Comments on: Obama’s Clever Fiscal Stimulus Strategy

By: $peciallist

$peciallist — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:28:32 +0000

don’t bash my Bush!….

i work all day tomorrow…wait till then….

By: LJ "Beaglescout" Miller

LJ "Beaglescout" Miller — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:28:02 +0000

He meddled altogether too much, not too little, in the economy, and the reason that FDR won was because he promised to repeal Prohibition. Despite his meddling, the economy pretty much stabilized by the end of Hoover’s term. It took FDR to bring Unemployment up to 20% and create another 8 years of Depression in the US while Europe was recovering.

By: James_Roe

James_Roe — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:25:20 +0000

I just wasn’t really sure we were having a conversation about anything other than whether or not I was here, didn’t seem like there was much point in continuing the conversation.

By: Erick Brockway

Erick Brockway — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:18:19 +0000

Scary, very scary…

By: bs

bs — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:06:27 +0000

By: $peciallist

$peciallist — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:04:39 +0000

at least I got my ‘reply to’ skills back…for now

And……note to self….quit replying to Leon with Moby pictures….it’s not good for you…

By: 1SGinTN

1SGinTN — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:58:31 +0000

our Republican lawmakers are in danger of falling into. You and Jon Henke have stated the problem well.

I fear there are many without the same clarity of thought, however.

I have the distinct feeling that we are about to re-live the folly of the New Deal
if we are not careful. Especially since conventional wisdom deems the New Deal a good thing. Time to call forth the ghost of John T. Flynn.

By: $peciallist

$peciallist — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:42:59 +0000

something I’ve been failing tonight?

By: James_Roe

James_Roe — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:40:06 +0000

I’m still here.

By: $peciallist

$peciallist — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:37:50 +0000

I hope you don’t vanish now that I am talking to you…..

By: bs

bs — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:35:58 +0000

GWB will be gone in 2 weeks. Virtually every conservative agrees that his spending policies were horrid. The fact that the (almost) past GOP president had poor policy doesn’t mean it has to continue.

By: James_Roe

James_Roe — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:32:35 +0000

I mean I personally strongly believe in oversight of all of our expenditures it just seems particularly disingenuous to me to be arguing that democratic deficit spending is bad when none of the same arguments were voiced for our deficit spending.

http://www.eriposte.com/economy/indicators/bush_deficit_graphic.gif

This chart from Reuters which is a reasonably reliable news source pretty clearly demonstrates that republican administrations are far more likely to spend more than democrats.

I would much rather see bridges to nowhere than numerous failed building projects in Iraq, Here we could at least be sure that the bridge would stay built for a reasonable time frame and that americans were being paid for their work.

I think that given the questionable track record the republican party has as the party of fiscal responsibility our messaging would be better served by offering an alternate plan. I think this spending package is coming regardless and that it behooves us to have an alternative. Merely tying it up in congress is just going to paint us as Herbert Hooverites, to slow to respond to a crisis and ultimately compounding it.

If we have clear alternatives we can make the dems own this recession / depression in 2010. Instead I think by watering it down we are merely providing them with an out when it ultimately fails. The real battle over the next 2 years is not about what legislation Obama passes it is instead about who owns the coming economic tribulations and by failing to have any ideas that can be contrasted against the dems we are giving away a real opportunity to make it their baby.

By: Praveen

Praveen — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:51:00 +0000

I suspect its going to be both. Massive spending(infrastructure, education, green projects,new projects etc.) and tax cuts (including welfare).

I suspect lot of republicans will fall for it.