Ted Re..a very typical political ploy which usually is done as often as possible.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
By political ploy I assume you are talking about Bill's blaming Newt and the vast right wing conspiracy for every problem he had.
. I doubt there is an econ. statistic that supports his claim he saw signs of the slowdown as early as last summer.<<<<<<<
Why not? Johnaton Joseph put out his warning about a tech slowdown in July, and by Sept. there were obvious signs that the tech sector was slowing down. That is a sign, isn't it.
Until Bush lost control of the Senate, you heard little about the Dems. Since then, every other comment is about the Democrats.
<ggg> Isn't that exactly what I said when Daschle bribed Jeffords to switch. The dems had it made. As the minority party, with Jeffords voting on their side, could block any Rep. legislation and whine about how ineffectual the Rep. were. Now that the dems are in the majority, they have to quit being obstructionists, and come up with new, leadership ideas. All the dems have come up with so far is another scandal involving dems treating interns as red meat, and spending like crazy on their pork projects in order to make GW look bad, when the budget goes into deficit. Here is a look at how Business Week likes the dems strategy.
SEPTEMBER 10, 2001
Washington Outlook
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The Budget Mess: The Dems May Be Fumbling the Ball
Garbage As History
Ever-Expanding Tax Cut
Constituent Service
The Budget Mess: The Dems May Be Fumbling the Ball
Responding to a slumping economy, the first-year President proposed a bold tax-and-budget plan. Opposition lawmakers ridiculed the proposal as an irresponsible scheme that would wreck the economy for years to come.
That has been the Democrats' tack since President Bush proposed his tax cut in January. The I-told-you-so chorus got louder on Aug. 28, when the Congressional Budget Office said the government would have to tap the Social Security surplus in 2001--and for several years. "This is not just `the economy, stupid,' it's fiscal mismanagement," says Gene Sperling, a top economic adviser to President Clinton.
But the Chicken Littles should heed recent history before declaring Bush a fiscal failure. Eight years ago, Republicans said Clinton's economic stimulus and deficit-reduction plans would bring recession. What followed was the longest stretch of prosperity in U.S. history--and a big Clinton reelection win. It just goes to show that partisan predictions of doom have a way of looking foolish in the broad sweep of history.
BAD TIMING. True, the current $9 billion shortfall in nonpayroll tax revenues could crimp Bush's plans to hike defense spending and partially privatize Social Security. But while Democrats think the plunging surplus is a disaster for the White House, they should temper their enthusiasm with the understanding that they, too, face significant political risks if they stick to their game plan.
Atop the list: overdoing criticism of the tax cut. The Dems blame Bush's plan for frittering away the surplus in eight months. But the attacks come just as anxious Americans are cashing rebate checks designed to head off a recession. "Democrats are in an awkward position," says Claremont McKenna College political scientist John J. Pitney Jr. "Whether you're a Keynesian or a supply-sider, you believe tax cuts stimulate the economy. The timing works in Bush's favor."
Many liberal economists believe the best way to prevent a raid on the Social Security trust fund would be to cancel future installments of the tax cut. But Democratic leaders think it would be political suicide to call for tax hikes or deficit spending now. That gives them only one choice: cut spending.
That's just the debate the GOP covets. Hill Dems are committed to spending hundreds of billions on a prescription-drug benefit for seniors, education, and cash for farmers. With the kitty falling from $119 billion in May to minus $9 billion, there's no way to fund all that. Democrats are "kicking and screaming because the tax cuts took away their spending money," says House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R-Iowa).
Democrats are passing the buck, asking Bush to show them his cuts before they show theirs. House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) suggests defense, education, and welfare cuts but won't get specific. Republicans, meanwhile, say they're eager to trim spending. "I hope our Democratic friends will not feel any pain and will redeploy federal spending from lower-value to higher-value uses," says Office of Management & Budget Director Mitch Daniels.
While Democrats publicly view the budget mess as a political opportunity, some strategists worry they'll be typecast once again as the party of doom, gloom, and big spending. "The potential for Bush coming out of this looking good is scary," frets one veteran Democratic operative. Like the GOP eight years ago, Democrats can only hope for the worst. While the strategy might pay off in the short term, it's an unlikely road map to the White House in '04. Just ask President Dole.
By Richard S. Dunham<<<
<<<Three years, 3 mos. and counting. <<<<<<<
For what? It will be less than that until congressional elections, and if the dems keep stumbling, a rep. bashing in 2002 mid term elections. |
