"On top of Iraq, we have lost 1.8 million jobs"
Interesting how that number just keeps dropping. It gets even lower when you no longer qualify it as "manufacturing" jobs, which is the correct way of phrasing that little factoid.
" and while there has been recent job creation, wages continue to stay below the rate of inflation "
Real wages have been a problem most of my life. They reached their peak in the 70's. This is not a "Bush" problem.
"Our long-term economic prospects, meanwhile, are degrading because of a $500 billion deficit. "
While I'm not crazy about a lot of Bush's spending, I'm kinda of amused at the late arrival, politically, of Democrats to this reality. Do you remember why the government shut down back in '95? Because Bill Clinton wouldn't commit to balancing the budget. Democrats refused to accept the concept that continued deficits were BAD. Clinton ran on a promise to balance the budget in ten years, then 7, then 9, then admitted he didn't think it was possible. While the Republicans fought to bring the budget under control, Democratic leadership repeated that they did not think running a permanent deficit was an evil.
So I find it strange that when it used to be the REPUBLICANS complaining about a deficit, it's now the Democrats.
Two things however, contributed to the job loss and deficit that George Bush CANNOT have his feet held to the fire over - the economy he inherited, and 9/11. Job losses, lost tax revenues and so on made it much worse. Simply put, during a recession you're GONNA HAVE a deficit, because you sure as hell can't tax your way out of it. If anything, you need to give tax relief to people who need the money, and tax incentive to the people making the jobs. I give George Bush the *credit* for improving a bad situation.
Interesting how that number just keeps dropping. It gets even lower when you no longer qualify it as "manufacturing" jobs, which is the correct way of phrasing that little factoid.
" and while there has been recent job creation, wages continue to stay below the rate of inflation "
Real wages have been a problem most of my life. They reached their peak in the 70's. This is not a "Bush" problem.
"Our long-term economic prospects, meanwhile, are degrading because of a $500 billion deficit. "
While I'm not crazy about a lot of Bush's spending, I'm kinda of amused at the late arrival, politically, of Democrats to this reality. Do you remember why the government shut down back in '95? Because Bill Clinton wouldn't commit to balancing the budget. Democrats refused to accept the concept that continued deficits were BAD. Clinton ran on a promise to balance the budget in ten years, then 7, then 9, then admitted he didn't think it was possible. While the Republicans fought to bring the budget under control, Democratic leadership repeated that they did not think running a permanent deficit was an evil.
So I find it strange that when it used to be the REPUBLICANS complaining about a deficit, it's now the Democrats.
Two things however, contributed to the job loss and deficit that George Bush CANNOT have his feet held to the fire over - the economy he inherited, and 9/11. Job losses, lost tax revenues and so on made it much worse. Simply put, during a recession you're GONNA HAVE a deficit, because you sure as hell can't tax your way out of it. If anything, you need to give tax relief to people who need the money, and tax incentive to the people making the jobs. I give George Bush the *credit* for improving a bad situation.
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