Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Talk About "Bad Debt"
This morning’s New York Times story on some Republican governors supporting the Obama administration’s stimulus plan—specifically, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, Gov. Jim Douglas of Vermont, Gov. M. Jodi Rell of Connecticut and Gov. Charlie Christ—is certainly written by reporter Jackie Calmes with a certain villain in mind: House Republicans who voted against the bill.
Well, we suppose that is one way to look at it; through the prism of who won the news day, who’s up, who’s down. But let’s take a step back and look closer at one of those states: California.
The Golden State has no budget. Its unemployment is at 9.3 percent. The governor today will layoff up to 20,000 state employees and suspect 275 public works projects already underway. Only a weak—or deliberately partisan—mind would fault the Republicans in Congress, and seven Democrats, who think the president’s bill is the wrong way to stimulate the economy.
A much more sophisticated analysis would delve into how California’s leaders have so mismanaged the state’s finances that it needs an emergency $42 billion to stay afloat. And they’re not alone. Forty states in the U.S. are unable to balance their budgets. What could the leaders of these states have been doing over the past few years to create such a toxic economic environment?
Well, we suppose that is one way to look at it; through the prism of who won the news day, who’s up, who’s down. But let’s take a step back and look closer at one of those states: California.
The Golden State has no budget. Its unemployment is at 9.3 percent. The governor today will layoff up to 20,000 state employees and suspect 275 public works projects already underway. Only a weak—or deliberately partisan—mind would fault the Republicans in Congress, and seven Democrats, who think the president’s bill is the wrong way to stimulate the economy.
A much more sophisticated analysis would delve into how California’s leaders have so mismanaged the state’s finances that it needs an emergency $42 billion to stay afloat. And they’re not alone. Forty states in the U.S. are unable to balance their budgets. What could the leaders of these states have been doing over the past few years to create such a toxic economic environment?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
High Marks for Performance, Not Substance
MSNBC’s Morning Joe crew gave President Obama high marks for his press conference on Monday night. For his performance. Likewise, Bob Herbert has a much buzzed about column in this morning’s New York Times in which he ladles praise on President Obama’s tactical approach to pushing the stimulus package. Herbert compares the president to “a championship chess player, always several moves ahead of friend and foe alike.”
Reasonable people can agree that President Obama communicated his message effectively and that he is a master politician. But where is the praise for the substance of the stimulus bill? Well, there is very little of it out there. One reason might be that the compromise measure as passed by the Senate has only been available to the public since 11:00 PM last Saturday night.
Another reason might be that the plan simply isn’t all that good for the economy and very few people are confident that it will work.
Reasonable people can agree that President Obama communicated his message effectively and that he is a master politician. But where is the praise for the substance of the stimulus bill? Well, there is very little of it out there. One reason might be that the compromise measure as passed by the Senate has only been available to the public since 11:00 PM last Saturday night.
Another reason might be that the plan simply isn’t all that good for the economy and very few people are confident that it will work.
Who Wants to “Do Nothing?”
Reading Twitter last night I observed a common objection to President Obama’s remarks: No one is suggesting we “do nothing” to fix the economy.
One of my favorites comes from Weekly Standard blogger Mary Katharine Ham: “Seriously, the ‘people who want to do nothing’ straw man is OVERDONE, Obama.”
Overdone, Indeed.
One of my favorites comes from Weekly Standard blogger Mary Katharine Ham: “Seriously, the ‘people who want to do nothing’ straw man is OVERDONE, Obama.”
Overdone, Indeed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)