I was disturbed by the glee with which Republicans attacked this month’s poor jobs report. Did they really think the economy was going to be fixed overnight? Shouldn’t they be working with Obama to improve the economy, rather than reveling in its continued weakness?
Yes, June was another bad month for the economy; in fact, by some measures it was worse than May. That’s yet another sign that our economy is fragile — it is indeed the worst economy we’ve had since the Great Depression, and the fix will not be quick nor easy. The June jobs report mostly confirmed what the administration and economists have been telling us: We shouldn’t really expect the recovery to begin in earnest until next year, and then slowly at that.
June’s poor jobs report confirmed something else for us: Just as liberal economists Paul Krugman and Christina Romer have said, it’s far too early to give up on Federal efforts to restore the economy, lest the economy slip into a depression. Yet Republicans have been ever more vocal in calling for fiscal restraint, despite the fact that they themselves had none during the Bush years. Do they really believe the message they’re pushing right now, or are they just hoping Obama will cave in and reduce spending prematurely? That would give them months of bad job reports to gloat over. Once again, I hope they’re not really that cynical, but I’m not sure anymore.
I think you need to separate your politics from your “rice bowl.”
Democrats may own the domestic economy now but just a few short months ago it was bailouts engineered by Bush/Cheney. Remember last summer when the we first starting hearing about a domestic economic problem, both Bush and McCain said everything was fine. That is until it wasn’t fine… every American knows that the Bush administration spent 8 years lying to us about WMDs, no bid contracts and the economic situation. The stench of those lies is a major reason the Republicans are at present a regional party at war with itself.
Republican leadership has shown an amazing level of tone deafness recently and are perceived as the “Party of No” even among independents. Their continuing attacks on everything Obama is getting to the point of parody. This bashing of everything from which dog his family chose to the President’s domestic economic efforts may have some traction with the no-nothing base, but they are still royally screwed.
Everybody in America is more concerned with “fixing it” than making political points except Republican leadership and the beltway talking heads. You have no idea how hard Marketing departments are working in this recession. Go into any car dealership and the only sales people you will find on the floor are the absolute best because all the dead weight has been cut away. Business owners who are normally more Republican than Rush Limbaugh’s drug dealer are paying little attention to politics and great attention to their own situations. The old saying is “It’s good to be King” but not when the kingdom is falling down around your ears. Just ask Denny Hecker about that…
Since the Republicans have not offered up a rational plan to get us out of the domestic economic doldrums, their constant sniping is tits on a bull. In fact unless they start getting with the team and pulling on those oars, they will lose even more citizen trust. Just look at what has happened to polls on self-identifying by party. Our own Republican apologists (trolls?) are down to insisting they aren’t really Republicans but are a “better” bunch of moderates, libertarians and religious conservatives. Right now Republicans are about as popular as gourmet chef with leprosy and they will stay that way if they keep hectoring from the sidelines.
“Do Republicans want the economy to improve?”
No.
Jeff, No the Republicans don’t want the economy to fail, they just don’t want it to succeed to well.
This is an artifact of selected memory. They honestly believe that Reagan style tax cuts are a real cure to most economic problems. But because it doesn’t fit with their world view they forget most of the rest of the Regan program. First they forget that the recession of the time was deliberately triggered to squeeze out inflation. Volker engineered a controlled squeeze and release because markets had become imbalanced. Next they forget that the tax cuts were paired with a massive increase in government spending. That the this standard response to a downturn was a major reason for the recovery makes no sense in their current world view. Finally the choose to forget that to keep even the modest growth going after the 84 snap back Reagan undertook two of the largest tax increases up until that time.
Now I am not a fan of just how Reagan handled all this as one of the keys to inflation control was the suppression of wage growth without regard to productivity growth. But Reagen was much more of a Keynesian then most people give him credit for.
Regan, after his country bankrupting initial tax cuts, raised taxes almost every year of his presidency. What a socialist!!
Glen Beck and that ex-CIA clown want the country to be attacked again and Americans to die, why would a failing economy be out of the question for them.
Time to stop bitching about Bush and Republicans. You guys own 100% of this now. That is what you wanted.
If it improves, it is because of you. If it doesn’t it is because of you.
LOL!
That is darling.
Reminds me of an old Bill Cosby Joke.
When his wife a baby girl, his answer was
“Camille, you had it last. What did you DO with it?”
*** Explaining that for any genetically challenged: The male determines the sex of the child. ***
DtM again shows his remarkable command of the obvious. No don’t that is what has helped you succeed in business. On a slightly personal tact, DtM, do you ever catch your employees doing the “eye roll” after one of your motivation speeches? Just curious. Anyhow, yes, when the economy improves and begins to prosper again, it will be known as Obama’s recovery but never will the American people be allowed to forget how we got so close to the economic precipice. Reaganomics is thankfully dead and can only resurrect itself if peoples memories are allowed to lapse. It’s not bitching to lay the blame where it belongs. That’s called history. Never forget, the Bush crime family and it’s proxies very nearly ruined this country and left it with 5000 dead US Armed Forces men and women, resposible for the deaths of 100’s of thousands Iraqis, and nearly bankrupt. Nice legacy.
Kind of reminds of Democrats and the war in Iraq. You own it baby.
“Kind of reminds of Democrats and the war in Iraq.”
Democrats didn’t start the recession. Bush started Iraq.
Please try again.
Do the democrats want it to improve?
“Wants” have nothing to do with it.
Do we have room for “want?”
We need jobs & a stable economy.
An economy on the rise.
Who is going to spend money if the government doesn’t?
A more apt description would be the War on Terror.
Democrats surely didn’t want the War on Terror to fail, and for terrorism to flourish after 9/11. No Democrat who truly loved America would wish that. But that doesn’t mean they were pulling for Bush and the way he handled the war.
Republicans surely aren’t hoping for the us to dive into Depression. No Republican who truly loves America would wish that. But that doesn’t mean they are pulling for Obama and the way he is handling the economy.
mu. the war on terror is a bullshit republican construct. You fail.
But is terrorism real or just an illusion?
The recession is real. ARRA is a bullshit Democratic construct.
they are actually quite parellel.
So to be clear, you wanted the War on Terror to fail?
It sure sounds like there are people who want the economy to fail.
Why else want more of the same Bush policies that got us here?
America should crash & burn for the next 3 years, in order to create a way back IN for Republicans?
Wouldn’t it be better for us all, to fix this & have decent jobs instead?