Althouse: "U.S. Economy Added 18,000 Jobs in June; Unemployment Rate Rose to 9.2%."

July 8, 2011

"U.S. Economy Added 18,000 Jobs in June; Unemployment Rate Rose to 9.2%."

Banner announcement at the NYT.

144 comments:

The Drill SGT said...: Given that we need to add around 100k a month to keep even with population growth, anything less than that will certainly drive up the unemployment numbers (unless of course, folks flee the jobmarket entirely); 7/8/11, 7:42 AM
Big Mike said...: Where's the word "unexpectedly"?; 7/8/11, 7:48 AM
FedkaTheConvict said...: Cue Garage Mahal....; 7/8/11, 7:48 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: I can feel it.

Had two contract jobs in the can for the summer that withered away.

I only get one or two calls from recruiters every day. In the spring, it was four or five.

Don't expect to work much until fall.

It's OK. I'm tired of working. Want to learn another programming or scripting language like I want nails driven into my eyeballs.; 7/8/11, 7:50 AM
FedkaTheConvict said...: The unemployment rate is being severely under-reported. Its actually over 12 percent and the underemployment rate is closer to 20 percent.

The Obama administration is gaming these numbers and if we really had an adversarial press it would be quite a scandal.; 7/8/11, 7:50 AM
Roger J. said...: must be those damn ATMs at work; 7/8/11, 7:50 AM
Big Mike said...: Never mind, the word I was looking for is in the lede over in Bloomberg's article.

(Hat tip to Glenn Reynolds.); 7/8/11, 7:54 AM
Tank said...: Ha.

Big Mike beat me to it.; 7/8/11, 7:55 AM
FedkaTheConvict said...: http://www.zerohedge.com/article/stunner-nfp-just-18k

"Complete humiliation for Wall Street's economists, the lowest prediction of whom came Bob Brusca at +60K.

...There is no sugarcoating this report. Absolutely abysmal. "; 7/8/11, 7:59 AM
Curious George said...: Not surprising. The "Summer of Recovery" was last year. Remember?; 7/8/11, 8:01 AM
Michael said...: Its the corporate jets and the millionaires and billionaires that are causing this.

If only we had higher taxes the hiring would accelerate.

Great job Obama. Really swell. Why not make a big long speech about big bad oil or corporate jets? There are 15,000 corporate jets, why not name them all in your big long speech, why not read out their tail numbers?; 7/8/11, 8:01 AM
Roger J. said...: has Mr Obama ever filled the vacancies on his "economics team?"

not that they were all that hot to start with, and I suspect no one wants the job in the current environment.; 7/8/11, 8:07 AM
dbp said...: When Bush was president, the headline would have read:

Unemployment Rate Soars to 9.2% as the U.S. Added Barely 18,000 Jobs in June; 7/8/11, 8:14 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: I think that the answer is to suppress domestic gas, oil and coal production.

These businesses are run by evil businessmen and entrepreneurs.

We should focus all of our efforts on green energy.

Because things work so much better when they are run by government bureaucrats and Utopian idealists.

Here in Woodstock, we've discovered that we can meet all our energy needs with completely sustainable green technology.; 7/8/11, 8:16 AM
chickelit said...: Yet I'll bet employment and compensation are up in the D.C. metro area! Bubblicious!; 7/8/11, 8:19 AM
gerry said...: The Big 0 will speak at around 10:30, I understand.

He is getting disgusting.

Who will be the class-warfare villain today?; 7/8/11, 8:23 AM
Seeing Red said...: Housing prices, too!; 7/8/11, 8:24 AM
virgil xenophon said...: "...why not read out their tail numbers?"

Could my man Michael just POSSIBLY be a bitter and frustrated man because of what our fearless leader, the Obamassiah, is doing to our national economy? Why yes, yes indeed, yes I think he is..
LOL! (right there with ya buddy); 7/8/11, 8:26 AM
Roger J. said...: 10:30 is a little early for a friday afternoon dump--where is his sense of timing?; 7/8/11, 8:27 AM
MadisonMan said...: That's not the headline I see now -- it reads Job Growth Falters Badly, Clouding Hope for Recovery; 7/8/11, 8:27 AM
The Drill SGT said...: gerry said...
Who will be the class-warfare villain today?

Big Oil for sure...

and speculators...

Did you knote that oil and gas prices are back up to a higher level than before O'bama released 30m bl from the SPR?

