GOPers: Unemployment Numbers Show Need For More Bipartisanship
Republicans, not unexpectedly, are seizing on the news of the 10.2% unemployment rate to fuel the meme — first initiated by Tuesday’s electoral results — that independents are preoccupied with the economy and will continue to desert Dems lest they slow down on health care reform and other priorities.
The GOP responses also have a common thread: The unemployment numbers show the need for more bipartisanship and less Dem-only rule. The NRSC:
“Instead of ramming another massive spending bill through Congress, the President should encourage Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to work with Republicans to come up with a real bipartisan health care solution that will lower costs for Americans instead of putting government bureaucrats between patients and their doctors nationwide.”
“With millions of Americans desperately seeking work, I ask the President put the economy first, and sit down with Republicans to develop bipartisan solutions that will change the direction of this economy and get people working again.”
Obviously this is good timing, politically speaking, for Repubicans, because it helps them develop the narrative that the electorate wants more of a focus on the economy than on health care, and that the White House and Congress’ preoccupation with the latter is mistimed.
Also: The GOP calls for more bipartisanship right now seem like a less-than-subtle effort to emphasize that Obama and Dems own the high unemployment numbers without appearing to politicize or capitalize on them.
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What exactly does bipartisanship mean these days? Standing out in front of the capitol on Guy Fawkes Day and yelling “Kill the Bill”?
Danp — I don’t think anyone calling for bipartisanship is all that eager to define it.
Who could have forseen this turn of events?!?!
They want bipartisanship…then they should probably listen to the bipartisan economists who all agree that the stimulus saved/created a TON of jobs, and probably saved us from slipping into a full blown depression.
In fact, the reason we aren’t doing better right now is because almost half the stimulus was given in tax cuts to appease Republicans, as opposed to food stamps and infrastructure work…both of which would have helped the economy more.
It’s one thing to say something won’t work, it’s another to actively try to hurt our country’s economy in the hopes of blaming the other party and getting back in power. Republicans really are, right now, the enemy of America.
“Obviously this is good timing, politically speaking, for Repubicans, because it helps them develop the narrative that the electorate wants more of a focus on the economy than on health care, and that the White House and Congress’ preoccupation with the latter is mistimed.”
Obama has linked employment and health care reform consistently. He’s said it will create jobs, and I have no reason not to think so, since change that big will require people to get it done.
Certainly a climate bill will potentially create jobs as the country changes primary energy sources. We could redo this country and bring it fully into the 21st century and employ thousands of people doing it –
…if the goddamn Republians hadn’t burned through all our money and borrowed tons more.
@Greg
“I don’t think anyone calling for bipartisanship is all that eager to define it.”
Then maybe, as a journalist, you should ask them to define it? They get away with **** like that (both sides) only because the press lets them.
The core problem, of course, is it doesn’t matter if, as BBQ noted: “economists who all agree that the stimulus saved/created a TON of jobs, and probably saved us from slipping into a full blown depression.”
What matters is that the repubs are extremely good at getting their message out, the media is extremely complicit in spreading that message without question (or via he said, she said stories) and the general, non sentient blog reading public will have no way to sort it out. I really despair over this.
If the unemployment numbers haven’t started going down by next summer, then there will some Dems kicked out. But, isn’t that also about the time that most of the stimulus money will have been spent?
BBQ — I think I hit the point about the emptiness of bipartisanship for its own sake pretty regularly here…
“I really despair over this.”
Don’t despair.
Greg ran a different poll yesterday that showed that Americans know where the economic problems came from – the Republicans.
There is absolutely nothing happening to lead any Democrat to despair. We lost two gubernatorial races and won two Congressional races.
Nothing has changed except in the Republicans’ tiny little reptilian brains.
well Greg not to interrupt the good GOP narrative but if they were *really* concern about the unemployed why did they delay the extension of unemployment benefits for weeks while at least 200,000 people lost their benefits and then in the end all voted for it? Why not ask them point blank how they put a hold on this and kept it from a vote affecting the people they say they are for (unemployed) and the in the end voted for it?
