OBAMA WARNS OF NEED FOR STIMULUS BILL RIGHT AWAY: President Barack Obama says the time for talk on an economic recovery package is over and "the time for action is now." Speaking at the Energy Department, Obama made a fresh plea for the stimulus plan that the Senate is debating. He cited the latest bad economic news of jobless claims as another reason for quick action. He said: "The time for talk is over, the time for action is now."
JOBLESS RATE JUMPS TO 7.6 PERCENT, 598K JOBS LOST: Recession-battered employers eliminated 598,000 jobs in January, the most since the end of 1974, and catapulted the unemployment rate to 7.6 percent. The grim figures were further proof that the nation's job climate is deteriorating at an alarming clip with no end in sight. FURLOUGH FRIDAYS BEGIN FOR CALIF. STATE WORKERS: More than 200,000 state government employees were expected to stay home without pay Friday as California began its first-ever furlough, a move intended to save money during an ongoing fiscal crisis. CANADA SHEDS 129,000 JOBS IN JANUARY: Canada shed a much worse than expected 129,000 jobs in January, sending unemployment up 0.6 percent to 7.2 percent, Statistics Canada said Friday. The jobs loss was worse than the grimmest monthly showings of the downturns of the 1980s and 1990s, Statistics Canada said in a statement. COMMENTARY By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: "A failure to act, and act now, will turn crisis into a catastrophe."-- President Obama, Feb. 4. Catastrophe, mind you. So much for the president who in his inaugural address two weeks earlier declared "we have chosen hope over fear." Until, that is, you need fear to pass a bill. And so much for the promise to banish the money changers and influence peddlers from the temple. An ostentatious executive order banning lobbyists was immediately followed by the nomination of at least a dozen current or former lobbyists to high position. Followed by a Treasury secretary who allegedly couldn't understand the payroll tax provisions in his 1040. Followed by Tom Daschle, who had to fall on his sword according to the new Washington rule that no Cabinet can have more than one tax delinquent. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WebTV Dawgs/Dittos" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/WebTV-Pals -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
