The Mainstream media shows they are on talking points

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Problem is, you are equating "productivity with activity".

No, I'm not. Productivity is getting things done. This Congress did that.

Bloomberg

No Congress Since '60s Makes as Much Law as 111th Affecting Most Americans

However history judges the 535 men and women in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate the past two years, one thing is certain: The 111th Congress made more law affecting more Americans since the “Great Society” legislation of the 1960s.

For the first time since President Theodore Roosevelt began the quest for a national health-care system more than 100 years ago, the Democrat-led House and Senate took the biggest step toward achieving that goal by giving 32 million Americans access to insurance. Congress rewrote the rules for Wall Street in the most comprehensive way since the Great Depression. It spent more than $1.67 trillion to revive an economy on the verge of a depression, including tax cuts for most Americans, jobs for more than 3 million, construction of roads and bridges and investment in alternative energy; ended an almost two-decade ban against openly gay men and women serving in the military, and today ratified a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia.

Before adjournment today, Congress approved legislation to help rescuers and clean-up crews suffering from illnesses linked to the wreckage caused by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City. The Senate approved it on a voice vote, the House by a vote of 206-60. New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, in a statement, called it a “Christmas miracle.”

For all of its ambitious achievement, the 111th Congress, which may adjourn this week, also witnessed a voter-backlash driven by a 9.6 percent unemployment rate that cost Democrats control of the House and diminished their Senate majority.

“This is probably the most productive session of Congress since at least the ‘60s,” said Alan Brinkley, a historian at New York’s Columbia University. “It’s all the more impressive given how polarized the Congress has been.”

Revenue Gains

As lawmakers wrap up the session, Wall Street firms such as Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. are positioned to complete their best two years in revenue, General Motors Co. has emerged from bankruptcy with more than $23 billion repaid to the U.S. Treasury, and American International Group Inc. was able to sell $2 billion of bonds in its first offering since the company’s 2008 bailout.

The S&P 500 Index has gained 38.9 percent since Congress convened in January 2009, the biggest increase for a two-year congressional session since 1997-1998, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The S&P 500 Index reached 1254.60 yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average 11533.16.

...

[JohnSmith2007 353]

I love it. Screwing America = productive. Productivity like this, we don't need. The chorus from the left is united even here on VJ. Do you guys have a secret puppet master somewhere pulling your strings?

[The_Dude 1,142]

I love it. Screwing America = productive. Productivity like this, we don't need. The chorus from the left is united even here on VJ. Do you guys have a secret puppet master somewhere pulling your strings?

Maybe if they had declared war on another nation, possibly invaded Pakistan or Iran, coupled with new tax cuts for Halliburton then you would think they were more successful.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Maybe if they had declared war on another nation, possibly invaded Pakistan or Iran, coupled with new tax cuts for Halliburton then you would think they were more successful.

Very nice, saying it could be worse is a glowing testimonial of this congress. The sock puppet response does not fail to further marginalize your position. One small hint to you, this is the congress that saw the smallest approval numbers and the largest electoral shift in a 100 years. If that is your definition of "productive" then you need to ask for a refund of your education expenses. Watching the left attempt to defend the worst congress in a generation is entertaining. Please carry on.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Very nice, saying it could be worse is a glowing testimonial of this congress. The sock puppet response does not fail to further marginalize your position. One small hint to you, this is the congress that saw the smallest approval numbers and the largest electoral shift in a 100 years. If that is your definition of "productive" then you need to ask for a refund of your education expenses. Watching the left attempt to defend the worst congress in a generation is entertaining. Please carry on.

Look at the Congresses that did heavy lifting. The New Deal series of legislation passed during FDR's first term. Dems subsequently lost 71/6 and 55/9 seats in the following two midterm elections in 1938 and 1942 - and out the window goes your 100 year record claim. The Great Society Congress left Democrats out 47/4. It's not at all unusual for a productive Congress that does some heavy lifting to take a beating. It's been that way before and it sure will be that way again in the future.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Look at the Congresses that did heavy lifting. The New Deal series of legislation passed during FDR's first term. Dems subsequently lost 71/6 and 55/9 seats in the following two midterm elections in 1938 and 1942 - and out the window goes your 100 year record claim. The Great Society Congress left Democrats out 47/4. It's not at all unusual for a productive Congress that does some heavy lifting to take a beating. It's been that way before and it sure will be that way again in the future.

Are you seriously saying that what this congress did was in any way "productive"? Passing bills is not congressional productivity. The health care bill is a disaster, the national debt is through the roof and we have had 2 straight years of 9+% unemployment. By any and all measures this congress has been the most unproductive congress in history. Congressional productivity is measured in how well they take care of the US and its affairs. Don't even try to delude yourself into thinking anything this congress has done has been beneficial to the people. I really like your delusional attempts at spin though, to bad only the cool-aid drinkers will buy it though.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

So, I guess Obama finally became President, and the Democrats finally figured out nobody can stop them, at least for a few more days? Evidently, not too late to screw the economy one last time.

