Reich: Why Obama Doesn't Present A Bold Jobs Plan

[Bluebear]

Even though the President’s two former top economic advisors (Larry Summers and Christy Roemer) have called for a major fiscal boost to the economy, the President has remained mum. Why?

I’m told White House political operatives are against a bold jobs plan. They believe the only jobs plan that could get through Congress would be so watered down as to have almost no impact by Election Day. They also worry the public wouldn’t understand how more government spending in the near term can be consistent with long-term deficit reduction. And they fear Republicans would use any such initiative to further bash Obama as a big spender.

So rather than fight for a bold jobs plan, the White House has apparently decided it’s politically wiser to continue fighting about the deficit. The idea is to keep the public focused on the deficit drama – to convince them their current economic woes have something to do with it, decry Washington’s paralysis over fixing it, and then claim victory over whatever outcome emerges from the process recently negotiated to fix it. They hope all this will distract the public’s attention from the President’s failure to do anything about continuing high unemployment and economic anemia.

When I first heard this I didn’t want to believe it. But then I listened to the President’s statement yesterday in the midst of yesterday’s 634-point drop in the Dow.

At a time when the nation’s eyes were on him, seeking an answer to what was happening, he chose not to talk about the need for a bold jobs plan but to talk instead about the budget deficit – as if it were responsible for the terrible economy, including Wall Street’s plunge. He spoke of Standard & Poor’s decision to downgrade the nation’s debt as proof that Washington’s political paralysis over deficit reduction “could do enormous damage to our economy and the world’s,” and said the nation could reduce its deficit and jump-start the economy if there was “political will in Washington.”

http://robertreich.org/post/8704286098

[MessiahRp]

1. Obama the Spineless.

So much for the guy who said during the HCR debate that he was willing to be a one term President to fight what he believes in. Of course he didn't do it then and won't do it now.

Though knowing the economic slant this President has, I'd be rather concerned what his bright ideas are anyway.

[Dragonfli]

8. More NAFTA type agreements (no really, that is what he wants to sell us as a jobs plan)

He has the gall to try to use this to get our support in helping him get more "free" trade through.
That is what he will be pushing now that his focus is on "jobs".

I hope he fails and we get a Democrat to run for President, perhaps on real jobs programs that have worked historicaly rather than cteating more jobs in other countries and shutting down more shops here.
We can not take any more of this Republican leadership, after Bush I don,t know if we can survive one more year of his Reaganesque economic theories let alone five more years of it.

He is rather sure of both himself and our stupidity to try to sell this shite as jobs to the Democratic party (the party being Democratic citizens, not the bought politicians in our party).

[inna]

12. Nothing "spineless" whatsoever about Mr. President; he's rather "ruthless/relentless"

if anything (about his pet projects, that is, such as...

[blindpig]

14. He is fighting for what he believes in....

Wall Street.

[fujiyama]

2. Wait, wait Summer is calling for a major fiscal boost now?

After being a major part of writing the original stimulus plan (which was largely tax cuts, UIA extensions, and money for states), and was purposely "ramped up" and wasn't intended to be a WPA type program providing an immediate boost to the economy?

What a lousy piece of shit Summers is. I thought Summers was bad earlier, but he comes off worse the more I hear about him. I don't understand why anyone could have thought bringing him on board would be a good idea.

As for the situation now... Well, if Obama couldn't give Congress a bold jobs bill when he had the majority of both houses, why does anyone expect ANYTHING now?

[leveymg]

4. If you're facing a collapse of an empire, Summers has experience managing it in Russia.

Is that really useful, desirable policy experience? That's a different question.

[fujiyama]

5. Ah I forgot about that

It's certainly useful and desirable experience for him. I'd love to know how much he's profited since leaving the administration alone. He's worth over 30 million dollars I think, but that was like two years ago.

[leveymg]

6. Same policy prescriptions applied here: cut social net, privatize, consolidate, export, to hell

with the elderly and the hindmost. Impose an authoritarian executive with a strong willingness to sacrifice public goods for private gain, and a high tolerance for corruption and human misery.

Managing crisis capitalism and IMF-style restructuring is Summers' specialty. I believe that was why he was brought on board as Obama's top economic advisor - a collapse has been in the works for a decade or longer.

[elehhhhna]

17. ya forgot "stay in Afghanistan for no good reason". very costly.

[inna]

21. great point. We're talking pure plunder;

in fact, more like rape and plunder. Piracy on unprecedented scale (where America becomes the third world), Milton Friedman's wet dream, actualized beyond his wildest expectations. :shrug:

Oh well. All of this is quite well described, and, as you said, has been in works for decades.

:nuke:

[amborin]

24. Summers was early advocate of reaganomics & "let 'em eat pollution" fame

wanted to ship US' toxic wastes to low income nations whose citizens' low life expectancy meant, according to S, that they'd be dead before they contracted cancer from the wastes' carcinogens

[leveymg]

3. KNR. As usual, Reich is probably right about this.

[LooseWilly]

7. Reich restating the obvious... again and again.

It's mind boggling really that so few seem to hear...

[TomClash]

9. If people don't start getting jobs soon

the President won't be keeping his.

[Major Hogwash]

10. " . . . major fiscal boost . . . "

How much money does Reich want us to print?

[Fumesucker]

16. As much for Main Street as Wall Street got would be nice..

But I know better than to wish for rainbow pooping unicorns.

[Countdown_3_2_1]

11. Present the Bold Plan, and make the pukes vote it down.

1) it makes the tea party the bad guys.
2) Not presenting any plan means you have NONE. just what the pukes want to convey.

3) stand up and FIGHT. or give up and let someone else run.

[hadrons]

13. Part of the problem is that although polls say people want a jobs bill...

we all know that the big money right-wing interests will run tons of TV/radio ads against it and a large portion of those people who say they would support a jobs bill will be against it and those who voted for it. We really have too many easily manipulated people in this country.

[Puglover]

15. What they should worry about is

the "public" getting sick and fucking tired of Obama nattering about the deficit. What was the analogy? Your house is on fire and decide it's a great time to wallpaper the dining room. They had better wake up or we could very well have a Republican president next cycle.

[Tennessee Gal]

18. This is ass backwards. People care more about jobs.

They are fed up with the fight about the deficit/debt ceiling.

Jobs, jobs, jobs, Mr. President. Get a clue.

Employed citizens can pay taxes, which helps with the deficits. Unemployed citizens do not pay taxes and need governmental help, which increases spending.

This country needs innovative and creative jobs plans.

[amborin]

19. K&R

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

20. "They also worry the public wouldn’t understand..."

That's part of the f'ing job.

:argh:

[cyberpj]

22. A LEADER wouldn't care about anything but doing the right thing and explaining it in an irrefuteable

way, ad nauseum, until a majority of the populace understood and agreed with it.

We have pleanty of US History to demonstrate the failure of 'trickle down' economics and the success of the post-depression Jobs/Works program.

Hell, just showing and quoting that graphic showing deficit trade-offs equaling upperclass bonuses should be enough. I've seen several graphics and charts using Bush tax cuts info that were unarguable regarding where all the money has gone.

I think Dems need to take a page from good ol' Ross Perot (well, before he went over the edge a bit) --he won a lot of support with common sense facts and pie charts. Certainly no income vs expenses is so complicated it can't be illustrated in a clear and concise way that the populace can understand and embrace.

Screw Congressional support -- and do what you threatened to do -- TAKE IT TO THE PEOPLE. Use facts, put them into pretty pictures and show the same ones over and over and over until EVERYONE gets it.

[cyberpj]

23. Start with THIS ONE:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=1726262

[leftstreet]

25. K&R