“The unemployment numbers show the need for more bipartisanship and less Dem-only rule.”
And the logic there is………..???
I would like just ONCE for these a$$holes to explain themselves using facts and numbers. Rhetoric doesn’t cut it anymore. And bipartisan rhetoric? You’ve gotta be joking? After yesterday? They be smoking some serious crack.
John Cole offers a case in point on the media: Same Old Same Old: “The anchoress at CNN, of course, said nothing.”
“And the logic there is………..???”
The logic there is troll logic. There’s no relation between bipartisanship and job creation.
That’s the kind of thing trolls try to link together.
@Tena
“…if the goddamn Republians hadn’t burned through all our money and borrowed tons more.”
No kidding. It’s shocking to me that Democrats don’t go after Republicans on this more. It’s a weak fastball right over the plate.
The US economy generates massive amounts of money every year. Right now, Democrats want to spend that money on providing health care, breaking our dependence on foreign oil, stopping global warming, and fixing our crumbling infrastructure. When Republicans had the reigns, they spent that money on two wars, tax breaks for the wealthiest 1% of the country, and giveaways to big business. And photo ops.
Now, because Republicans didn’t bother to maintain the country, Dems have to spend more to get it back on track.
It’s like Repbulicans drove a car and never changed the oil, and now Democrats have to fix the cracked engine block because of it. I don’t want to hear any car advice from them now.
The Republicans might want to have someone other than Eric Cantor speak for them. This guy is the slimiest weasel in Congress these days. Any Jew that speaks before a crowd of people that are calling the president a Nazi and comparing health care to the holocaust and doesn’t condemn it or speak out against it is the biggest piece of opportunist trash on Capital Hill. I anxiously await Eric Cantor’s condemnation of the protesters, until then the man continues to be a two faced little weasel.
Maybe instead of covering self serving GOP press releases and sound bites somebody should actually look at their words and actions. People can see where the hypocrites are on the national stage. Tuesday in the only two races that effect national policy people didn’t ask for more Republican hypocrisy, they cast 2 more votes for the Democratic agenda.
“It’s like Repbulicans drove a car and never changed the oil, and now Democrats have to fix the cracked engine block because of it. I don’t want to hear any car advice from them now.”
No s*h*i*t. And it’s hot like the Republicans didn’t spend the entire 20th century wrecking the economy and then turned around and started the 21st the same damn way.
And what did we have to show for all our money being gone? A big pile of dead people.
When will Americans learn this – you cannot trust the GOP with your tax dollars? Every damn Republican president has left office with a huge deficit the next administration had to deal with and that’s one thing that keeps us taking one step forward and two steps back all the time.
@Greg
“I think I hit the point about the emptiness of bipartisanship for its own sake pretty regularly here…”
I don’t disagree with that, and that’s why I’m an avid reader of your work. You do a much better job than most.
But simply pointing out the empty rhetoric and busting them on it are two different things. Everyone KNEW Nixon was a crook, but it was when a reporter got him to say “If a President does it, it’s not illegal.” before it was cemented as “fact” within the nation’s psyche.
@Tena
“When will Americans learn this…”
When Democrats stop being giant whipped wussies, and takes Republicans to task for it. Relentlessly.
Teh bipartisanship from repugs – You bring the rice, me bring the chaff. We mix them together and cook something up.
Let’s see… 24 hours ago “kill the bill” was the most important thing facing our country. Now fixing our economy is the #1 priority. 24 hours ago we were told the Government needs to stay out of our business. Now we need Government to get along so it can fix our problems. Huh?
I think some pressure needs to be put on the private sector (which I am a part of). I believe about 80% of the companies listed on the dow reported profits for the third quarter. The majority of manufacturers in this country have lower inventories. In fact one of my customers just added a second shift to replenish inventories. It’s time for the private sector to invest in our country again. Just like Warren Buffet did this week.
