8/15/2011

In a few weeks Obama will put forward an economic plan

With economic growth stalled and unemployment stuck above 9 percent and Obama is telling Congress to start delivering, Obama isn't exactly in a hurry himself and has promised that in a few weeks he will offer another economic plan. No reason to apply the standards he wants for Congress to himself. Note that taxpayers are paying for this bus tour (this is supposedly not a campaign tour), and then look at his attacks on Republicans. From Fox News:

"I'll be putting forward when they come back in September a very specific plan to boost the economy, to create jobs and to control our deficit. And my attitude is -- get it done," he said.
Obama was in Decorah to close the first day of a three-day Midwestern bus tour. Earlier he swiped at his Republican challengers, accusing them of lacking "common sense" for refusing to compromise on raising taxes. . . .


The LA Times has more details on part of what will be in Obama's proposal.

Obama's jobs agenda, which he plans to tout on his Midwestern tour, calls for $30 billion to rebuild roads, bridges and ports; improvements to the patent system to spur innovation; trade deals with a trio of countries to boost exports; a $40-billion extension of unemployment insurance benefits; and renewal of the current one-year reduction of the payroll tax at a cost of up to $120 billion.

A range of economists and Democratic critics call those ideas inadequate.

Asked about Obama's support for free-trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a center-left think tank, said, "I would think they would be embarrassed to mention it."

"These are small countries, and we already have a lot of trade with them," he added.

Obama's policies "are just not big enough to make much of a difference," said Robert Reich, who was Labor secretary under President Clinton. . . .


So this is what Obama said in going after Congress:

Seeking to exploit Congress's abysmally low approval ratings, President Obama is urging voters to tell their lawmakers they must compromise for the sake of the country.
In his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, Obama said people are frustrated by the partisan gridlock in Washington, especially after the brutal fight over increasing the nation's borrowing limit that didn't prevent the U.S. debt from being downgraded.
Obama tried to position himself on the side of the public and against a deeply unpopular Congress. But even though Obama's approval ratings aren't so good either, he clearly sees a need to direct the public's anger toward Congress or risk being the target himself as the 2012 campaign revs up.
"You've got a right to be frustrated," the president said. "I am. Because you deserve better. I don't think it's too much for you to expect that the people you send to this town start delivering."
"Members of Congress are at home in their districts right now. And if you agree with me -- whether you're a Democrat or a Republican or not much of a fan of either -- let them know." . . .

Labels: , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home