(Updated with graphic) Obama Administration continuing to waste time on the economy
By JR Hoeft | Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011 | PolicySo the president was in Georgetown continuing to press the issue on the “Son of Stimulus” – an $825 billion package that will supposedly be the magic bullet that suddenly creates jobs that the $1.5 trillion package passed earlier in his administration could not. But what should be a concerted effort to fix the economy is tantamount to just continuing his campaign. From The Hill:
“Democratic leadership will continue to push the legislation despite its inability to clear either chamber, in part, because Obama is continuing to use the jobs bill as a central talking point as he gears up for the 2012 reelection campaign.”
Of course not all Democrats have signed on to the president’s, Harry Reid’s and Nancy Pelosi’s shell game.
“I’ve consistently said we should not raise taxes on ordinary earned income. I don’t believe that’s the way to pay for this,” Senator Jim Webb told Politico.
Webb also recently jumped off the Obama bandwagon by not committing to campaign for the president in 2012.
At least the president is starting to take some responsibility for his actions instead of blaming others:
CBS’ AMELIA SANTANIELLO: “At what point does the economy become your fault and not your predecessors?” OBAMA: “It’s always my responsibility. I am less interested in allocating blame than just making sure we are taking every step we need to move the economy forward.” (CBS’ “The Early Show,” 11/2/11)
I guess this means the president can now take responsibility for:
9.1%: Unemployment Rate. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 10/7/11)
2.2 Million: Jobs Lost Since Obama Took Office. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 10/7/11)
1.6 Million: Private Sector Jobs Lost Since Obama Took Office. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 10/7/11)
1.5 Million: Jobs Lost Since Obama’s Stimulus Was Passed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 10/7/11)
32: Record Number Of Straight Months With Unemployment Rate Above 8 Percent. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 10/7/11)
$4.36 Trillion: Added To The National Debt Since Obama Took Office. (U.S. Treasury Department, Accessed 11/1/11)
3: Record +$1 Trillion Deficits On Obama’s Watch. (CBO, 10/7/11)
7.5 Million: Foreclosure Filings Since Obama Took Office. (RealtyTrac, Accessed 10/11/11)
69%: Americans Saying The County Is “In Decline.” (The Hill,10/24/11)
83%: Voters Saying They’re Either Very Or Somewhat Worried About The Future Of The Nation. (The Hill,10/24/11)
The reality is that there are solutions, but Democrats continue to blockade commonsense solutions. Speaking out on it is Majority Leader Eric Cantor:
“Good morning, for months now we’ve been saying that Republicans in the House are interested in trying to set aside differences and look for ways that we can actually work with the President and the other side to accomplish results for the American people. Results right now mean jobs.
“This will be the third week that we have put bills on the floor that actually have the support of the President and the other side. We started with the trade bills, we passed three of those and everyone projects a couple hundred thousand jobs will result over the period of eighteen months. Last week we put a bill on the floor having to do with the 3 percent withholding requirement and repealing that. This week on the floor we will have several bills having to do with access to capital for small businesses. These are things that the President spoke to and the American people support.
“What I am concerned about is what we see now in the Senate is Harry Reid refusing to go along with the President and us, especially on this 3 percent withholding bill. What we are hearing today is that for no reason at all the Leader in the Senate is desirous of trying to change that bill, and therefore decreasing the possibility it can make it to the White House, be signed into law and create jobs. So when people around the country are looking for jobs and asking where the jobs are, they are stuck in the Senate, that’s where the jobs are.”
Can we stop playing politics and get to work?
Update: Good graphic representing the Obama Administration’s economic impact from the Republican Policy Committee –
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About the author
Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
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22 Responses to "(Updated with graphic) Obama Administration continuing to waste time on the economy"
Maybe I’ve been missing something but what has Congress been up to? I’m sure the Republicans in the House and Senate have been busy working to fix the economy, care to fill me in?
It’s nice that you’re trying to blame Obama with the sorry state of the economy but when you look at the economy when Bush left office and the world economy, it seems safe to say that Obama’s not to blame.
Keep repeating the same lie to yourself over and over ToR, and I am sure you will believe yourself. Just do a search of BD…you’ll find information on the more than a dozen job creating measures that have passed the House and just sit in the Senate. Enjoy your rebut, but I won’t be responding because it’s a waste of my time.
Troll, your a redux of Mike Barrett who we should hear from momentarily…
You’re right JD, I see they’re busy passing a resolution reaffirming “In God We Trust.” It’s hard to judge how many jobs that will create.
“It’s hard to judge how many jobs that will create.”
Probably more jobs than all of Obama’s legislation put together i.e it won’t cost jobs.