Since the government can’t solve the problem, it’s time the people start facing unemployment with their own ingenuity:
http://bit.ly/ozqT6
(satire)
“It’s time for the private sector to invest in our country again. Just like Warren Buffet did this week.
”
And banks need to get up off that money they’re holding onto and start lending it.
I agree with you =- the private sector has to do its part.
Alan
Not only his hypocrisy on the steps of the Capitol yesterday which IMO tarnishes all of them not just Cantor, but then to turn around and question AARP and the AMA for supporting the bill shows completely how he has absoluely nothing to offer, anywhere, anytime on anything.
I’m sure the Repubs idea of bipartisan job creation would be giving tax breaks for all those “small business” earning over 1m a year. Oh yeah!
Here’s a post from Hacker, the guy given credit for the idea of the PO and why even the weaker House Bill is still a good bill. I know sbj is particularly worried about this for the sake of all of us without insurance or those paying too much for premiums (especially him).
“In short, it’s no time to be despondent about the fate of the public insurance option. For sure, pegging rates to Medicare and obligating Medicare providers to accept these rates would be far preferable, and a public plan with negotiated rates may do less to keep the insurers honest and drive down costs. But it’s still immensely valuable to give Americans an out–another choice–to let the insurers feel the heat of not being the only game in town. The fierce and continuing opposition of the insurance industry suggests that they think that a public option will prove a serious counterweight in an increasingly consolidated private market. The overwrought pessimism of the pundit class should not aid them in their cause of protecting themselves from a public-spirited competitor.”
http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-treatment/yes-the-public-plan-works?page=0,1
“but then to turn around and question AARP and the AMA for supporting the bill shows completely how he has absoluely nothing to offer, anywhere, anytime on anything.”
WORD!
Michelle Malkin last week was busy trying to turn AARP – AARP!- into ACORN.
ANd now the GOP who kept arguing that everyone should listen to the doctors are saying don’t listen to the doctors.
Are they so stupid that they really think big posters that call health care reform the moral equivalent of Dachau are going to move most Americans to do anything other than reject them for their lunacy and their irrationality? Do they really think they are in step with the majority of Americans, painting Obama as the Joker and Hitler?
And now the message is: the AMA and AARP are liberal terrorist groups?
Highest Unemployment Since the Reagan Recession
You hear that sound? It is the sound of the Democratic majority coming to an end in 2010.
“…but then to turn around and question AARP and the AMA for supporting the bill shows completely how he has absoluely nothing to offer, anywhere, anytime on anything.”
This is just plain silliness. Pretty much every small business group in the United States has indicated the Pelosi bill will be terrible for them, which would seem to be pertinent when unemployment is over 10%. But I don’t see those on the left saying “Well we really need to listen to those groups and do what they say”.
The notion that an endorsement from some special interest group, especially one that stands to make hundreds of millions selling its own insurance plan, is supposed to be a trump card that ends all debate is just flat-out stupid. The notion that an endorsement from the AARP should be a game-changer is retarded.
Almost as stupid as people who believe allowing the government to enter the insurance market is “competition” for private insurers. What next, allowing referees to compete in the game they are officiating, and then getting pissed when they end up having the advantage and can dictate things to their liking?
It is hilarious listening to idiots use free-market rhetoric to try and justify government intrusion.
mike
And I think we can safely call this the Bush Recession.
“The Republicans might want to have someone other than Eric Cantor speak for them. This guy is the slimiest weasel in Congress these days. Any Jew that speaks before a crowd of people that are calling the president a Nazi and comparing health care to the holocaust and doesn’t condemn it or speak out against it is the biggest piece of opportunist trash on Capital Hill.”
Co-sign, in giant red letters.
