Robert Reich tells Romney how to get to 4% unemployment...

[Richardo]

...very simple, no?

[Tennessee Gal]

1. Exactly!!

[ProSense]

2. This point

from the Think Progress piece is a keeper:

<...>

Romney’s comments also don’t reflect well on Ronald Reagan, who Romney now says he wants to emulate. The average yearly unemployment rate exceeded 7% for most of his presidency and never dropped below 5.5%.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/05/05/478702/clinton-labor-secretary-romney-4-unemployment/

[goclark]

3. Love it!

That should be a Superpack AD

[handmade34]

4. to Mr Reich...

[coalition_unwilling]

5. Served, pwn*d and owned, all in a single

Tweet (I'm guessing). Saw Reich speak at Occupy Los Angeles (via Livestream). It was an awesome presentation and he was in a presentation that included some other heavyweights like Michael Hudson (himself streaming from Germany to OLA).

[msongs]

6. might as well tell Romney because Obama just ignored him nt

[ProSense]

8. Yeah, Romney

will listen. He might even appoint Reich as Labor Secretary and launch a new deal program.

That'll teach Obama!

[hay rick]

9. +

[bhikkhu]

10. Which one of the two has been talking up and trying to raise taxes on the wealthy?

Romney is still pumping the notion that giving the "job-creators" more tax breaks is how to create jobs. The one problem with that is that the "job creators" already own the vast majority of the country's material wealth; how much more do they need before they start creating those jobs?

[progressoid]

27. Talk is cheap.

[bhikkhu]

28. A "president romney" may do exactly what he says he will do, if given the chance

Playing chicken with nutjobs is a lousy strategy, as bad as hamstringing the president's agenda by giving the house and senate to the repugs as an expression of discontent in 2010 was.

[progressoid]

39. I don't doubt he would.

But our side had ample opportunity to do something about it, and we didn't for a number of reasons. I'm not just singling out the White House, congress also did nothing.

I don't think the repugs' threats of filibuster or the President being hamstrung was as big an issue as everyone makes it out to be. Frankly, most in the DC (including our side) don't seem too interested in fighting for us.

It's election time so the rhetoric is again ramped up to woo voters. But once the elections are over, I ain't holding my breath waiting for them to follow through on their promises...

...fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.

[Blecht]

42. At least Obama show some respect for us

He thinks we're worth lying to in order to get our votes.

And I'll vote for somebody who pretends to be progressive over somebody who pretends to be conservative any time.

[Jamaal510]

12. Isn't raising taxes on the wealthy what Obama's been trying to do all this time

or am I just crazy?

[gratuitous]

13. True dat

I look for us to be favored soon by the Obama uber alles brigade with some nitwittery about Romney listening better, as if that was the point of your post. But I'm sure it will be regarded as an irrefutable bon mot by some.

[MannyGoldstein]

14. Bullshit. Reich doesn't understand how real governing happens

If Reich ever had, say, a Cabinet position, he'd understand how we need to be pragmatic and do whatever the Republicans want.

[ProSense]

15. Actually, he

"Bullshit. Reich doesn't understand how real governing happens

If Reich ever had, say, a Cabinet position, he'd understand how we need to be pragmatic and do whatever the Republicans want."

...does. He was in the Clinton administration: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002227973

If he had a cabinet position, he'd likely support Obama's trade deals.

[Fumesucker]

19. Your snarkometer needs to go to the shop..

Because it's clearly broken..

[FogerRox]

20. Yeah, your snarkometer is busted, please see a mechanic.

[ProSense]

22. Wow,

who called the "snarkometer" police. Two of you showed up.

Reich was a member of the Clinton administration and does support trade.

I'll work on the "snarkometer," officers.

[SunSeeker]

36. LOL. Thanks, ProSense. You seem to be a lonely voice of reason today.

What is up with all the Obama haters today? It seems their response to Skinner's Friday post is to do even more of what Skinner said not to do: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1013&pid=1399

And, judging by the unhidden attacks on Obama (particularly on the pot threads!), the general election Terms of Service are not being enforced.

I'm glad you're here to rebut with the facts. Your service is appreciated.

