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An Open Letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from American Small Business League President Lloyd Chapman

By: Lloyd Chapman Thursday September 2, 2010 7:03 am

Getting government contract work is difficult and cut-throat for small businesses competing with mega businesses. (graphic: What What via Flickr)

Despite at least $3 trillion in government spending aimed at stimulating the economy, a multitude of economic indicators now show that the economy is poised to slip into a double dip recession. I believe, as I am sure you do, that we need to bring down unemployment in order to stimulate the economy. To date, none of the actions taken by Congress or the Obama administration have met that need.

As you may know, small businesses create the overwhelming majority of net new jobs in America. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, businesses with less than 20 employees create over 97 percent of net new jobs. Statistics from the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy indicate that small businesses create over 90 percent of all net new jobs. Any effort to create jobs must be focused on small businesses.

One of the most effective economic stimulus programs ever passed by the U.S. Congress was the Small Business Act of 1953. The Small Business Act requires that 23 percent of the total value of all government contracts must go to small businesses. This makes perfect sense, considering the important role small businesses play when it comes to the U.S. economy and job creation.

Since 2003, over a dozen federal investigations have found that most small business contracts actually go to Fortune 500 firms, European conglomerates and thousands of other large businesses around the world. Some of those companies are: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, British Aerospace (BAE), Rolls-Royce, Raytheon, Dell Computer, General Electric, Honeywell International Corporation, Ssangyong Corporation headquartered in Seoul, South Korea and Finmeccanica SpA, which is located in Italy and has 73,000 employees. . . .

Obama White House Still Backs Catfood Co-Chair Alan Simpson After Vietnam Vets Slur

By: Teddy Partridge Thursday September 2, 2010 6:00 am

The Obama White House signaled Alan Simpson Wednesday that he can say whatever damn-fool thing he wants, and since he’s the GOP co-chair of Obama’s Catfood Commission, it’s to be expected that Simpson will say some things Obama “strongly disagrees with.”

Even though the White House accepts apologies not directed to it from Alan Simpson.

Sounds like a Free White House Pass to mouth off, Alan: go for it.

This presages an exciting fall as no one is holding Alan Simpson back from his evening phone calls to folks who’ve written or called or emailed him. He’s not shy about writing to people. He’s also eager to call AP reporters with fun leads for stories about how Vietnam veterans aren’t doing their fair share to bring down the deficit.

Have you heard from Alan Simpson?

If you have, we’d love to hear from you here at Firedoglake. Put your correspondence with Alan Simpson in your own Seminal diary. Let the world know how Alan Simpson treated your concerns about America’s deficit, and the outsize role he sees for Social Security benefits in solving those concerns. Or perhaps you are a veteran who’s not doing enough to ease your country’s pain right now? If you’ve heard from Alan Simpson about your lack of sacrifice, please let us know.

Alan Simpson got his Free White House Pass. It’s going to be a very exciting three months until the Catfood Commission presents its report to President Obama in December. Simpson can, apparently, say anything he wants without White House censure. Simpson, unbound!


P.S.
You can send emails to Alan Simpson at commission at fc.eop.gov

Early Morning Swim: Rachel Maddow Interviews Scott McAdams, Democratic Candidate for US Senate (AK)

By: Blue Texan Thursday September 2, 2010 4:45 am

He’s got a shot, thanks to The Quitter’s purge of Murkowski.

A new snapshot of the Senate race in Alaska, taken in the hours after Sen. Lisa Murkowski conceded the GOP nomination, shows Joe Miller running six points ahead of his Democratic rival, Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams.

The Rasmussen survey of likely voters shows Miller, a lawyer who is backed by Sarah Palin, with 50% of the vote and McAdams with 44%. The poll has a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

And that’s Rasmussen, so it’s probably even closer.

Preview of the doings our forthcoming lords and masters (non-Birther Hearings related)

By: Attaturk Thursday September 2, 2010 1:30 am

A preview of the legislative agenda of our forthcoming Republican Congress

Late Night: Jehovah Goes Galt

By: Thers Wednesday September 1, 2010 8:00 pm

God is basically Ayn Rand with a great big bushy beard, according to John Stossel, who may not be a great theological thinker, but who at least ought to know from ghastly misbegotten facial hair.

Feinstein’s First Move As Co-Chair of No on Prop 19 Campaign Is To Spout Nonsense

By: Jon Walker Wednesday September 1, 2010 7:15 pm

California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein must really love the senseless, failed war on marijuana. Not only has she come out very publicly in opposition to Proposition 19, which would legalize, tax and regulate cannabis, but she also has taken the bold step of actually becoming the co-chair for the No on Prop 19 campaign.

In Farewell Speech, Romer Calls for More Stimulus

By: David Dayen Wednesday September 1, 2010 6:30 pm

In her final speech as a public official, the now former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, Christina Romer, explained that the country required more stimulus to raise aggregate demand, and that failure to do so leaves “unemployed workers to suffer.”

Too Politically Toxic? Even Ron Wyden Distances Himself From Individual Mandate

By: Jon Walker Wednesday September 1, 2010 5:40 pm

We can only hope that Oregon’s Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden’s recent shift away from the individual mandate is a sign that the Democratic Party is beginning to acknowledge what a massive political and policy mistake they made.

Robert Rubin Demands Government Give $250 Billion to Millionaires

By: David Dayen Wednesday September 1, 2010 4:50 pm

What’s important to understand is that this reversion to 2009 rates permanently would cost the country $292 billion dollars, according to the Tax Policy Center. If we made it retroactive to capture the tax on estates in this holiday year of 2010, maybe it’s closer to $250 billion. But it’s still a large hole in the budget relative to current law, in a time when every deficit hawk is screaming about long-term debt.

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Thursday, September 2, 2010 5:00pm Eastern

Chat with Steven Hill about his Policy Paper on Social Security. Hosted by masaccio.

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Chat with Paul Street about his new book. Hosted by Anthony DiMaggio.

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