And you people can have your small victory tomorrow if the House passes the Pelosi bill, but we all know that the thing has absolutely no chance at all of passing the Senate the way it is now. The House vote will force Blue Dogs to go on record with their vote, and it will only make it easier to unseat them in 2010, a task which already became immeasurably easier today with the release of this unemployment report.
What’s even more hilarious is the Republican “Bill” which does absolutely nothing but offer insurance to about 3m of the healthies Americans. Way to go GOP.
“The Republicans might want to have someone other than Eric Cantor speak for them. This guy is the slimiest weasel in Congress these days. Any Jew that speaks before a crowd of people that are calling the president a Nazi and comparing health care to the holocaust and doesn’t condemn it or speak out against it is the biggest piece of opportunist trash on Capital Hill.”
Compare health care to the Holocaust? Kind of like the left’s hero Alan Grayson?
Man you people are pathetic hypocrites.
“the Bush Recession.”
That’s entirely too much of an understatement. The Bush Recession is what Clinton cleaned up.
This is the Bush Economic Catastrophe; this is the Great Bush Crash of ‘08.
That’s not what “lest” means.
“Man you people are pathetic hypocrites.”
Maybe so, but since we’re in charge, you’ll just have to deal.
[bigshininggrin]
“Obama has linked employment and health care reform consistently. He’s said it will create jobs, and I have no reason not to think so, since change that big will require people to get it done.”
The healthcare sector has been one of the bright spots during the “Great Recession.” Some economists believe that passing the healthcare bill will help boost the sector even further (because new healthcare workers, supplies, etc. will be needed), and could help undergird a lasting, even potentially robust economic recovery.
————————-
As BBQ noted, it’s funny that the Republicans are calling for “bipartisanship” now, since they rejected economists’ overwhelmingly bipartisan recommendations to implement a significant stimulus.
Additionally, they’re even currently rejecting economists’ bipartisan credit that the stimulus is largely the reason we saw 3rd Qtr. GDP growth and seem to finally be on the road toward recovery. [Unemployment always lags.]
If Republicans, in the hopes of reviving their political fortunes at the expense of the American economy, hadn’t played partisan games with the Recovery Act, then maybe it would have been structured differently*. Instead, they wanted a much smaller “stimulus” that consisted primarily of tax cuts; currently, any money going directly to consumers is being saved and not injected into the economy — which is inhibiting/slowing our recovery. Ultimately, the current stimulus was crafted largely to get Republicans to join in a bipartisan economic recovery effort, and they callously rejected that opportunity.
Republicans were banking on the short memories of Americans, that they would forget that Republicans (except 3) voted against an economic recovery, and their move seems to be paying off. Or, at least they believe that is paying off enough for them to have the audacity to talk about “bipartisanship” with a straight face.
We’re a forgetful nation.
[*Note: Much of the money paid out up front for a larger stimulus ultimately would have been recouped by consumer spending, tax revenues (not "tax increases"; about 34% of our current deficit is simply due to revenue lost because of the recession) and higher interest rates (they're 0% now). This also applies for the current stimulus.]
And people quickly denounced Alan Grayson and he quickly realized how inappropriate that was an issued a formal apology.
Instead of that, people like the person above me say, we you do did it too, so I’ll just continue being a nincompoop.
It’s akin to arguing with a 5th grader.
“We’re a forgetful nation.”
Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.
After 8 years of disaster, the play and the slack the repugs get in the fvcking media is disgustingly amazing.
It’s up to the Dems to point out that the last thing the public wants is input on how to fix unemployment when they were the one’s in power for the last 8 years when these numbers started to climb. They shouldn’t act like there’s some magic bullet to getting job recovery back on track. They should remind everyone that the reason Republicans were voted out was because they screwed up the economy over an 8 year period. Not one year after Bush took office. The Republicans seem to forget that while things are still pretty bad, the majority in this country still don’t see them as an acceptable alternative. Just a small group of teabagger wingnuts!
