If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
While the negative political trends for Democrats can be attributed to the stagnant economy or ruthless Republican negativism, the primary culprit is that Obama has failed to communicate the accomplishments of his administration.
Senators Tom Coburn and John McCain have issued their third list of what they present as misuse of stimulus dollars: Summertime Blues. Once again they have given arts projects a starring role.
Unless Democrats take the discourse by the horns and fight, Republicans will balloon the deficit and undermine the economic recovery in order to give more handouts to the super rich. And the middle class will be an accomplice in its own homicide.
Ask a Republican to name a single economic program they support that was not part of George W. Bush's economic plan just before the economy collapsed, and wait for the answer. You will hear crickets chirping.
The striking feature in the current debate about austerity and stimulus has been the lack of attention to investment -- in physical and human capital -- as the proper way back to sustained growth.
The disappointment Obama supporters feel is not simply due to their naïve expectations and hope being hijacked by reality.
President Obama needs to immediately shift gears and start aggressively touting the major, unprecedented accomplishments of his administration and Democrats before it's too late.
When the interest of big business is on the line, the government steps in and swiftly bails them out. Why isn't the government bailing out the millions of Americans who need it?
In case you missed this week's Fed minutes, the Fed is now pulling a Wall Street: Cutting its estimates after the stock has already tanked.
From the right wing punditry to the Republicans in government, all conservatives are expounding the intellectual flatulence that "unemployment compensation makes people lazy."
If you are already nervous about what's to come for the economy, following the press on this issue will only exacerbate your anxiety. And if you aren't anxious yet, you will be soon if you keep reading.
The number one concern of Americans is jobs, getting them, losing them, how much they pay. The number two concern is the federal deficit, its size and where it's being spent. The GOP is busy exploiting both.
While the Republicans don't seemed bothered by the fact that they are causing a second recession by refusing to send aid to states, Obama can pay for a second stimulus by eliminating the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.
There is a false dichotomy buried in the austerity vs. stimulus policy debate. Both sides share the notion that the road to economic recovery is forked, and that we must choose only one path.
The only bipartisanship there seems to be in the capitol is that deficit spending is a dire threat. The exact opposite of what non push polling reveals of what the public thinks.
Illinois has done what the anti-government chorus considers the impossible: worked closely with the private sector to get a large-scale government program that produces jobs.
