The American Spectator

Liberal Reader| 7.17.09 @ 2:13PM

Whenever the stimulus "was supposed" to create jobs, any reasonable adult knows one thing: the stimulus was NOT expected to affect employment statistics inside of five freaking months.

Employment is a LAGGING indicator of the overall health of the economy.

That means, in case you're trying to figure it out, that it is an indicator that lags.

I'm not exactly sure how to simplify this concept any further.

Now, the stimulus probably should have been more targeted at 2009. However, when it was put together, with the economy virtually in free-fall, Congress expected the crisis to be much worse globally than it was. The stimulus was thus designed to continue working well into 2010 and 11.

I know, I know. We're talking about evil Democrats here. They couldn't have been acting in good faith. They're "nazis," as the wise men here continually remind us. They're fascists and communists and terrorists.

Setting this terrible reality aside, for a moment, and returning to planet Earth: remember, the collapse of the economy last fall and winter could have been much WORSE. The state governments -- who have massively cut spending in the face of falling revenues -- are beginning to FLOAT on stimulus money: that means teachers, policemen, firemen, and prisons and hospitals and agencies that deal with homeland security at the state level are being supported by it. That might not be -- if you'll stop and think for a moment, as uncomfortable as it obviously makes you to do so -- such a bad thing.

Vanis| 7.17.09 @ 3:08PM

What are the states to do when all their stimulus money is gone and no taxpayer has anymore to give because there isn't anyone working anymore....

Tim| 7.17.09 @ 3:25PM

Lib
"the stimulus was NOT expected to affect employment statistics inside of five freaking months. "
Bullshit. The O man himself said unemployment would top out at 8 %.
Simple enough?

Warrior| 7.17.09 @ 3:32PM

Liberals with explanations are the gift that keeps giving. We needed to pass the stimulus to ensure the unemployment rate did not rise above 8%...oops another inconvenient promise. While you are correct the the job indicators are a lagging statistic, you have failed to realize that the numbers are only getting and will continue to be worse. Which of course and unfortunately points that the fact that nothing has been stimulated except the printing of money and the starting of stagflation.

Obama stated frequently, we have the worst economic crisis since the great depression. Yet, by Joe's own words they underestimated the problem?????

Of course, now a liberal is all about supporting police and firefighters (and, of course, teachers). That is only when it requires the us believe this to get more money out of our pockets as the excuse to do so. We could have saved a policeman's job for a year by the cancellation of one Obama date night. I forgot, it is only us taxpayers that need to have skin in the game.

Let's not also refer back to his promise to end the war on day one, not read Miranda rights to enemy combatants, no lobbyists in my administration, the promise of total transparency....

Please liberal reader, save it. Rinos set it up for the liberals in 2006 and 2008 and now we are enjoying California style socialism which will continue to work while we create money out of thin air. Once that ends, we will have nothing left but a US that resembles today's California. At least the illegals will still get medical treatment. That is if any of them stay once the country is bankrupt.

Liberal Reader| 7.17.09 @ 3:48PM

Obama said he thought unemployment could be kept below 8%. It will most likely go above 10 and may even hit 11%.

All true.

So what? The stimulus is not designed so precisely that it can predict employment rates five months out to A SINGLE PERCENTAGE POINT.

Give me a break.

We will know how well the stimulus worked in two years or so.

This is, folks, what Freud called The Reality Principle.

As we grow older, we acknowledge the need to delay certain pleasures in order to secure long term well being. The fact is, we just can't flip a switch and restart the economy.

It takes some time.

Tax cuts would have been deposited into savings accounts, rendering their stimulative effect nil. The only option, therefore, was SPENDING.

Liberal Reader| 7.17.09 @ 3:52PM

Warrior --

In most states it is ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS Democrats fighting like hell for spending on fire fighters and police.

What did you think the Democrats DO in state legislatures?

Instead of relying on the caricature of Democrats you hear on right wing radio, you ought to do a little actual research on your own.

Democrats are the party of police, the party of firefighting, and the party of education.

Where the hell have you been, anyway?

Patriot| 7.17.09 @ 5:16PM

Obama's 11% unemployment and the liberal shrugs, "So what?" Couldn't have said it better myself--we know you fascist liberals don't give a damn about your fellow Americans. It's all about power with you slugs.

Let's see if your insouciance toward the suffering of unemployed Americans holds when Obama's unemployment hits 15%. Liberal fascist b@stard.

I hope and pray that the "reality factor" hits you traitors right in the face in 2010 and 2012.

Liberal Reader| 7.17.09 @ 7:12PM

Patriot --

Unfortunately, Bush's economy shed a million jobs before he even acknowledged there was a recession.

And the job losses in the first quarter of this year can't fairly be attributed to Obama's policies: I think any adult would have to acknowledge that.

I'm not a fascist, but I don't really care if you believe me or not.

And as a former infantryman, screw you for calling me a traitor.

Your words mean nothing to me.

Indiana Alex| 7.17.09 @ 7:24PM

Liberals are funny. No matter what anyone actually says or what actually happens, they will defend liberalism to the end. Which seems to be about 18 months by my calendar.

Liberal Reader| 7.17.09 @ 8:19PM

Indiana --

Well. I guess it makes a certain amount of sense, does it not, that liberals "will defend liberalism."

