From Investors Business Daily:

6.3 million: Net new jobs created since Obama's recovery started in June 2009
13.8 million: New jobs that would have been created had Obama's kept pace with the average of the previous 10 recoveries.

3.6%: Growth in private jobs since Obama took office.
43%: Growth in the number of temp jobs.

91.8 million: Number of people not in the labor force as of December.
525,000: Increase since November.
11.2 million: Increase since Obama took office.

6.7%: Jobless rate 54 months into Obama's recovery.
5.1%: Unemployment rate 54 months into George W. Bush's "jobless" recovery.

13.1%: Jobless rate in Dec. using a broader measure — U6 — which includes people marginally attached to labor force or working part time for economic reasons.
9.2%: Average U6 rate in Bush's eight years in office.

26%: Share of adults who say at least one household member is unemployed, based on IBD/TIPP Poll data.
10%: Share who say a household member had work hours cut because of ObamaCare.

3.9 million: Number of people who've been jobless 27 weeks or more in December.
2.7 million: That number when Obama took office.

37 weeks: Average length of unemployment in Dec.
20 weeks: Average length when Obama took office.

861,000: Number of discouraged workers in Dec.
734,000: Number when Obama took office.

58.6%: Current employment-to-population ratio.
61%: Ratio when Obama took office.
62%: Average employment-to-population ratio in the 30 years before Obama took office.

$1,006: Drop in median household income during the 2007-09 recession.
$2,535: Drop in median income after the recession ended in June 2009, according to Sentier Research.

A system that robs Peter to pay Paul will always have the support of Paul.....

The Democrat Party gets its political power by making people dependent on government. People dependent on big government are dependent on big government politicians which of course are Democrats. I find this morally reprehensible and repugnant.

I do not believe for one second that when Democrat politicians argue/craft policy for expanding or creating a new program that they really care about the people who are getting the supposed benefits. They just want their power so they can carry on their merry way of creating more wards of the state. They do not want economically free people. They want slaves. Free people are a threat to their power structure because they do not need them.

During elections how many times do we hear something along these lines from a libtard politician: "You have to vote for me because if you don't then Republican candidate Joe Smith will take away your (insert government program here) benefit!!" People either don't see this or they do and just don't care because hey, they are getting something provided to them by their neighbors for "free."

This is what the libtard politician is actually saying: "Vote for me so I can take money from your neighbor, your kid and your grand kid and give it to you. This in turn will make you reliant upon me and my party for your livelihood. You will have to vote for me and my party in order to live."

This isn't a new insight. I'm just sick of it. I'm sick of the detestable Democrat Party and their bullcrap. I'm sick of their class warfare rhetoric.I'm sick of their redistributionist schemes. They don't give a damn about the actual implications of their policies. They just want a good sound bite. They just want a quick bumper sticker slogan to spit out to make them sound like they are the defenders of the poor. In truth, they want them poor. They need people poor.

I find it no coincidence that the very groups (Blacks and Hispanics) that have the worse economic conditions as a group in America are the very groups that the Democrat Party has taken upon itself to represent. Wherever you'll find a large population of poor black people you'll find a Democrat political machine. You'll find a Democrat politician arguing for higher taxes, more programs, and more government regulation. Rinse and repeat for decades.

It's a good racket if you are a Democrat politician.

A former Democrat explains why he has become a Republican:

In other words, it's a citizen's one-stop-shop for other people's money.

Benefits.gov has what is known as their "Benefits Finder." After answering some questions about yourself, your family, and various other things, you will be given a list of benefits/programs that you may qualify for. I completed this and I qualified for.....get ready.....122 programs.

That's right. One hundred and twenty two programs. Most (All?) of them are so absurd and are such a waste. Here is just a few examples of these that I qualify for:

American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) Leadership Development Programs- State Dept.
The American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) program focuses on international educational exchanges for young political leaders worldwide.

American Film Showcase- State Dept.
The American Film Showcase is a major touring film program bringing American documentaries, feature films and animated shorts to audiences worldwide.

American Music Abroad Program- State Dept.
The American Music Abroad program is designed to communicate America's rich musical contributions to a global music scene. The program sends music groups abroad to foster cross-cultural communication with global audiences.

Arts Envoy Program- State Dept.
The Arts Envoy program is designed to share the best of the U.S. arts community with the world. The program sends American arts professionals-- including performing artists, visual artists, poets, playwrights, theatrical and film directors, curators, and others-- overseas to conduct workshops, give performances, and mentor young people.

Capital Construction Fund Program- State Dept.
The Capital Construction Fund (CCF) Program enables fishermen to construct, reconstruct, or under limited circumstances, acquire fishing vessels with before-tax, rather than after-tax dollars.

DanceMotion USA- State Dept.
DanceMotion USASM sends American dance companies overseas to connect with audiences and communities through dance workshops, lecture demonstrations, public performances and other arts education activities.

Literature Fellowships- National Endowments for the Arts
Fellowships for creative writers are available on a two-year cycle with fellowships in prose available one year and fellowships in poetry available the next.
Grants are also available to published translators of literature for projects that involve the specific translation of prose, poetry or drama from other languages into English.

Sports Envoys International Exchange Program- State Dept.
Sports Envoys are athletes and coaches who travel overseas to lead programs that were developed by U.S. embassies and consulates. These American coaches and athletes hold sports clinics for young people and their coaches, participate in community outreach activities, and engage youth in a dialogue on the importance of leadership and respect for diversity.

smARTpower- State Dept.
smARTpower sends American visual artists abroad to collaborate with local artists and young people around the world on the creation of community-based art projects. Focusing on direct community engagement that encourages dialogue, experimentation and creativity, this 45-day program is designed to stimulate discourse around local or global social issues including the environment, education, health, girls and women's issues and freedom of expression.

Shouldn't the State Department have better things to do than manage programs like this? I mean, it's not like we have anything to worry about with our embassies overseas being attacked or anything.