Hey “I Love Joe the Terrorist” guess what, the fact that you are a-ok with the giant Holocaust poster yesterday that showed piles of dead bodies, most of whom are direct ancestors of American Jews, puts you in the gutter of society. F__k you, piece of sh_t.
“Additionally, they’re even currently rejecting economists’ bipartisan credit that the stimulus is largely the reason we saw 3rd Qtr. GDP growth and seem to finally be on the road toward recovery. [Unemployment always lags.]”
This is how I see things, too.
“There’s no relation between bipartisanship and job creation.”
I agree! The Dems are in charge – they have all the power. Why isn’t more progress being made? A little less complaining about the powerless party and a little more work by the party in power on jobs creation please.
The Republicans are the Arsonists who set fire to the entire Country, and now those very same Arsonists are complaining about how The Democratic Fire Fighters are wasting too much water fighting the fires.
So sbj, do you think we need another stimulus? Should the government spend more money creating and saving jobs? Should we hurry up and pass HCR, green job opportunities, educational opportunities, and more infrastructure jobs with a little more government money for these projects?
Or did you have a better idea?
Afghan insurgents learn to destroy key U.S. armored vehicle
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/78443.html
”
WASHINGTON — Taliban-led insurgents in Afghanistan have devised ways to cripple and even destroy the expensive armored vehicles that offer U.S. forces the best protection against roadside bombs by using increasingly large explosive charges and rocket-propelled grenades, according to U.S. soldiers and defense officials.
At least eight American troops have been killed this year in attacks on so-called Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles, or MRAPs, and 40 more have been wounded, said a senior U.S. military official who, like others interviewed on the issue, declined to be further identified because of the issue’s sensitivity.
The insurgents’ success in attacking the hulking machines, which can cost as much as $1 million each, underscores their ability to counter the advanced hardware that the U.S. military and its allies are deploying in their struggle to gain the upper hand in the war, which entered its ninth year last month.
The attacks also raise questions about how vulnerable a new, lighter MRAP, the M-ATV, which is now being shipped to Afghanistan, are to the massive explosive charges that Taliban-led insurgents have been using against its bigger cousin.
The insurgents are also hitting MRAPs with rocket-propelled grenades that can penetrate their steel armor, according to U.S troops in Afghanistan, several of whom showed McClatchy a photograph of a hole that one of the projectiles had punched in the hull of an MRAP.
The Pentagon has spent more than $26.8 billion to develop and build three versions of the largest MRAPs, totaling some 16,000 vehicles, mostly for the Army and Marine Corps, according to an August report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.”
“I agree! The Dems are in charge – they have all the power. Why isn’t more progress being made? A little less complaining about the powerless party and a little more work by the party in power on jobs creation please.”
And why doesn’t my piece of birthday cake have a rose on it?
All you Obamites (as in crawling bugs seeking a free meal) have been disillusioned from the beginning (still are). We never heard TRILLIONS of printing money in the Bush Adm. Don’t tell Obama what comes after trillion. Your salary dollar (amd Mmine) is sinking and you can’t see the ramifications. Socialism Big Time. Shame on you for being so dumb.
sbj – WTF are you talking about ? It was your “powerless” party that made this mess and still throwning even more poo around. And yet you whine about the admin complaining. Can you cite cases where this prez “complained” ? He stated the facts as it were, which is that repugs left behind scorched earth policy and are noe playing with even more fire. What a fvcking dishonest troll you are.
Waiting for sbj’s better ideas…
Lemme guess, “tax cuts for the rich”. Been there, done that…
“I know sbj is particularly worried about this for the sake of all of us without insurance or those paying too much for premiums (especially him).”
Ouch! What a cheap shot – unworthy of you, lmsinca. I’m fairly sure that one basic goal of h/c reform was to lower costs.