You may think this defense happens in the face of all kinds of reasons why liberals should abandon liberalism. After all, Rush Limbaugh says so every day. It's as plain as day.

But actually -- people think these things through, Indiana.

It's true. Just like conservatives, liberals (and both of these labels are really shallow and not very indicative) examine the facts as best they can, apply what wisdom they have, and generally try to make good decisions for themselves and their country.

It's sick and stupid and utterly wrong that we've come to a place when we assume otherwise, with absolutely no evidence to back up such an assumption.

"Conservative" radio spends every day -- all day -- repeating endlessly that 50% of the population are traitors and fascists and liars who hate their country. At least 30% of the military is Democrat, but you know what? Our radio talk show hosts tell us that Democrats are socialists, or communists, or nazis or terrorists.

It's really pathetic. Public political discourse in this country has grown so debased, I doubt very much anything could save it.

So ... 18 months. Your foray into social prophecy is all very well and good. But you don't really make a point: that is, you don't make any attempt to explain your reasoning. You simply engage in the closed, crimped logic of labeling. Liberals are thus and such; this person is a liberal; therefore, everything he says is thus and such.

SEagan| 7.17.09 @ 8:53PM

lib. u r so lame! :P

Patriot| 7.17.09 @ 9:37PM

I noticed you controlled the F-bombs this time, Jeremiah. Moron, are you running out of your stupid, phony monikers?

Yeah, LR/Jeremiah, screw you for astroturf trolling our website. Regardless of your service, you're still a traitorous b@stard. Vicious fascist--you mean nothing to me or the other true Americans who blog on this site in good faith.

Screw the hell out of yourself, loser.

Patriot| 7.17.09 @ 9:40PM

Jeremiah's favorite WHINE--BUSH DID IT!! Loser.

Basil Plumley| 7.17.09 @ 11:26PM

Patriot| 7.17.09 @ 9:40PM
Jeremiah's favorite WHINE--BUSH DID IT!! Loser.

Actually, I reluctantly disagree with you:

Liberal Reader-Jeremiah-Tommy Paine-et al.'s favorite whine is:

I don't want to face the truth
I don't want to face the facts

The schtick gets old after a while.

Liberal Reader| 7.17.09 @ 11:41PM

I'm a traitorous bastard?

Well, let's see. My parents are married, and I've never committed treason.

Wait ... I get it. You're speaking metaphorically. The figure of speech known as "transport." Tenor, vehicle.

It's a shrewd figurative leap, too. "Traitorous bastard." Has a certain ring to it. "Loser" is a little tweeny, but no one can work at the high imaginative level at all times.

You're have spanned the semantic horizons. Words obey your call. What was I thinking, to tilt in the lists with verbal warrior such as yourself?

You win. I admit it. I'm a traitorous bastard. I'm a REALLY traitorous bastard. I'm totally a really, really traitorous bastard.

Angel| 7.18.09 @ 12:59AM

I couldn't care less what you are, Jeremiah--just go the hell away. I tire of your clever machinations that aren't so clever. I tire of the propaganda of your duplicitous posts that seek to disarm or bewilder but do neither. You are no Catholic, sir, and what you're trying to do is immoral. You are a traitor to your people.

You have failed your astroturf task here, Jeremiah--you haven't influenced or fooled us; you've earned our enmity. I would love to lay my eyes on you just once to see what a monster such as you looks like.

Traitorous b@stard.

Angel| 7.18.09 @ 1:47AM

LR/Jeremiah--it seems the words "traitorous b@stard" roll easily over your tongue--why is that, troll?

Don Chamberlain| 7.18.09 @ 6:30AM

Hmmm. LR says, "...liberals ... examine the facts as best they can, apply what wisdom they have, and generally try to make good decisions for themselves and their country. " Let's see. These are the folks that believe:

1. They can change the weather of the whole world with a new tax.
2. Health Care will be cheaper and better if the Federal Government controls it.
3. That most Americans think like they do.

I guess common sense was left out of the good decisions part.

stephanie| 7.18.09 @ 12:05PM

What sad bantering here. Liberal, go write your trash elsewhere. Perhaps the HuffPost is more your style. They would welcome you with open arms! You cannot defend here, socialism and the destruction of freedom and free enterprise which is what Barry and his cohorts in the beltway are doing. Now move along. Reader

Oldefarte| 7.18.09 @ 12:40PM

What jobs there are, are in places like Michigan, Clailfornia only, as POLITICAL PAYOFF to his constituents in those states that voted for him-----it's called THE CHICAGO WAY!!!!

Tootsie| 7.18.09 @ 1:44PM

Oldefarte, if it's true what you say about jobs, Obama isn't doing too well: California and Michigan have two of the highest rates of unemployment in the country.

JimE| 7.20.09 @ 12:19AM

Liberal reader,
You probably aren't a traitor but you are an ignorant liberal shithead.

Deborah D| 7.20.09 @ 5:23AM

The only thing the stimulus "immediately" did was send a bunch of our tax dollars to ACORN and their ilk in order to make sure the Dem Congress gets re-elected even while ruining the country. Obama knows what's most important (to him) -- keeping his power, so he's having us pay for that first. Nice.