| Submit your comments on this article |
| Home Front: Politix |
| Crafty Obama Makes it Hard for Pubs to Obstruct His Grand Plan |
| 2011-09-09 |
| In this blog, our correspondents consider the fluctuations in the world economy and the policies intended to produce more booms than busts. Adam Smith argued that in a free exchange both parties benefit, and this blog's aim is to encourage a free exchange of views on economic matters. Here's an example of the 'free exchange of views'. Obama's "American Jobs Act" consists of a hefty $447 billion worth (roughly 3% of GDP) of new and renewed tax cuts and spending that, he hopes, will prevent a fiscal vice from pushing the economy into recession early next year. Its provisions were carefully chosen to stimulate job growth immediately while maximising the political price Republicans will pay to obstruct it. I added the emphasis. Yeah, those evil Pubs and the 48% of the whole country who elected them. The president sought to make it as difficult as possible for Republicans to obstruct his plans by ensuring each of his proposals had some Republican parentage. For example, the infrastructure bank is modelled on a measure proposed by John Kerry and Kay Bailey Hutchison, Democratic and Republican senators respectively. The US Chamber of Commerce, a fierce opponent of much of Mr Obama's agenda, has been a vocal advocate of more infrastructure spending. The use of unemployment benefits to retrain the jobless is based on a Georgia programme that Republicans have praised. Nonetheless, there are limits on Mr Obama's appetite and freedom to compromise. His liberal backers threatened to desert him as he repeatedly caved in to Republicans, extending George Bush's tax cuts We've been to this sermon before! |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #6 The stock market investors were not impressed with Obama's |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-09-09 21:57 |
| #5 Obama is campaigning and trolling for votes. Except this time the forum is both chambers of the Congress. What's different in this speech from all the others? He is still singing the praises of his snake oil. If people are still duped by anything he says, God help them and God help the country. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2011-09-09 20:45 |
| #4 negotiating with someone whose goalposts have wheels is foolish |
| Posted by: Frank G 2011-09-09 20:20 |
| #3 There is no bill, only a speech. That's not "crafty", it's idiotic. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2011-09-09 19:54 |
| #2 Must be a typo, I think they meant Krafty Obama - (mac &) cheesy. |
| Posted by: GlowingBubblehead 2011-09-09 17:31 |
| #1 "Crafty Obama" doesnotcomputedoesnotcomputedoesnotcompute |
| Posted by: Barbara 2011-09-09 15:13 |