"lazy, intellectually dishonest drivel"

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_08/025320.php

ABOUT THOSE JOB LOSSES.... It's pretty obvious that the U.S. market has been in a crisis situation for far too long. By any reasonable measure, 2010 is vastly better than 2009, but with the unemployment rate pushing 10%, and initial claims for unemployment insurance climbing to 500,000 last week, the scope of the problem is enormous.

But that's no excuse for partisan nonsense. House Ways and Means ranking member Dave Camp (R-Mich.) issued a "report" yesterday, showing that -- get this -- the nation has lost jobs over the last year and a half. "While Democrats promised their 2009 stimulus would create 3.7 million jobs, the reality is far different," stated a release from Camp's office. "To date, 2.6 million jobs, including 2.5 million private sector jobs, have been lost."

This is lazy, intellectually dishonest drivel. That it's coming from someone who may be the next chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee is more than a little distressing.

Even a House Republican should be able to understand the reality here. When the Recovery Act passed, the economy was in freefall. When President Obama was sworn into office, the economy was losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month. By Camp's absurd reasoning, a recovery effort that didn't magically transform the entire economy, and instantly stop the job losses, necessarily constitutes failure. It's the kind of ridiculous argument one might hear from a partisan hack, desperate to score a cheap, baseless point, but leading members of Congress should know better.



Consider this chart Ezra Klein recently posted. The point isn't that the stimulus was perfect -- it should have been much bigger, not smaller as Camp would have hoped -- but rather, that the job losses predate the policies advanced by the Obama administration. (It's based on data economist Rob Shapiro put together, using Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.)

I realize guys like Camp have a petty little game to play. They either don't understand public policy very well, assume the public doesn't understand public policy very well, or perhaps a little of both. But independent analyses of the administration's recovery efforts prevented a catastrophe. The administration should have done much more -- in other words, it should have moved much further away from what Republican proposed -- but the objective evidence is nevertheless clear.

Camp's entire approach to economics has been thoroughly discredited, and at a moment of crisis, he and his GOP colleagues got it very wrong. He has a reason to be embarrassed, not a reason to publish silly reports.

—Steve Benen

[NJmaverick]

1. K&R

[tandot]

2. K & R

[TheKentuckian]

3. That's why leadership should be hammering away at the entire bullshit trickle down, free trade,

hands off the wheel, funnel to the wealthy and starve the masses, you're on your own, war is peace, boogie man in the closet, up your ass, rape mother nature fucked up and failed philosophies instead of trying to strike a balance or cut deals with them.

The pukes should have hung high for a month when the voted against that military appropriations bill a while back. A straight up Oval Office ball hanging but they were jazzed a bit and let off the hook.

The problem is we have too many that essentially agree with the Republicans but maybe they aren't a fundy or maybe they are turned off by the Tea Party/militia/Bircher Reich wing extremist nuttiness of the day club.

Obama has often said that there is 80% agreement between the parties, maybe that isn't helpful. Can you imagine 80% agreement with this sick fuckers???

[glitch]

9. Agreed. And the 20% difference should be hammered home before this election.

Rather than emphasizing the areas of agreement (assuming 80/20 is the actual split) and playing to the 'moderates'.

Because that 20% is NASTY and must not be risked.

[TheKentuckian]

11. Most if not all of the 80% is nasty as well. The 20% is constituency.

[laughingliberal]

14. +++1000 nt

[Hekate]

4. KnR

[SunsetDreams]

5. K&R

[Enthusiast]

6. Oh, they understand the reality alright.

They just don't want anyone informing the electorate of the true nature of reality.

How many Republicans on this Sunday Morning's talk shows will say, "Obama said if we passed his economic stimulus plan unemployment would not rise over 8%."? In this manner they hope to discredit any and all future stimulus.

And their message is dominant. Look at what they achieve with this message. It serves to tamp down any improvement in the economy. And it serves to cause voters to question the judgment of Obama and the Democratic Party. A two fold purpose. Where is the Democrat's strong response?

I get so fucking sick of hearing this GOP misinformation. And I'm so damn tired of waiting for a strong response.

[Billy Burnett]

7. Where are we going to hear this strong response? The corporate media?

What we need right now is a CLEAR message.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x418726

[laughingliberal]

15. +1 nt

[boppers]

8. Kayandarr! eom

[Milo_Bloom]

10. The data I have seen shows a overall GAIN of about 600,000

jobs from the stimulus.

Unfortunately, some people have been touting some rediculous 11.5 MILLION number.

Maybe if SOMEONE actually came forth with actual statistics instead of idiotic spin, we could make a real assesment.

[Doctor_J]

12. Lazy? hardly

lying, anti-American, and purposely deceitful? Absolutely

[angee_is_mad]

13. thank you

K&R!

[PufPuf23]

16. Obama dumped the $$$ into the top.

Ecology for Dummies 1 (or any non-ideaologue economist) would say inject the liquidity as far down as possible to increase demand and the economic multiplier.

Tax dollars bought mostly air and war instead of infrastruture, green energy, environmental investment, and small and local business.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

17. I PROTEST!

When I see the words "lazy, intellectually dishonest drivel" I feel I have the right to expect the thread will be about Sarah Palin.


Harumph!