At what point is it Obama's fault?

[Tsing Tao]

It was diluted, call it "pre diluted", in the sense that the political climate of the time, particularly the shrill volume of the tea party, but also including the no cooperation vow the (R) made, would have killed a proposal for a stimulus big enough to largely counter the fall in GDP. So it (bigger) wasn't tried, and so the jobs target was missed. All this assumes that government spending can create jobs, of course.

It doesn't matter that bigger wasn't tried. We were told that amount, if approved, would bring about an employment situation that was no where near where reality came in.

Please show examples of how Republicans cut or diluted spending of projects in the stimulus bill.

 

[Ricter]

Senate GOP Blocks Obama's $60 Billion Infrastructure Plan
Published November 03, 2011

"WASHINGTON – Republicans in the Senate Thursday dealt President Obama the third in a string of defeats on his stimulus-style jobs agenda, blocking a $60 billion measure for building and repairing infrastructure like roads and rail lines.

"Supporters of the failed measure said it would have created tens of thousands of construction jobs and lifted the still-struggling economy. But Republicans unanimously opposed it for its tax surcharge on the wealthy and spending totals they said were too high."

More >>

 

[der_kommissar]

It's becoming obvious that our "economy" operates its bubble/bust functions around the two terms of the President's. Just using recent history as a guide: 2000 tech crash (2 terms of Clinton) in the lead up to Bush vs Gore....2008 crash (2 terms of Bush) that ushered in Obama...You could say that 87 was a pre-cursor to the 88 election after the two terms of Reagan as well...I don't know how far you could go back with this, but it makes me believe that the scapegoating of the predecessor has become endemic...

 

[Tsing Tao]

Senate GOP Blocks Obama's $60 Billion Infrastructure Plan
Published November 03, 2011

"WASHINGTON – Republicans in the Senate Thursday dealt President Obama the third in a string of defeats on his stimulus-style jobs agenda, blocking a $60 billion measure for building and repairing infrastructure like roads and rail lines.

"Supporters of the failed measure said it would have created tens of thousands of construction jobs and lifted the still-struggling economy. But Republicans unanimously opposed it for its tax surcharge on the wealthy and spending totals they said were too high."

More >>

That had nothing to do with the original stimulus program.

 

[AAAintheBeltway]

Liberals only seem to be able to grasp simple concepts, so here's a question for them: would bringing in 20 million uneducated people who do mainly day labor help or hurt the wages of low income americans? Particularly blacks.

 

[Ricter]

Liberals only seem to be able to grasp simple concepts, so here's a question for them: would bringing in 20 million uneducated people who do mainly day labor help or hurt the wages of low income americans? Particularly blacks.

If you're assuming those 20 million are only labor supply (that they come with no demand), and only create a labor surplus, then you have a good point. A good, Marxian point.

 

[Ricter]

That had nothing to do with the original stimulus program.

You're making this a helluva fight, and a good one.

 

[Arnie]

Senate GOP Blocks Obama's $60 Billion Infrastructure Plan
Published November 03, 2011

"WASHINGTON – Republicans in the Senate Thursday dealt President Obama the third in a string of defeats on his stimulus-style jobs agenda, blocking a $60 billion measure for building and repairing infrastructure like roads and rail lines.

"Supporters of the failed measure said it would have created tens of thousands of construction jobs and lifted the still-struggling economy. But Republicans unanimously opposed it for its tax surcharge on the wealthy and spending totals they said were too high."

More >>

So, the 2009 stimulus bill that spent $830 billion didn't work, but a $60 billion stimulus two years later would have gotten the job done?

 

[Tsing Tao]

You're making this a helluva fight, and a good one.

Sorry, what? You implied that the reason the original stimulus did not achieve the job figures that were promised (if we only passed the stimulus) was because Republican obstruction to that package caused the projections to be off base. No such obstructionism was done on that stimulus package at all. So I'm not sure what you're talking about. Either you're wrong, or you're referring to something I'm not aware of.

 

[CaptainObvious]

I think fault is the wrong word to use. Ownership would be more appropriate IMO. He has never taken ownership for the consequences of the polices he put forth to try and correct the disaster that he did in fact inherit. Anyone with an ounce of intellectual honesty knows that without the manipulation from the Fed the DOW would be several thousand points lower. Everyone knows that the true unemployment rate is considerably higher than the B.S we're being told, and the hidden inflation is breaking the backs of working class Americans. Flat lined wages and benefit cuts are still the norm and have been for decades.
It's a smoke and mirror job and Comrade Sanders is the only one who even comes close to exposing the fraud being perpetrated by this government. That's his only plus as his solution is to triple down on the policies that got us here to being with.
Blaming Obama for all of this is absurd. It's the entirety of our criminally corrupt, bought and paid for government, which continues the game at the expense of every working American in this country. Obama is merely a different face playing the same game. Some people foolishly believed, and still stupidly believe, that the color of that face would make a difference.