you ain't seen nothing yet.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

BT, in all honesty I love

BT, in all honesty I love Montana.  Great place to visit.  But the issues I stated are pretty nuts.  I've been to that place many times in both the summer and winter, I've snowboarded Big Sky, floated down the rivers, camped Yellowstone.  It's beautiful.  But for the same reasons you're glad I'm here, I'm just as glad that you're there.  Now put your seatbelt on already, or you're a total idiot.

→ Ted

Please continue to breathe deeply, the pure valley air, while you advise others to wear their seatbelts.

Can't a case be made that California Valley dwellers are as disrespectful of their health as Montanans who don't wear a seatbelt?

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

Absolutely. But I live at

Absolutely.

But I live at the beach, where it never breaks 75 degrees and the air is clean...er. 

..and the water makes you

..and the water makes you grow gills and an extra toe...

I've never been in the

I've never been in the Pacific.  It's cold and dirty as, well, you already said it.

Let me tell you something, you offensive, ignoranus TROLL,

Those people out in Montana that you are on this site belittling, and other people like them ALL OVER F'ING AMERICA, are the people that made this country what it is today.

This country was not built by sniveling, panty-waste, nanny-state crybabies such as yourself.

If I were to throw your worthless ass into a time machine and shoot you back to early 1800s America, my guess is, you would starve to death within a week.

As for California, your state is literally going down the financial shitter, right in front of God and everybody, specifically because of so-called superior intellects such as yourself who keep electing the very people who have put it in the sorry condition it now finds itself in.

If this country is to be rescued from certain doom brought about by freedom-hating, left-wing, nose-picking, booger-eating bedwetters such as yourself, whohave been running this country into the ground for seven decades-plus, it will be people like those in Montana, as well as my home state of Georgia, who will save it.

Just maybe we'll keep a few brainless morons like you around as a constant reminder of what sort of stupid idiots should never be allowed to vote in this country EVER AGAIN! 

-Dave

Eeeasssyy big fella. I can

Eeeasssyy big fella. I can see those veins-a-poppin' from my side of the CAT5.

Oh I struck another nerve!

Oh I struck another nerve!  I'll bet you know a whole lot about living in the 1800s.  I stated nothing but fact in my post.  If you have something to argue, go ahead.  If you think driving while drinking alcohol is a good idea, you're an idiot.  If you think riding a motorcycle with no helmet, you're an idiot.  If you think you shouldn't wear a seatbelt while drinking and driving, you're an idiot.  Rant on, buddy.  You've told me nothing.  

Georgia?  HA!  Figures. 

Left-wing morons like yourself know NOTHING about this country

You don't get it, you don't understand it, and you NEVER WILL.

Of course, that fact is going to be rather useful to us when the time comes.

-Dave

Go ahead, blame it on me.

Go ahead, blame it on me.  I work full time, pay a sh!tload in taxes, my family regularly donates money (and don't even take the tax write-offs), volunteer with different organizations, drive fuel efficient cars... But I'M the one ruining this country?  Sounds like you're the one who knows nothing about this country.  Now go back to the 1800s where you're happy.

So if you do all those

So if you do all those things Teddy...does Ca. owe you and IOU too?

I'm still waiting for that answer.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Why would California owe me

Why would California owe me an IOU?  I paid my taxes on time and received my state return in a timely fashion directly deposited into my savings account. 

ROFLMAO... You are

ROFLMAO...

You are precious.

I wonder if you really live in Ca. you seem to not even know what I'm talking about regarding the IOU's.

For a trollster...you are amusing.

→ Precious?

Didn't you mean "pernicious"?

LYDSEXICS UNTIE!

RO... My

RO...

My mistake.

Thanks for the much needed correction.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

I always thought he was

An Masshole

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

HA!  Masshole!  Almost as

HA!  Masshole!  Almost as creative as SOBama.

You wanna test me, doll?

You wanna test me, doll?  Yeah, I really live in California, and why would I lie about it?  I know what you're talking about regarding the IOUs.  They just started handing them out a few weeks ago.  My paycheck comes from a NY based company, and my tax return came in months ago.  Hence, no need for an IOU. 

Teddy-pooh... You change

Teddy-pooh...

You change your BS faster than a baby needs a diaper change.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Do I, doll?

Do I, doll?

BT

If I lived in CA, I know I'd certainly lie about it... I'd insist I live anywhere BUT.

 

Seems obvious to me here in La

That some of us like our freedom more then others. Big mamma Gov. has to qualify everything for you? You cant make any of these decisions for yourself?

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

Give me an example as to

Give me an example as to which decisions I can't make for myself.  Seems like an awfully presumptuous statement.

OK

And you call me presumptuous? Fact of the matter is, you have been prooven a fraud tonight and have stepped it in numerus times. But please, dont let me slow you down, continue

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

Ted. Show me the links

Ted.

Show me the links where you can drink and drive.

Now.

Show me the seat belt laws too.

Links.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Drinking and driving was

Drinking and driving was legal in Montana until what, a year ago?  I already posted that it was legal until recently.  Why on god's earth would it have been legal in the first place, I certainly don't know.

