"Republicans and the White House both seem determined to make the recession worse .... "

[Better Believe It]

Saving Progressivism From Obama
by Robert Kuttner
November 22, 2010

Republicans and the White House both seem determined to make the recession worse by reducing the budget deficit long before the economy is in recovery. The deficit commission's two co-chairs have proposed that the cuts begin in October 2011, when unemployment is still expected to be at least nine percent. The economy needs a massive fiscal jolt, and instead is likely to get austerity.

So as President Obama gears up for a re-election battle in 2012, the economy is unlikely to be much different than the one that sank the Democrats in 2010. The question is whether Obama and the Democrats can change the national understanding of what caused the economic collapse and who is blocking the recovery.

In this enterprise, I don't have high expectations for Obama. I cannot recall a president who generated so much excitement as a candidate but who turned out to be such a political dud as chief executive. Nor do his actions since the election inspire confidence that he will be reborn as a fighter.

If politics continues on its present course, about the best one might expect for 2012 is that the Republicans will nominate such a nut-case that Obama will stagger to re-election. But unless he is re-elected with a mandate to carry out drastically different policies, we can anticipate continued economic pain and continuing drift of the electorate to the right.

Read the full article at:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/22-5

[arbusto_baboso]

1. But didn't you know?

There's a "debt crisis" that MUST be dealt with immediately, and anything Keynesian - like suspending deficit reduction until economic recovery - is just madness, MADNESS I tell you! :sarcasm:

[katandmoon]

2. K&R. There's nothing this White House can't and won't make worse.

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. Hellbent, aren't they?

x(

[katnapped]

3. But but but

They must abolish Social Security and Medicare in the name of saving us from TERRISTS!

Now drop your pants and bend over!

[Poboy]

5. Traitor to the party and people who elected him. -nt

[stray cat]

7. have you looked at the party lately?

[Better Believe It]

9. The "party" seems to be going along with Obama every step of the way during the first two years.

[stray cat]

6. because the democrats in congress are so great?

[librechik]

8. This is just how it always goes. The rich hold out and demand austerity (for others)

then they do that and it fails. THEN the rich are at the end of their ropes and start to sluggishly cooperate. We have a few years of this madness until the breaking point, if history is an indicator.

[ladjf]

10. That seems obvious. I understand the Republican's motives but

not Obama's. nt