[TBF]

43. Manny knows Reich was a member of the Clinton Administration -

he was being sarcastic.

[tommyshi]

49. Cabinet Post?

The last time checked The Secretary of Labor is a Cabinet Post!!!!!!!!!

[Dragonfli]

16. Since they both ignore him, doesn't that mean it is a wash?

[pa28]

18. Reich would have been a great choice to head Obama's jobs council.

Unfortunately the CEO of General Electric got the nod.

Maybe he's the one who told President Obama that America needs to import (cheap) engineering talent. Something about not enough qualified people here to fill all the available jobs.

[Demeter]

37. Thank You! You Speak for Me, Too

Who will tell the President that his slip is showing?

In fact, this is one of the least 99%-Reality-based administrations and campaigns the Democrats have ever had to endure. I'm tired of voting while holding my nose. We have to Occupy our own party, first, if we really want change and hope.

[Bolo Boffin]

7. Romney's setting sail on the Ship of Fail. n/t

[geckosfeet]

11. The word.

[Skittles]

17. AND STOP SUBSIDIZING OFFSHORING

[NoMoreWarNow]

21. but that's soshilizm!

and the rich work hard for their money! Americans are just lazy!
/typical conservative

[MNBrewer]

30. See? Socialism WORKS!

[TBF]

44. Unfortunately in this country socialism

only works for the top 1%

[davidwparker]

23. Quaint idea. Sounds like it may work. n/t

[KeepItReal]

24. Aw yeah! Give 'em hell, Robert Reich!

eom

[AlbertCat]

25. So there!

Everybody knows this.... even if they "don't". We all know exactly what to do.

[Aviation Pro]

26. Ha...

...in your fucking mug, Lurch.

Such a fuckwit.

[elleng]

29. Yes, simple, and THEY say, simply, NO!!!

[dkf]

31. When I see a graph of unemployment, I see it go down in times of bubbles

Then the bubble pops and unemployment shoots up.

The solution to our problems is obvious...we need another bubble. Hey maybe it can be a government hiring bubble and then when the cost of money gets too expensive the Feds can lay people off in droves and cause another spike in unemployment.

[RevStPatrick]

32. We need a space bubble.

That's a bubble that will last for a very long time...

[Ruby the Liberal]

33. Yes, that is/was the Alan Greenspan model for the economy in a nutshell.

Fortunately, he recognized his errors years ago.

I am sure the knowledge of why Supply Side economics (and bubble promotion) is a failure will filter down to everyone else in time.

[cyberswede]

45. +1

You'd think people would understand this by now. How many years have we tried it? Since Reagan?

[Scurrilous]

34. K & R

[scribble]

35. Addendum ...

A manufacturing job creates around three service jobs over the course of a year to fifteen months.

1) An employee working on a factory floor spends most of his/her paycheck on goods or services that adds a bit more than one job to the economy in a year.

2) A factory employee creates new goods for his/her employer, who sells those goods for a bit more than double what they cost to manufacture. The warehousing, shipping, marketing, sale and use of these new goods adds almost two new jobs to the economy in a year.

In contrast, a service job creates two new jobs every three years or so.

It therefore makes sense for Obama to focus stimulus money on creating manufacturing jobs. We still need service jobs, but we can partially rely on manufacturing job creation to help us out.

We don't need to bring back unskilled jobs from China. We can create skilled jobs designing and building complex products.


sc

[IamK]

38. I love that sawed off little bastard.... n/t

[Richardo]

41. !!

I totally agree.

[caveat_imperator]

40. I miss those days.

Still can't believe the media fooled enough people into thinking ending these policies was a good idea. bush shouldn't have even received 30%.

[infrared]

46. investment in your people and infrastructure and the U.S. will be rewarded big time for a long time

But others would rather invest in the industrial military complex only.

After all look what we got in the past.

Two Wars = Cheney + White House + Bush + Halliburton + industrial military complex + stupidity

[Capn Sunshine]

47. Don't forget the cousin of MIC: PIC

The Prison Industrial Complex assures there will be continuing presure to criminalize indebtedness and thoughtcrime

[montanto]

48. I though Obama was president?