Teddy-pooh... You have no

Teddy-pooh...

You have no links because you are full of shite.

I live here.

You don't.

Do not make statements like you have you cannot back up.

You are a troll, we all know it...go back to Dkos...where you belong.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

http://www.stateline...

That is six years

That is six years old...plus did you even read the whole article...it said as long as you were sober.

Kind of sobering eh Teddy?

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Show me where I said it was

Show me where I said it was legal to drive drunk.  It doesn't take a genius to realize when it's legal to drink and drive, it leads to drunk driving.  Of course I'm not dealing with a genius here, so maybe I've overestimated you.

Troll along now

Troll along now Teddy...peddle that Hot Wheels on down the sidewalk and find your way back to Dkos.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Hope Diamond, isn't it

Hope Diamond, isn't it bedtime?  I know some of you old folks need to be tucked in in time to watch Wheel of Fortune.

Double post

Double post

Dave... You summed it up

Dave...

You summed it up well.   ;-)

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Dave summed it up in a big,

Dave summed it up in a big, fat crybaby rant that was completely immature, ill-informed and totally presumptuous.  Kind of like your typical posts, BT.

Teddy...

Come into my web said the spider to the fly...

You got caught in a web of your own weaving.

You cannot get out of it.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Come into my web?  Are you

Come into my web?  Are you kidding?  Are you 80?  Talking to you is like...

Eh, forget it. 

Presumptuous, my left ______.

I pinned your ears to the wall and scored a bulls eye.

-Dave

"Okay, well at least they

"Okay, well at least they make you wear a seatbelt when you drive.  No,
wait, Montanans are fighting that as well.  A bunch of smarty-pants in
Big Sky Country."

If you're incapable of putting your seatbelt on without government telling you to do it, you might be an idiot. Do you need government to tell you to wipe you butt too?

Here is a difference

Bush was fighting terrorism; your guys are in stone drunk denial that there is such a thing as terrorists and are doing everything possible to apologize and kiss up to the sweetie pies that wicked Bush libeled as terrorists.

We know why Bush &Co were monitoring certain conversations, whether you believe it or not.  Why are your guys spying on all of us?

- Relying upon the State Run Media for your information is like relying upon an embezzler to manage your portfolio.

I'd love to see "Cash For Clunkers" extended to Congress -

- I'd gladly fork over a few grand to get rid of both my senators and most of my reps. Oh, and throw in my governor, too, to sweeten the deal.

Bingo

Couldn't have said it better myself.

SoL... Boy...Do I ever

SoL...

Boy...Do I ever SECOND that motion!

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

Get off your butt and start

Get off your butt and start that recall petition if you're so passionate about removing democratically elected officials.  That's what California did.

That might be a possibility,

That might be a possibility, except I live in NJ - we don't have "democratically elected officials."

Quite so

You have democrat elected officials and thieves/liars.

I hope he fails, too.

 

 

The only bright spot on the

The only bright spot on the horizon is that Corzine The Tax Monster's re-election campaign appears to be going down in flames.

But Frank 'The Cadaver' Lautenberg, who will be 92 at the end of this term (he won in '08), will again handily win re-election in 2014, making him the only Senator older than a Galapagos tortoise.

Ok, I'll revise it to....

democrat elected fossils, liars & thieves.

Better?

I hope he fails, too.

 

 

Poifect!

Poifect!

SOL

except I live in NJ

I used to--then Florio got in and I got out.

I'm tapped out , otherwise I'd send some escape money.

MrBill:

Believe me, the Florio Regime looks like the golden age of Rome compared to this current travesty.

PS: If you need a kidney or any other organ, PM me - I got "connections". Paypal is OK.

I can't help myself--

I will always love the NY Giants.

When are they becoming the

When are they becoming the NY Giants of New Jersey?  You know, like the LA Angels of Anaheim?

Most probably never--

-- although whe I lived there, they were just "The Jints" and we didn't care too much about anything else.
Hell, bvefore NJ we had to go to the Yale Bowl to watch them.

Rejection letters

So in the fine print, it seems they have most of the original billion left.  None of has been mailed. 

"due to exceedding high popularity we are extending this"

How long does it take to check voting records?

DUH!!!

Who couldn't be successful printing truck loads of notes, distributing them to the masses in exchange for old, tired, worn out, gas guzzlers, tell me who? Oh, yeah, and then we, the people, will be taxed at a later date to pay for this insanity.

Propaganda for the masses; why don't they just follow Ben Bernanke's logic, and just drop the money of a helicopter?

Waste of Engines

As a longtime car guy, I have a problem with destroying all those engines and forcing them to be melted down. The engine is not the culprit here, an engine out of an SUV or pickup truck that qualifies could very well fit a compact or midsize car that would get well over 20 mpg. Those same engine models might be still in production in new cars. All the work put into manufacturing that engine goes down the drain for not very good reasons.

