Welcome back to GGM News and Advice’s Monday News Roundup, where we scour the internet to find news articles and blog posts that are important to small business, sum them up, and then give them our own spin!

Another week come and gone – man, they seem to fly fast sometimes, don’t they? And what an interesting week it’s been. The white house, reeling from last Tuesday’s election of Republican Scott Brown (R-Mass), seems to be making a push to make job growth and the economy their flagship issue, instead of healthcare, and Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has found himself embattled, with dire questions looming over the possibility of his upcoming reconfirmation.

All this and more, after the break!

Article One:
White House Shifts from Healthcare to Jobs
Source: Fox News

The No-Bull Scoop: In response to a populist push and voter outrage (almost definitely highlighted by Senator Scott Brown’s upset victory in the Mass. special election that occured last Tuesday to fill the seat vacated by Ted Kennedy), the Obama administration have “retooled [their] message” to focus more heavily on job creation rather than healthcare.

The Quote: “White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said before the visit that the administration is hearing the ‘anger and frustration’ about the economy, in the recent Massachusetts Senate race and elsewhere. ”

Our Take: Although it’s unfair to take the stance that the administration has been neglecting the economy or job growth, it certainly doesn’t seem to have been their most pressing issue over the last year. As one frustrated voter put it, “When the Bank is telling you that you have to file for bankruptcy and the Sheriff is showing up to throw you out of your house, you really can’t care whether or not your neighbor has affordable healtcare.”

Article Two:
Fed Chief Bernanke is Facing a Tough Reconfirmation Battle
Source: Brietbart

The No-Bull Scoop: The Obama administration aren’t the only ones feeling the ire of the people over economic woes. Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke will be coming up for re-confirmation soon (the annual process by which Congress affirms or denys Bernanke his job), and there has been some doubt over whether he will be able to garner enough votes to continue serving in the Fed’s top office. The Obama administration, however, is confident that when it comes time to vote, Bernanke will be able to slip by.

The Quote: “David Axelrod said Monday that Bernanke should be confirmed because he has provided “strong leadership” through the nation’s financial crisis.”

Our Take: Bernanke may have made some mistakes in helping to manage this economic crisis, but by and large has done a superb job in an extremely difficult situation. He is also likely, at the moment, the person who possesses that magical combination of the most experience in dealing with this situation and the sort of intelligence and leadership power necessary to continue doing so. Our guess? He will easily be reconfirmed.

Article Three:
Banks Ramp Up on Small Business Fees in 2010
Source: AmEx Small Business Forum

The No-Bull Scoop: Banks raised nearly $36 billion in overdraft fees to small businesses alone in 2008 — triple what they raised in 1992 — and as large and small banks alike continue to suffer, there appears to be no end in sight toward curbing the increase of those fees as they squeeze small businesses with more and costlier fees to try and close their own fiscal gaps.

The Quote: “Lewis, the president of Operations, Inc., a Stamford, Conn.-based human resources outsourcing and consulting firm, says he is taking his business banking elsewhere in 2010… Particularly frustrating for Lewis were higher bank fees.”

Our Take: The article is unclear on exactly how much of the increase in bank fee revenues can be attributed to small businesses performing poorly (and intentionally overdrafting) and how much can be attributed to banks increasing the number and cost of fees. However, the article leaves no doubt that banks are still suffering, and cutting into their ‘bread and butter’ customers to ease the pain.

Article Four:
Time Spent on Social Network Sites is “Exploding”
Source: Small Business Labs

The No-Bull Scoop: New Neilson Wire charts show that social network site usage is up 82% year over year, and that the usage amounted to over 300 million visits for December, 2009 alone. In brief — social networks are huge, and still growing exponentially.

The Quote:

Our Take: is pretty simple on this one. No matter who you are or what you do, you simply can’t ignore social networks anymore!

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