ToR,
Just for the Hell of it, can you name a single economic indicator that is better now than it was on January 20, 2009? Just one? And, BTW, you seem to forget that the Democrats had the majority in BOTH houses of Congress from January 2007 to January 2011, before, during, and after the recession. Precisely what were the Republicans supposed to do as the minority party?
We are coming up on Obama’s third anniversary in office. At what point does he begin to take responsibility for the economy and stop blaming Bush? After we re-elect him? And why would we re-elect someone who has created over four trillion dollars in new debt while every economy indicator has gone south?
Rocky,
This maybe isn’t an indicator as you’d like but take it as you will. If I’m not mistaken the recession, technically speaking) started in 2007 and ended in 2009; clearly the depressed economy was felt before that and is still being felt today. But technically speaking we were in a recession when Obama took office and we are not in a recession for the moment. Not to say that we won’t dip back into a recession, but it is my understanding that we’re no longer in a recession.
The economy was a sinking ship, a house of cards, or whatever metaphor you’d like to use when Obama took office. He hasn’t been perfect, but I think he’s done a much better job than what McCain would have done. And I’m certain he’ll do a better job than the current Republican front runner.
My point was, that while the Republicans have done a great job of criticizing Obama, they’ve done very little to get the economy going again. Place blame all you want but send some bills to the Obama’s desk, let the decider decide.
JR,
Why don’t you Google “job,” “creating,” and “measure” and then you’ll have a better understanding of what those bills wouldn’t do. They’re mostly gimmicks.
Ooh, that was pithy ToR. I feel schooled. I should just shut the site down now. Of course, then where would you troll?
ToR,
Nice try. The recession began in December 2007, one year after Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the Democrats assumed total control of the Congress. It ended in June 2009, over two years ago. So why is unemployment still above 9%? Why is consumer confidence still in the toilet? And why is corporate expansion stagnated? Could it have anything to do with the uncertainty and taxation threats of this administration? Maybe just a little?
Rocky,
Economic indicator – definition of recession
Jan 20th 2009 – In a recession
Nov 2nd 2011 – Not in a recession
You asked me to provide one indicator that is better now than on Jan 20th 2009; I did that.
Nowhere did I say the economy was good; I said, using the definition of a recession (an indicator), that our economy is better now than on the day Obama took office. That’s a fact. We are no longer in a recession. We were in a recession when Obama took office. Do you care to dispute that?
JR,
Maybe you could add a column for Jan 2003, just to be fair and balanced?
ToR,
You crack me up. Have you ever heard of leading, concurrent, and trailing economic indicators? This recession was one that the Democrats had plenty of time to mitigate, if not avoid completely, and have had even more time to remediate. But they have failed miserably because liberals think that government can create wealth more efficiently than private enterprise can. What we are witnessing here is the death throes of modern liberalism. It is a failed and bankrupt political philosophy that will take its place in history along with communism, utopianism, and libertarianism.
Troll, you stated “He hasn’t been perfect, but I think he’s done a much better job than what McCain would have done. And I’m certain he’ll do a better job than the current Republican front runner.” Counterfactual arguments based on blame and metaphors are irrelevant at this point because Obama now has a history of stimulus failure, pandering racial and class division, receiving a Nobel Peace prize under false pretenses, green energy and gun running scandals and sedition relative to the “Occupy” movement and their violent actions. Republicans are a “minority” 1/3 part of our 3/3rds legislative/executive Government components and apparently you and other leftists were reeducated in fundamental math skills as part of political brainwashing at an undisclosed Government school.
Yes, it is quite clear in reading this forum that the facts flew out the window when McConnell announced that henceforth the republicans would do all they could to defeat the President. Clearly, that is exactly what they have done, despite the clear indication that Americans support a balanced approach. Republicans are now getting very defensive as their obstruction has become clearer for all to see.
Frankly, they are acting against the public interest. We want a negotiated agreement to increase taxes, reform the tax code, reform entitlements, and cut unnecessary expenditutres, timed in such a way that growth can be stimulated and real jobs produced. Neither party has it exactly right, but republican obstructionism is the greatest impediment to the Super Committee and to reducing the deficit and the debt.
Denial may work on these pages, but it ain’t working with the american people. Either get to work, or resign, because voting No is not a solution.
Mike, Obama was again denied under another bipartisan filibuster of his tax and spend “infrastructure bill” and the Dems, not wanting to compromise, blocked a GOP alternative:
“Democrats are more interested in building a campaign message than in rebuilding roads and bridges,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said ahead of the afternoon vote.
