Bloomberg: Applications for unemployment benefits fell more than forecast last week to the lowest level since April, a sign the weakness in the labor market is fading.
Jobless claims dropped by 24,000 to 398,000 in the week ended July 23, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median estimate of economists in a Bloomberg News survey called for a drop to 415,000. Another report showed the number of contracts to buy previously owned homes unexpectedly rose in June.
“The figures are encouraging, though we need to see a sustained decline in claims,” said James O’Sullivan, global chief economist at MF Global Inc. in New York. “The direction in claims invariably sends the right signal for growth in employment.”
More here
The Obama Diary 
Yeah, I;m not believing any of these “indicators” anymore after last month. I can’t see any businesses hiring with all this debt ceiling drama anyways – exactly what the GOP wants.
what kind of fuckery is that? 😯
Boehner On His Plan Preventing Downgrade: ‘That Is Beyond My Control’
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/wires/live_wire/live_wire.html#1206
oh and 🙄
Rick Perry Flip Flops On Gay Marriage, Backs Federal Ban
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/rick-perry-flip-flops-on-gay-marriage-backs-federal-ban.php
holy mackerel! 😯 😯
Russian Diplomat: GOP Senators Are “Cold War Monsters”
From Foreign Policy via Ink Spots, here’s a full-tilt tizzy between a high-ranking Russian official and two Republican senators:
Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s ambassador to NATO, met with [Sens. John Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) yesterday in Washington—but they probably won’t be meeting again anytime soon…
“Today in the Senate, I met with Senators Jon Kyl and Mark Kirk. The meeting is very useful because it shows that the alternative to Barack Obama is a collapse of all the programs of cooperation with Russia,” he said. “Today, I had the impression that I was transported in a time machine back several decades, and in front of me sat two monsters of the Cold War, who looked at me not through pupils, but targeting sights.”
http://motherjones.com/contributor/2011/07/russian-diplomat-gop-senators-are-cold-war-monsters
Hot damn.
I’ve been thinking that foreign people of prominence will start weighing in on this. If they tank the US economy, it effects the whole global economy. Plus as the Russian ambassador is stating, our relationships with all countries. This is the type of information we should be getting the word out about so that people in the US will know what is at stake. Thanks for this link!
Holy smokes!! Even the Russians are on to them.
Whew!!
Whoa…….
How thrilled am I that Mark Kirk is my Senator?
I’ve faxed him already today. Time to do it again.
you live in the city too 57? I guess we’ll have to commiserate together about this asswipe being our “senator” 🙄 😆
Absolutely!
Ouch!!…that must hurt anyhow!.
This whole saga with the teabagging frosh in the House is really an indictment on the American electorate. These fools were voted in there by fellow citizens.
In a country where 25% of it’s people don’t know who their Vice President is….go figure!
The rest of the world has been watching….initially with amusement, then with incredulity, then disgust and finally they’re all in alarm mode.
If we don’t get all these a-holes out in Nov ‘012,then shame on us.
yeah, looney left — here’s how awful ACA is. You would have preferred ‘nothing’ if you couldn’t get everything:
http://blackwaterdog.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/health-care-reform-is-working-national-health-expenditures-reach-historic-low/
The looney left obviously has health insurance themselves as well as plenty of money or they wouldn’t have the time or inclination to trash progress.
ACA is working and helping millions of people. Ain’t that absolutely grand!!!!
So the odious Chris Christie had trouble breathing today because he has asthma. He went to the hospital and they did all kinds of tests “to be cautious”.
If I had an uncontrolled asthma attack I’d be panicked on how I could pay the emergency room bill. But by all means, give Christie all the tests he needs to stay on the cautious side.
This is why I supported ACA. It’s not perfect but it’s a step in the right direction. As was true of Social Security and Medicare when those bills became law.
Jobless claim fall to a three-month low — happy dance!
Love the good news on jobless claims!!
Chipsticks, here’s an excellent opinion piece from Indiana no less!!!
Will Obama Swat His Prey Again?
http://blogs.cqrollcall.com/trailmix/2011/07/will-obama-swat-his-prey-again.html
By Craig Crawford | July 28, 2011 10:00 AM
Whether in politics, basketball or even courting his future wife, Barack Obama is known as a strong closer, a thinking man with the patience and inquisitiveness to quietly gauge circumstances until settling upon a winning choice at the last minute.
Will this chaotic debt-limit fiasco be yet another example of Obama rising above skeptical friends and foes?
While some, myself included, have questioned his conciliatory negotiating tactics, another view could be that Obama, as always, has kept his options open in yet another marathon debate – much as he did with health reform, which after all did end up in something tangible and dramatic, no matter how unsatisfactory to all sides.
Perhaps the most telling image of this enigmatic man’s strength under pressure was this video of him swatting a fly. A simple thing, to be sure, but for anyone who has tried to strike down such an elusive foe, we know it is not an easy thing to do — certainly not as easy as he made it look.
[video of the President]
I don’t do Twitter, but I may have to so I can read his tweets. Here’s a sample I got from this link
http://blogs.cqrollcall.com/trailmix/join-trail-mix/
If Govt defaults Tues, can I skip my MasterCard payment?
11 hours ago
Obama the Closer could again surprise friend and foe.. http://bit.ly/qURWhM
8 hours ago
Breaking News: No Debt Deal Today, Franco Still Dead
35 minutes ago
Careful What You Ask For, GOP http://huff.to/pZKzAX via @huffingtonpost
I like the first one, and I would modify to fit my own purposes: if the govt defaults, can I skip my SCHOOL LOAN payments??? LOL.
LOL!!
Nice!!!
Good news.
I’m skeptical about these reports now.
Good news is good news. But I’ve learned not to get too high or low about the reports. The numbers are too schizophrenic and so I temper my anxiety by reading, appreciating and waiting to see what the next report brings.
I have some anecdotal evidence, one of our children (part-time college student) looked for employment for six months, since May he’s found two jobs, the first was low paying but he took it, just yesterday he got a job that pays 2$ more per hour. These are part time jobs but for months even the fast food joints weren’t hiring.
Slowly but surely the economy is headed in the right direction. This is good news and I’m going to celebrate it.