But to the point – that Hacker article I can describe in one word – w.e.a.k. Go back and count how many ifs, mights, mays, coulds, and shoulds are in that analysis. I’ll point out, also, that Hacker’s earlier analysis of a PO that is not tied to Medicare rates directly refutes at least one point he makes here:
“The Secretary of Health and Human Services, empowered to negotiate rates for the public plan, is simply barred from paying more than private plans do. The Secretary may end up being able to negotiate lower rates than the CBO projects.”
Hacker was emphatic in his earlier article that if the PO enrollees were few – as the CBO and he estimated – that the PO would not be able to negotiate favorable rates.
I think Hacker’s real point is much the same as The New Yorker article and many others here want to make (and the reason many conservatives fear the PO) – once in place this new entitlement will never be rescinded, and it will not be fully funded leaving to inevitable “disaster.” (Higher and higher taxes, fewer services, a larger share of fed spending, greater deficits – pick one.)
I guess all the harping is expected from the minority party. The recession that started in Reagan’s first few months in office when the interest rates remained at extremely high rates to fight inflation, dragged his unemployment numbers even higher.
I think it topped out at 10.8% before it began to turn around.
So, you can say Obama had a high unemployment rate during his presidency from a recession that started a year before he was in office and accelerated job loss when he took office and peaked in his first month, but it’s still lower percentage wise than Reagan’s.
I bet sbj was livid at the lack of progress during Reagan’s first term.
So, bottom line is Obama > Reagan still.
KM you disgusting piece of trash, how did we pay for the Iraq War? How did we pay for two tax cuts for the wealthy (during a time of war)?
Do you know? No, you don’t. Ignorant f__k. Go back to your cave and stfu.
“I bet sbj was livid at the lack of progress during Reagan’s first term.”
I certainly wasn’t happy about unemployment! (Reagan was very similar to Obama – they were both personally likable fellows even though things weren’t going so smoothly.)
How about a payroll tax holiday and a health insurance deduction for those who must purchase insurance on their own? I’m no economics expert – I expect the legislators/experts to work on these issues. Govt spending alone is not the answer – as even tena and others acknowledge. We obviously need to provide more incentives to the private sector as well. And yes, immediate tax relief for families and small businesses would help. Unemployment is at 10.2% – which is not good – the party in power simply has to take some responsibility for that.
“have been disillusioned from the beginning (still are). We never heard TRILLIONS of printing money in the Bush Adm. Don’t tell Obama what comes after trillion. Your salary dollar (amd Mmine) is sinking and you can’t see the ramifications. Socialism Big Time. Shame on you for being so dumb.”
And you haven’t heard one thing about the Obama administration printing trillions of dollars, either.
But what we do know about the Bush Administration is that it p*i*s*s*ed away over 9 billion dollars that could never be accounted for in Iraq, in addition to the trillions Bush spent over there. Cash money just got up and walked the hell off in Iraq.
Chances are very good that Ahmad Chalabi lined his pockets with most of that cash.
The Republicans crashed this economy for the second time in 80 years.
You can lie, you can yell, you can do anything you want to try to divert attention from the Republican’s Failure when they had the majority and the White House, but there it is – the facts are there and Americans in large numbers get that clearly.
Let me repeat this, louder this time:
The Republicans worked for 40 years to get that majority and by the end of Bush’s first term you had totally burnt through the largest surplus in American history and started borrowing more.
Reagan wasn’t raising taxes. Tell yourselves whatever you want, the Obama economy will continue to deteriorate if he continues to promise higher taxes and energy costs and call it recovery.
The Democratic Party is designed to take money from taxpayers and use it to prop up ineffective (but well compensated) government employees.
Why do Republicans hate peace, prosperity (remember Clinton’s tax hikes – they gave us the biggest surplus in history = the one Bush threw away)and helping people? The Republicans never said word 1 about all the money the Bush Administration and the GOP majority wasted, burnt through, tossed into sand holes in the deserts of Iraq.
