received via email:
| January 2009 | TODAY | % chg | Source | |
| Avg.. Retail price/gallon gas in U.S. | $1.83 | $3.95 | 115.8% | 1 |
| Crude oil, European Brent (barrel) | $43..48 | $99..02 | 127.7% | 2 |
| Crude oil, West TX Inter. (barrel) | $38..74 | $91..38 | 135.9% | 2 |
| Gold: London (per troy oz.) | $853.25 | $1,504.50 | 90.5% | 2 |
| Corn, No.2 yellow, Central IL | $3.56 | $6.33 | 78.1% | 2 |
| Soybeans, No. 1 yellow, IL | $9.66 | $13..75 | 42.3% | 2 |
| Sugar, cane, raw, world, lb. Fob | $13..37 | $35..39 | 164.7% | 2 |
| Unemployment rate, non-farm, overall | 7.6% | 9.4% | 23.7% | 3 |
| Unemployment rate, blacks | 12.6% | 15.8% | 25.4% | 3 |
| Number of unemployed | 11,616,000 | 14,485,000 | 24.7% | 3 |
| Number of fed. Employees | 2,779,000 | 2,840,000 | 2.2% | 3 |
| Real median household income | $50,112 | $49,777 | -0.7% | 4 |
| Number of food stamp recipients | 31,983,716 | 43,200,878 | 35.1% | 5 |
| Number of unemployment benefit recipients | 7,526,598 | 9,193,838 | 22.2% | 6 |
| Number of long-term unemployed | 2,600,000 | 6,400,000 | 146.2% | 3 |
| Poverty rate, individuals | 13.2% | 14.3% | 8.3% | 4 |
| People in poverty in U.S. | 39,800,000 | 43,600,000 | 9.5% | 4 |
| U.S.. Rank in Economic Freedom World Rankings | 5 | 9 | n/a | 10 |
| Present Situation Index | 29.9 | 23.5 | -21.4% | 11 |
| Failed banks | 140 | 164 | 17.1% | 12 |
| U.S.. Dollar versus Japanese yen exchange rate | 89.76 | 82.03 | -8.6% | 2 |
| U.S.. Money supply, M1, in billions | 1,575.1 | 1,865.7 | 18.4% | 13 |
| U.S.. Money supply, M2, in billions | 8,310.9 | 8,852.3 | 6.5% | 13 |
| National debt, in trillions | $10..627 | $14..052 | 32.2% | 14 |
Just take this last item: In the last two years we have accumulated national debt at a rate more than 27 times as fast as during the rest of our entire nation’s history.
Over 27 times as fast. Metaphorically speaking, if you are driving in the right lane doing 65 MPH and a car rockets past you in the left lane.
27 times faster, it would be doing 7,555 MPH!
Sources:
(1) U.S. Energy Information Administration; (2) Wall Street Journal; (3) Bureau of Labor Statistics; (4) Census Bureau; (5) USDA; (6) U.S. Dept. Of Labor;
(7) FHFA; (8) Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller; (9) RealtyTrac; (10) Heritage Foundation and WSJ; (11) The Conference Board; (12) FDIC;
(13) Federal Reserve; (14) U.S. Treasury
So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive? Can’t think of anything? Don’t worry. He’s done all this in 24 months — so you’ll have one year and ten months to come up with an answer.
Every statement in this email is factual and directly attributable to Barrack Hussein Obama. Every bumble is a matter of record and completely verifiable.