Dont stop at the engines

The rest of the drive trane and other assorted parts could help keep cost down. Destroying them will ensure the price will increase

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

Greenmobiles

David Gregory:  "This was a program that was made to bolster sales for the auto companies which are hurting desperately."

This was a program designed to get people to dump older, larger vehicles for "eco-friendly" greenmobiles.  Half baked environmentalist theories drive (pardon the pun) a lot of policies in this administration. 

When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.

This is a ridiculous

This is a ridiculous program.

Taxpayers paying for people to trade in their cars. Only baby-raping criminals support this program.

Schn... Those are my

Schn...

Those are my sentiments too.

Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart

              

                 I guess CBS didn't get the memo. They have a code of conduct, now. I don't think it mentions sucking up........

Alot of posts in here

Alot of posts in here talking about whether it should have been just American-based auto makers, the cost, etc.

For me (and for most here too, but admittedly we all get caught up in the cost, method, etc), all that is a sideshow and is where the liberals want the argument to be, if there is an argument.  The real argument is simply, it's NOT the federal government's business to be giving people money to buy cars.  What freakin planet am I on!?!?

It's the economy, stupid

Funny that the ONE aspect of Stimulus that actually might stimulate the economy (car sales, advertising, auto loan financing) has been suspended due to lack of funding!

Funny that Pelosi's orange marsh mice stimulus didn't generate the same response!

Funny that the $750 Billion Stimulus won't be spent until the next 2-3 years when we could use the money NOW - to stimulate! 

Funny that the $5 Billion Stimulus for Amtrack would do more to grow jobs, increase the economy if spent on rebates for 'clunker' programs for TV's, Dishwasher, Fridge, AC Units, Furniture, Computers, etc!

Funny (& sad) that the Democrats don't have a clue how to grow jobs...

What this says about health takeover

This from the guys who are lowballing the cost of the subject!  Also it's just a ploy got get excellent European cars off the road.  I'd rather have my BMW 741l than any of the toottoots recommended by the leftist greenies.  The supposed 'success' of this proves once again that people respond to cash incentives so imagine how one's employers will respond to the much more profitiable selection of government takeover of insurance so that they won't have to provide it!  Don't buy BO's claim that you can keep your insurance. . . you can hardly keep what's not being offered!  WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!! 

Fre Beer Complaints

If the Obama Administration announced Monday morning a nationwide Free Beer! Program, the right wingnutz would immediately be complaining there were no free cups.

The Cash 4 Clunkers is a runaway success, dealers are overwhelmed with buyers, over 200,000 cars are going to be sold, there's local economic activity, and all the cry babies can complain about is there are some rules to follow before receiving a $4,500 check and too many people want to take advantage of the offer.

Of course, if no one participated in the program, then Ole BlunderRush and his ilk would be on the radio day and night screaming about the total failure of the plan...

Were is the free beer coming from Frank?

Cuz I dont want to subsidize beer either. 

some rules to follow before receiving a $4,500 check and too many people want to take advantage of the offer.

 Yea, a few rules that inadvertently harm the least wealthy, are you going to be a complete blockhead tonight as well?

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

gc, Frankie juzz cain't hep it....

After all, he went to one o' them guv'mint skool like places, where he was learnt that if it comes from guv'mint, it be free.

Nevah you mind that somebody, somewheres, is bein' forced, at the point of a gun, to pay fer it all. And, given the fact that the guv'mint is involved, the cost is probably 3 or 4 times higher than it would be if we was juzz to pay fer it on our lonesome.

Dayem, I jezz wish I was as dad-gum ig'nernt as this here Frankie be, 'cause life'd be so much dad-blame simpler if I wuzz.

:-O

-Dave

Yea, and besides

I dont like Bud light

 

My Gov. thinks I am dangerous, so be careful

"Television is a freak show" Bernie Goldberg

gc, LOL-Hell, light beer is for wimps, anyway.

-Dave

Cash for Clunkers

What is the purpose of this program?  Is it to sell cars, or is it to sell "green cars"?

The cars that can be purchased are only "light green", because they can get as little as 21 MPG.  Sure, this is better than 16 MPG, but 250,000 cars (the original estimate) increasing from 16 to 21 MPG won't make a dent in oil consumption. So that leaves simply selling more cars (not a bad idea, actually, but why should our tax money be used to subsidize car sales). 

And prior to this I had read that a lot of dealers didn't want to participate, because they could not re-sell the trade-in vehicle (by the CARS law, it must be destroyed). They might be able to strip some of the parts, but that isn't their business, and they really weren't interested in doing it.  So you would get less for the trade-in than normal.

So unless you had a virtually worthless clunker, you would get less for the trade-in, but get the $4,500 (or $3,500), and maybe not even get as much overall as a trade-in WITHOUT the CARS program.

And then there is the issue of poorer people now not having a cheap used car to purchase, so they get stuck with their clunkers because they can't afford a new car loan.

Yeah, there were a lot of problems with this program, but you'll never hear it from a press that calls it a "wild success" at this point, or from the dishonest 0bama administration that is not capable of projecting the full impact of any of their policies.