“His (McConnell’s) Republicans offered a counter-proposal that would have extended existing highway funding for two years, which the GOP said would give states and the construction industry some certainty about which projects they could go ahead with. But Democrats said that bill cut too many corners, and it was blocked on a 53-47 vote.”
Oh, by the way, the Dems still have the majority in the Senate. Again, the Dems still have the majority in the Senate.
Need I remind you that it takes 60 votes in the Senate to avoid a filibuster? Of course not, you know that; you just want to obfuscate and obstruct.
Did you miss the word “bipartisan”? With the upcoming election, some of your Dems are straying off the plantation.
We need bi-partisan support of the strategy that most americans know we need to adopt. In fact recent polling shows that 70% of americans say that Congressional Republicans policies that favor the rich and that republicans oppose lowering taxes for large corporations; two thirds polled say that wealth should be distributed more evenly and that taxes should be increased on millionaires, not decreased.
Now, those comments are heresy on this forum, but as most posters hereein have been focused on the constant drivel about the cast of miscreants running for the republican nomination, the attitude of the citizens in this country has shifted, with the recent CBO report that confirmed what most had beleived already; the tax policies favor wealth accululation of the rich and have discriminated against the middle class.
So deal with this. Stop the jibberish about just cutting taxes and deal with the challenges we face in a new economy. If Congress shows bi-partisanship in the work of the super committee, and Congress passes their work, I believe that action in and of itself will stimulate a fiscal and economic revival.
But to Cantor and McConnell, that is the worst scenario possible. That is, more jobs and income for all of us is anathema to the republiocan leadership. Unbelievable.
Mike, you write “two-thirds polled say that wealth should be distributed more evenly and that taxes should be increased on millionaires”. Besides being completely irrelevant drivel, I’m actually surprised the polling numbers aren’t higher.
Approximately 1% of the American population are millionaires; ask all the non-millionaires if we should tax the millionaires more and some would think you might get a 99% affirmative poll.
But that’s beside the point. Obama is faced with a failed stimulus package (which, many like Paul Krugman said at the time wasn’t big enough) which we’ll be paying for into the foreseeable future. And now he wants to double down with more of our money. FAILED. Utterly failed. Not because of Republican obstructionism, or because of fat-cat bankers, or offshore un-taxable income accounts. Because the money was used to fund corrupt efforts like Solyndra. Because this administration is only interested in repaying their supporters and securing their power. Because Obama has absolutely no idea how to solve the economic situation we’re in. Because Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi grabbed the historic opportunity of two years of majority control to pass landmark liberal anti-capitalistic legislation.
The uncertainty in the economic system is what’s causing the sputtering non-recovery. Recovery summer? That was supposed to be last year. What a joke. Now Fort Monroe is a lynch pin in the President’s jobs plan? How pathetic. The willing suspension of disbelief (to borrow a phrase from my favorite current Secretary of State) is bewildering. How can this administration spew the lies and exaggerations and not be called the thieves that they are??
Failed TARP abd stimulus? I think not. Have we recovered as fast as we had hoped? No. Have we recovered? Yes. The issue is how to get back to quality and sufficient growth in our economy, and regretfully, the republican obstructionism is preventing us from moving forward. Their intrasigence in dealing with the deficit is the cause of the uncertainty. The rating agencies could not have made it more clear; we need a long term agreement to reduce the deficit by reducing expenditures and increasing revenues.
But the republican mantra is cut taxes, but of course, that only makes the deficit worse. It was a popular election gimmick, but it will destroy the economy of this great nation. Now, polling shows most americans get it; cutting taxes is the cause of our problem, not the solution. We need a balanced approach, and republicans refuse to even consider it.
The collapse of the super committee will be on them.
Mike, there are 22 bipartisan jobs bills passed by the House that are sitting in Harry Reid’s inbox. A few of them deal with cutting taxes and all of them deal with reducing bureaucracy. So, who now owns the “obstructionism (that) is preventing us from moving forward. Their intrasigence (intransigence) in dealing with the deficit is the cause of the uncertainty.”? Clue… Harry Reid leads the Senate and your party name starts with a “D”.
Frankly Tim J, it matters not one wit what I think or what you think. The polls show that the american people are holding the republicans responsible for obstructionism. It is encouraging that finally more americans are recognizing that, in fact, incessant tax cutting is largly to blame for the nation’s fragile fiscal condition, and that new taxes and tax reform are part of the solution. You would never know this by reading Bearing Drift, but then again, this forum is mostly about preaching to the choir. Of course, that’s dangerous.
Mike, this is for you.. enjoy.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2004/06/The-Laffer-Curve-Past-Present-and-Future
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