They're starting to surrender

[autorank]

Even the American Enterprise Institute is getting on board or, at least, hedging its bets. Check this quote out. It is pure Keynesian economics -- the Federal government and the federal workforce as a critical economic stabilizer. They'll have others challenge this at AEI but they're starting to see the obvious: standing on the sidelines and carping is going to sink all these no government,
no tax conservatives.

They're sunk anyway.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/As-unemployment-rises-Uncle-apf-14221791.html
WASHINGTON Feb 2. (AP) -- The economic downturn has forced private industry and state and local government to shed jobs, but one major employer in the country is hiring: The federal government.

While the nation's 11 million unemployed and the millions more who fear losing their jobs may feel Washington should streamline too, economists say a strong federal work force is key to economic recovery. Were President Barack Obama to put any of the nearly 2 million federal civil servants out in the street in the middle of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, the consequences could be dire.

"Federal belt-tightening would worsen the problem right now," said Kevin Hassett, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. "Most economists agree that the federal government is a built-in stabilizer," said Hassett, a former adviser to GOP presidential campaigns.

Obama's proposed $800-plus billion economic aid plan, which includes heavy spending on public works, is expected to increase the ranks of government workers, although mostly at the state and local level.

[mdmc]

1. socialism everywhere

..

[EFerrari]

2. I have no head for numbers, autorank. Do you mean that folks like AEI

are having to reposition their "small government, free market" stance because they have to support the socialization of the Wall Street f#ck ups and their bailout?

[autorank]

8. They have this guy getting on board for the same or larger federal govt.

That's ex-communication language in neocon circles. It was just interesting that they're testing the
waters by giving up the basis for their group - government is evil, strip it down, destroy it, fire the bureaucrats.

Tables have turned!

[ColbertWatcher]

3. What the GOP is doing is co-opting all FDR's ideas. n/t

[fascisthunter]

4. Gee... Yuh mean Government influences an economy

and vice versa????? No the economy is not autonomous and no it's always been tinkered with since the beginning of time. Want no taxes.... go look at any Banana Republic.... because that's what no taxes looks like.

Your economic BS theories are just that... used to con everyone included, even those who think they have the upper hand.

[notesdev]

5. Hayek was right

when he dedicated his book "The Road to Serfdom", with the words "to the socialists of both parties".

He was talking about 1930s England, but may as well have been talking about today.

[Pryderi]

6. When's the Heritage Foundation getting on board? n/t

[autorank]

7. That would be quite an event.

Probably about the time its too late;)

[KoKo]

9. I, for one, would like to see AEI, CATO, Brookings, Heritage , Hudson and Hoover

recast their "Models." What they spewed for years obviously was ALL WRONG...DIDN'T WORK...and they are FAILED in their Policy Wonkiness.

[Selatius]

10. We just need Democrats with the kind of fortitude that FDR had back then.

Those kinds of Democrats have been missing for a long time.