bushwacked Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Watching Democrats and Republicans hash out their differences in the public arena, it’s easy to get the impression that there’s a deep disagreement among reasonable people about how to manage the U.S. economy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Let’s start with Obama’s stimulus. The standard Republican talking point is that it failed, meaning it didn’t reduce unemployment. Yet in a survey of leading economistsconducted by the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, 92 percent agreed that the stimulus succeeded in reducing the jobless rate. On the harder question of whether the benefit exceeded the cost, more than half thought it did, one in three was uncertain, and fewer than one in six disagreed.In reality, there’s remarkable consensus among mainstream economists, including those from the left and right, on most major macroeconomic issues. The debate in Washington about economic policy is phony. It’s manufactured. And it’s entirely political. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-23/the-u-s-economic-policy-debate-is-a-sham.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Billy Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Tell that to business owners. And job seekers. Nice talking points memo posting, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted August 4, 2012 Author Share Posted August 4, 2012 The debate in Washington has become completely unmoored from this consensus, and in a particular direction: Angry Republicans have pushed their representatives to adopt positions that are at odds with the best of modern economic thinking. That may be good politics, but it’s terrible policy. Wurd...similar to the climate change; Republicans are so devout in pushing their political agenda they have no problem with dismissing the science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 I go back to Washington DC once or twice a year to talk tax policy with congressional staffers, members of the US Treasury, IRS, Tax Court, Joint Committee on Taxation, and the Taxpayer Advocate's office. Good and decent people, all of them. These dutiful civil servants are universally frustrated that sensible, political solutions to recognized technical problems remain out of reach because of the inability to cooperate legislatively even when they (mostly) agree with each other privately. There is an apparent policy of noncooperation the effectively requires issues to reach a state of crisis before these guys will get together and do their jobs. Both parties are guilty of it but the current GOP is the worst of the two offenders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 but how many people took a severe pay cut when they became employed again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big John Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Tell that to business owners. And job seekers. Nice talking points memo posting, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonorator Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 how is this thread still here if politics are not allowed? and on and on ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better." Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better." Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006 Was true then and is still true today. Leadership includes a whole bunch more people than just the President. Starting with Congress. Notice he says "Washington" not "The White House". He wasn't saying Bush is a lousy leader, he's talking about all parts of our federal government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice1 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Was true then and is still true today. Leadership includes a whole bunch more people than just the President. Starting with Congress. Notice he says "Washington" not "The White House". He wasn't saying Bush is a lousy leader, he's talking about all parts of our federal government. Unfortunately, he is the leader and the buck does stop with him. He hasn't fixed anything and should be removed in the hopes the next will guy will actually take it seriously enough to begin the process of dealing with the the issue. Why one wonders has Obama not used his bully pulpit to force Reid to offer a budget? The house passes one every year. The Senate, not for well over a 1000 days. Hmmmm as leader today, he knew this was a problem in 2006 yet has made our financial picture far worse than all before him. Leadership doesn't mean blaming Congress, it does mean working with both sides. Forcing Reid to offer a budget as a prime example would have forced reconciliation. Where has this President said to government to bring in a balanced budget and I will sign it? We can all blame the left or the right, but the leader needs to rise above with both parties and force the issue. Has he? The answer is obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egret Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) Since nobody noticed my post in the turkey thread with the link to the guy screaming at turkeys. I'm posting it here. Let's try to stay on topic. Edited August 8, 2012 by Egret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) Since nobody noticed my post in the turkey thread with the link to the guy screaming at turkeys. I'm posting it here. Let's try to stay on topic. That may very well be the most thoughtful post in this thread. Edited August 8, 2012 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 He hasn't fixed anything Mega dittos Rush! Since nobody noticed my post in the turkey thread with the link to the guy screaming at turkeys. I'm posting it here. Let's try to stay on topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevegrab Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Unfortunately, he is the leader and the buck does stop with him. He hasn't fixed anything and should be removed in the hopes the next will guy will actually take it seriously enough to begin the process of dealing with the the issue. Why one wonders has Obama not used his bully pulpit to force Reid to offer a budget? The house passes one every year. The Senate, not for well over a 1000 days. Hmmmm as leader today, he knew this was a problem in 2006 yet has made our financial picture far worse than all before him. Leadership doesn't mean blaming Congress, it does mean working with both sides. Forcing Reid to offer a budget as a prime example would have forced reconciliation. Where has this President said to government to bring in a balanced budget and I will sign it? We can all blame the left or the right, but the leader needs to rise above with both parties and force the issue. Has he? The answer is obvious. So now we're electing people just hoping the next guy gets it and does better? No wonder we're screwed. Perch's post reads like a campaign ad, "Obama said this when he was a senator, and as president he didn't fix it, so vote him out, he'd do the same thing." The old "gotcha' stuff. My point is there are many leaders (in both parties) responsible for the current problems and lack of solutions. Replacing the president is not going to change that. But I know that you and perch have your minds made up, and probably wouldn't vote for a DEM regardless. So its all a moot point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yukon Cornelius Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 lots of jobs here, in st croix county! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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