Research Briefing

Tonight Obama Fundraises At The Home Of Someone Who Just-So-Happens To Have Received Stimulus Money

OBAMA’S FUNDRAISER IS HOSTED BY A BUNDLER TURNED STIMULUS RECIPIENT TURNED FUNDRAISER

Tom Carnahan Is Hosting Obama’s $25,000-A-Plate Fundraiser In St. Louis. “Tom Carnahan, a scion of Missouri’s most prominent Democratic political family, is listed on Obama’s campaign website as a host of a $25,000-per-person fundraiser to be held in St. Louis on October 4.” (Alexander Burns, “Obama Raising With Missouri Stimulus Beneficiary,” Politico, 9/23/11)

• Carnahan Bundled Between $100,000 And $200,000 For Obama In 2008. (Center For Responsive Politics, opensecrets.org, Accessed 10/3/11)

Tom Carnahan’s Wind Capital Group Received $107 Million In Stimulus Funds. “The $107 million in stimulus cash awarded to Tom Carnahan, however, couldn't have come at a worse time for his siblings, both of whom are on the ballot in November. While Tom Carnahan has been in the wind energy business for several years -- he formed St. Louis based Wind Capital Group in 2005 -- the announcement made on Friday by the White House that his wind project in northwest Missouri will receive stimulus cash presents an unwelcome liability for the family's political aspirations.” (Jake Wagman, “Blowin' In The Wind: GOP Pans Stimulus Cash For Carnahan Sibling,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 9/20/10)

OBAMA’S FIRST STIMULUS HAS PROVED TO BE MORE CONCERNED WITH CRONYISM THAN WITH JOBS

In August, The Obama Economy Added Zero (0) Jobs And The Unemployment Remained At 9.1 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 9/6/11)

• Gallup: “U.S. Job Creation On Downward Trajectory.” “Job market conditions in the United States deteriorated for the second month in a row as Gallup's Job Creation Index fell to +13 in August, down from +14 in July and +15 in June. Net new hiring is at about the level it was during the recession of late 2008.” (“U.S. Job Creation On Downward Trajectory,” Gallup, 9/6/11)

Since President Obama’s $825 Billion Stimulus Bill Passed, The Nation Has Lost 1.7 Million Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Increased From 8.2 Percent To 9.1 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 9/25/11)

• Despite Obama’s Advisors Predicting That The Stimulus Would Keep Unemployment Below Eight Percent, The Unemployment Rate Has Remained Above Eight Percent For A Record 31 Straight Months. (Christina Romer and Jared Bernstein, "The Job Impact Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Plan," 1/9/09; Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 9/25/11)
• FactCheck.org: “It’s Accurate To Say The Stimulus Has Failed To Live Up To Initial Expectations.” “CBO's high estimate is still short of the 3.5 million jobs that Obama had said would be created by the end of 2010, so it's accurate to say the stimulus has failed to live up to initial expectations. White House advisers wrongly estimated that the stimulus would bring the unemployment rate down to 7 percent — though they also thought the rate without the stimulus would be lower than it actually is, and they made clear that ‘substantial uncertainty’ surrounded those estimates.” (Lori Robertson, “Dueling Economic Ads,” FactCheck.org, 6/30/11)

Since President Obama Took Office, The Nation Has Lost 2.4 Million Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Increased From 7.8 Percent To 9.1 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 9/25/11)

• It Now Takes A Staggering 40.3 Weeks For An Unemployed Worker To Find A Job. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 9/25/11)

There Are 22.8 Million Americans That Are Unemployed Or Working Part-Time Due To Economic Reasons. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov, Accessed 9/25/11)