Not word 1 when it comes to military spending on killing people and we got more than our fair share of dead people for our tax dollars – I’ll give them that.
The minute we want to spend money to help actual people who are actually in this country, the GOP yells “taxes and spending on social programs! Ack!”
Double standard much?
Unemployment is at 10.2% – which is not good – the party in power simply has to take some responsibility for that.
“Unemployment is at 10.2% – which is not good – the party in power simply has to take some responsibility for that.”
O put a sock in it.
Sorry, Greg, but I think the GOPs egregious foot-dragging on the Unemployment Benefits Extension pretty much neutralizes any cred they have on calling for more “bipartisanship” on the matter now and people get that.
I get so weary reading this ****. If the repugs want bipartisanship, then they should start being bipartisan. It is not a difficult concept. Obama was trying to include them long past any hope of getting them positively involved, but they flat out said that no matter what went into the health reform bill, they would oppose it.
Tomvox1 kind of put his finger right on it when he pointed out that the Repugs even opposed extending unemployment benefits. And now they want bipartisanship!!!
sbj illustrates what we mean when we complain about the repugs living in an alternate universe. Obama watered down the stimulus bill just to keep the repugs happy and now that it didn’t do everything that it could have, sbj starts blaming the Democrats!! Judas Priest!! What does the guy(?) use for a brain??
Salon used to have a column by Wingnut (said to be Rove himself) that supposedly explained conservative thinking. It became embarrassingly obvious after about the second or third column that no thought was involved, just spin and “misrepresentation,” so it was eventually dropped. Sbj illustrates that problem in spades.
I shouldn’t give sbj all the credit for being the only repug in an alternate existence. Baby Hugo (”Reagan wasn’t raising taxes.”) should come in for his share. As BH must be aware, after cutting taxes and seeing the deficit going to blazes, Reagan then raised them back.
KM, the reason that Bush wasn’t printing money to cover his debts brought on by his tax cuts and his pointless, outsourced, privatized wars is that he put them on the nation’s credit card. That means that he went on the fly now, someone else pay later plan. Now the bills are starting to come due. Are you willing to pay your share? I didn’t think so.
Republican Bush more than DOUBLED the US debt.
It’s what Republicans do, it’s the Republican Debtor Party.
Republican Reagan increased the US debt by 260%.
Between Republican Presidents Reagan and Bush 1 they more than QUADRUPLED the US debt.
But lets be clear, on top of Republican Bush 2’s more than doubling the US debt, he was also handing out trillions of dollars to his corporate cronies through the back door of the Fed.
Also, nobody really knows how much money Republican Bush was printing, from what I understand the Republican Bush administration literally stopped reporting how much money they were printing, Bush kept it a secret, so nobody really knows how much the currency has been inflated by Republican Bush.
(And for the record, while Republican Presidents Reagan, Bush 1, and Bush 2 all INCREASED the US debt as a percentage of GDP, the last Democratic President LOWERED the US debt as a percentage of GDP AND left US a surplus which the Republicans promptly squandered.)
Do you want Obama to cut spending or spend more?
Hundreds of billions more? Trillions?
I want President Obama to spend whatever it takes to put America on a course for strong recovery.
And again, keep in mind the standards that the Republicans have set for themselves: Republican President Reagan increased the US debt by 260%, a debt incurred by Republican Reagan during a time of peace, no less.
Obama has both of the wars that Republican Bush 2 left him (three wars if you count the GWOT) AND Republican Bush’s 2007 Great Recession to contend with.
Yes, Obama needs to spend whatever it takes to recovery from the Republican Recession.
And if Republicans were patriots they would tax themselves to pay for the wars they started.
Seriously, how could any “conservative” demand tax cuts during multiple wars?
It’s obscene.
“Painting, like music, has nothing to do with reproduction of nature, nor interpretation of intellectual meanings. Whoever is able to feel the beauty of colors and forms has understood non-objective [abstract] painting.” — Hilla Rebay