Anyone see Austan Goolsbee fall flat on his face when Jon Stewart asked him why LIHEAP needs cuts?

[no limit]

Las night Jon Stewart asked Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the council of economic advisers for the Obama administration, why we need to be making draconian cuts to the budget such as cutting assitance for low income families to buy heating oil. Goolsbee responded with the standard white house talking points on this issue and he should know that's not a very good idea if talking with Jon Stewart.

Goolsbee says that these cuts were bringing the spending for this program back to 2008 levels when Obama increased it. The reason this is okay? Because oil is no longer $140 a barrel. But as Jon Stewart pointed out to him what the cost of crude oil was at the time has nothing to do with this program (not to mention crude oil will probably be even higher this summer than it was back then). The more important thing to look at is the cost of heating oil, which has actually increased since 2008 when Obama first increased spending on this program:

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/Economics/Commodities.aspx?Symbol=HO1

In January of 2008 the average price was $256.13 USD /gal, in January of this year it was $267.05. In February 2008 it was $265.04, this month it is $270.85.

Goolsbee's response? "I'm really impressed Jon, lets talk about Pell grants".

The video can be found here:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-february-24-2011/austan-goolsbee

[truebrit71]

1. There is ZERO justification for these cuts no matter how they try and parse it...

..and it is despicable that a Democratic President would propose such a thing...

[whathehell]

2. Yup...I think it's a message to repukes: "See?..I'm willing to screw the poor...

..Will you like me now"?

It's disgusting.

[Myrina]

4. Indeed.

n/t

[bullwinkle428]

6. To use a common JS expression..."nailed it!"

[whathehell]

12. Thanks..

Who is JS if I might ask?

[bullwinkle428]

13. Jon Stewart!

:)

[whathehell]

14. O.K...thanks again. n/t

[xchrom]

3. Recommend

[Tansy_Gold]

5. Indeed. n/t

[chill_wind]

7. How cerebral

and caring of him. "I'm really impressed Jon, lets talk about Pell grants".

Lost again without his whiteboard, was he?

[Lifelong Protester]

8. I give this a K & R and was disgusted by Goolsbee's performance

there is no justification for cutting programs for the poor to 'get our house in order'. CUT ELSEWHERE!

[no limit]

10. We need to keep pounding the administration on this. They know they have no leg to stand on

[Missy Vixen]

9. I was clapping in our family room

Goolsbee didn't really believe Stewart would call him out. It was obvious by his demeanor during most of the interview.

In the meantime, I am only sorry Jon didn't ask a few more "tough questions".

[CTyankee]

11. Goolsbee sounded like a guy in a bar who's had a few trying to keep

from sounding drunk. "Lemme tell you whass really goin' on here..."

[Jackpine Radical]

15. Not only is heating oil higher, but there are a lot more needy families

now than in 2008.

[ReggieVeggie]

16. so he was harder on Goolsbee than on Rumsfeld?

:eyes:

[Forkboy]

17. What do you think about Goolsbee's comments?

[ReggieVeggie]

23. Well, it's not as if Goolsbee is a favorite of mine

I'd just like to see Stewart really stick it to someone like Rumsfeld, who deserves every bit of it.

[no limit]

18. Nope. He was hard on Rumsfeld. But apparently the white house's position on...

cutting heating assistance to poor americans is even harder to defend than a bullshit war based on lies.

[Dragonfli]

19. Good post, I would like to see the party do the right thing and expand HEAP rather than cripple it

If we keep telling the truth it will be hard to sell right wing ideology in a party that claims to be left.
I do not like that they are selling toxic policy for no actual reason (other than coldly political).

It is a moral issue not a fiscal one, if it were about fiscal responsibility we would stop lowering taxes for the richest among us, we have a chance to be better than that.

We have a chance to be the party of the people, but only if we stop playing the same songs as the reaganites.
then applauding becausre a mistaken leader loves the tune.

[_ed_]

20. They have such deep contempt for the poor

And they don't even care when they are caught in an obvious lie. Why did Obama appoint rich pricks like Goolsbee, Summers, and Geithner?

[katnapped]

21. Easy...he's "one of them"

And likely believes most of the bullshit they sling

[_ed_]

22. Bingo!

He loves his rich buddies from Wall Street.