Lather, rinse, repeat.
If you listen to the media, they'll foretell gloom and doom for Democrats in November because they just can't seem to knock down high unemployment. Not for lack of legislative effort, of course.
Forget that business is sitting on trillions in cash rather than hiring workers. Forget that profits are at record highs on the back of unemployed workers. Forget all that.
In other times, government jobs were created to get people back to work. Democrats have certainly tried to get bills through that would allow for more public jobs, but those darn Republicans slide in and stonewall until there's nothing really left of the bills that actually make it to Obama's desk, or they just die halfway to Obama's desk.
Via the Guardian:
The private sector actually gained jobs, 71,000 of them, and while that's an OK number, it's not good enough politically. The public sector lost far, far more jobs, though – mostly census workers, but also some of the teachers and firefighters and cops and so on who were laid off because Congress didn't pass a bill funding their positions, as the Republicans held it up.
And this:
Even so, it's a nifty trick, no? Vote against funding for public jobs. Watch them disappear. Reap political benefit as unemployment rate rises.
And this is for jobs that already exist, not new ones. But what really frosts me is how the narrative begins and ends with "Unemployment is high. Voters will hand the Congress back to Republicans."
Now go read Susie's post again. Are Democrats really just going to run around like whipped puppies and whimper rather than coming out strong about who is responsible for stubborn unemployment rates?
Really? Are we that stupid? That just sounds like a deranged form of collective Stockholm syndrome. There's no earthly reason why any Democrat, liberal or progressive on the planet shouldn't be opening their mouth and shouting about WHO is responsible -- not only as to the cause but also as to the prolonged effect. It isn't the President, and it isn't the Democrats.
It's the Republicans. Say it with me - The Republicans are intentionally stepping on economic growth and job creation for political gain. They are counting on collective stupid combined with amnesia to regain power they are not entitled to and should not have. REPUBLICANS. CONSERVATIVES. TEABAGGERS.
Prove this conclusion wrong:
The Republicans need to pick up 38 seats to win control of the House. Every month of red job ink gets them a little bit closer. Then they'll have to pretend they're interested in governing.
They are NOT interested in governing. They are interested in power, and money, and personal gain. They don't care whether 99ers starve in the streets if it buys them a vote or two.
Don't let them have it. And yes, let's start thinking creatively. Perhaps the old standbys just won't work this time.