[Ban Hammer 12,840]

Are you seriously saying that what this congress did was in any way "productive"? Passing bills is not congressional productivity. The health care bill is a disaster, the national debt is through the roof and we have had 2 straight years of 9+% unemployment. By any and all measures this congress has been the most unproductive congress in history. Congressional productivity is measured in how well they take care of the US and its affairs. Don't even try to delude yourself into thinking anything this congress has done has been beneficial to the people. I really like your delusional attempts at spin though, to bad only the cool-aid drinkers will buy it though.

i have to wonder how many more "successful" congresses the usa can endure.

[Danno 1,228]

The truth is, to the Left and the left of center media... Progress is defined by growing government.

THe only thing I found interesting was how they all mimicked the same exact line in their reporting.

What are the odds... if you took a dozen left of center organizations and had them independently report on the out going 111th congress, that they would all report back sourcing the same opinion piece as their spring board in the story?

[wshc 46]

Are you seriously saying that what this congress did was in any way "productive"? Passing bills is not congressional productivity. The health care bill is a disaster, the national debt is through the roof and we have had 2 straight years of 9+% unemployment. By any and all measures this congress has been the most unproductive congress in history. Congressional productivity is measured in how well they take care of the US and its affairs. Don't even try to delude yourself into thinking anything this congress has done has been beneficial to the people. I really like your delusional attempts at spin though, to bad only the cool-aid drinkers will buy it though.

This congress did heavy lifting and was productive, in bringing more or their liberal ideology to the USA. Therefore, they were productive, just not in a way that will help the country.

Of course the MSM loves it because they love the libs, so they will pass the lie along from their Democratic Party distributed talking points.

[Danno 1,228]

Danno, on 28 December 2010 - 10:58 AM, said:

This congress has spent more money than all other before them... combined.

That's patently false. You should consider taking a math class.

At your prompting, I checked my math... you were right I was wrong.

But the 111th Congress did add more debt than the first 100 Congresses combined... which is still pretty impressive?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

111th Congress Added More Debt Than First 100 Congresses Combined.

Monday, December 27, 2010

By Terence P. Jeffrey

(CNSNews.com) - The federal government has accumulated more new debt--$3.22 trillion ($3,220,103,625,307.29)—during the tenure of the 111th Congress than it did during the first 100 Congresses combined, according to official debt figures published by the U.S. Treasury.

That equals $10,429.64 in new debt for each and every one of the 308,745,538 people counted in the United States by the 2010 Census.

The total national debt of $13,858,529,371,601.09 (or $13.859 trillion), as recorded by the U.S. Treasury at the close of business on Dec. 22, now equals $44,886.57 for every man, woman and child in the United States.

In fact, the 111th Congress not only has set the record as the most debt-accumulating Congress in U.S. history, but also has out-stripped its nearest competitor, the 110th, by an astounding $1.262 trillion in new debt.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/111th-congress-added-more-debt-first-100

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The truth is, to the Left and the left of center media... Progress is defined by growing government.

The truth is that the federal government (that is the civilian employment by the federal government relative to the size of the nation) has been shrinking ever since the 1970's. The only administration to break that downward trend significantly and actually grow the federal government was the Reagan administration while the administration most decisively reducing civilian federal employment relative to the population was that of Clinton. Ever noticed that job gains in the private sector these days are more often than not offset by job losses in the public sector? If the government is growing as you would have one believe, how is shedding jobs at the same time? But hey, let's not worry about actuals, let's stick with the myths for entertainment purposes.

Oh, and if you are looking to the GOP for fiscal salvation, you're looking down a bottomless barrel.

The Grand Old Spending Party: How Republicans Became Big Spenders

President Bush has presided over the largest overall increase in inflation-adjusted federal spending since Lyndon B. Johnson. Even after excluding spending on defense and homeland security, Bush is still the biggest-spending president in 30 years. His 2006 budget doesn’t cut enough spending to change his place in history, either.

Total government spending grew by 33 percent during Bush’s first term. The federal budget as a share of the economy grew from 18.5 percent of GDP on Clinton’s last day in office to 20.3 percent by the end of Bush’s first term.

The Republican Congress has enthusiastically assisted the budget bloat. Inflation-adjusted spending on the combined budgets of the 101 largest programs they vowed to eliminate in 1995 has grown by 27 percent.

The GOP was once effective at controlling nondefense spending. The final nondefense budgets under Clinton were a combined $57 billion smaller than what he proposed from 1996 to 2001. Under Bush, Congress passed budgets that spent a total of $91 billion more than the president requested for domestic programs. Bush signed every one of those bills during his first term. Even if Congress passes Bush’s new budget exactly as proposed, not a single cabinet-level agency will be smaller than when Bush assumed office.

Edited December 29, 2010 by Mr. Big Dog

[Ban Hammer 12,840]

highest was 1968, but it's starting to rise again:

2007 2,636 1,427 63 4,127

2008 2,692 1,450 64 4,206

2009 2,774 1,591 66 4,430

link

Edited December 29, 2010 by charles!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

At your prompting, I checked my math... you were right I was wrong.

It's the story of my life, and yours.