Bet you didn't read in the press that we sold the oil off at a $10/bl discount. That's right, we sold the oil for #300m less than the going rate. I wonder who got to buy cheap oil :); 7/8/11, 8:31 AM
The Crack Emcee said...: "U.S. Economy Added 18,000 Jobs in June"

That was supposed to be 500,000 according to Joe Biden.

You can't trust anything those guys say. Or anybody else who's with them, really.; 7/8/11, 8:33 AM
FedkaTheConvict said...: Note too that the May and June job numbers have been adjusted downwards by over 44K.; 7/8/11, 8:33 AM
Anonymous said...: "Yet I'll bet employment and compensation are up in the D.C. metro area! Bubblicious!"

Yep! My just-graduated daughter moved there last month at the urging of friends who had moved there the year before. Hired in a week. Nice salary. Great benies. I moved her and spent some time in the area. Phat City...nice cars (BMW, Mercedes, Lexus fuck Detroit), well dressed people, busy restaurants and retail, rents are outrageous and going higher. Boom times for northern VA and Maryland.

My daughter is now advising her laid-off friends to find a new home in DC. The only refuge for the fucked-over in flyover country is DC. You could say my feelings are conflicted on this issue.; 7/8/11, 8:33 AM
Anonymous said...: "Blogger Roger J. said...

10:30 is a little early for a friday afternoon dump--where is his sense of timing?"

Excellent observation. This stuff is usually reserved for around 3 or 4 PM.; 7/8/11, 8:35 AM
Anonymous said...: Obama was focused - like a laser - on jobs during June.

No wait. Sorry. Wrong.

He was actually on vacation in Martha's Vinyard.

But folks working in the White House gave themselves fat raises. They made sure of that.; 7/8/11, 8:38 AM
Scott M said...: I moved her and spent some time in the area. Phat City...nice cars

I didn't realize we were allowed to have both daughters and still be able to use "phat". I'll have to start immediately...; 7/8/11, 8:38 AM
Anonymous said...: "That's not the headline I see now -- it reads Job Growth Falters Badly, Clouding Hope for Recovery"

Only in the New York Times does an increase in the unemployment rate count as a faltering of GROWTH.

I mean, you can't make this shit up. They parody themselves.

Do they not realize how fucking stupid they look?

LMFAO.; 7/8/11, 8:41 AM
Wince said...: A recession is when you are out of a job.

A depression is when Obama is in serious trouble.

Obama is in serious trouble.; 7/8/11, 8:42 AM
Fred4Pres said...: Do you think this is a good trend for November 2012?; 7/8/11, 8:44 AM
FedkaTheConvict said...: My OEX puts are golden now.

I guess its not good form to cheer the market falling 100 points in the first minute.; 7/8/11, 8:44 AM
Anonymous said...: Blogger Scott M said...

I moved her and spent some time in the area. Phat City...nice cars

I didn't realize we were allowed to have both daughters and still be able to use "phat". I'll have to start immediately...'

I'll have to watch that. Nothing sorrier than a geezer trying to be cool;-); 7/8/11, 8:46 AM
Anonymous said...: "There are 15,000 corporate jets, why not name them all in your big long speech ..."

Yea, Boeing is practically the last manufacturer we have left and this asshole wants to demonize the jet builders and end jobs for pilots.

We need to chuck this fucking idiot in a waste bin.

I mean, really? Is this the best nominee the Democrat Party can find? Why not give Hillary a chance? Or someone who can actually win?; 7/8/11, 8:46 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Nevada Bob asked"

"Do they [the NYT] not realize how fucking stupid they look?"

Even the worst teams have their own cheerleaders.; 7/8/11, 8:47 AM
Peter said...: "Its the corporate jets and the millionaires and billionaires that are causing this. "

Well, the (now repealed) luxury tax on expensive pleasure boats (aka yachts) worked splendidly in eliminiating jobs at boat manufacturers.

So, surely, a tax on the sale and/or operation of business aircraft should take of this pesky problem as well.; 7/8/11, 8:48 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Despite all these statements to the contrary, I see Obama winning re-election. Because...

o No Republican candidate willing to challenge him out of fear of being called racist

o Media determined to see him re-elected

o 95% of blacks voting as a block for him

o Certain percentage of voters voting for him again just because he's black

o Candidates who could really put up a fight driven out by Brer Rabbit strategy

The media and Democrats are successfully arguing that Republicans must nominate a candidate who will be polite and won't say anything too bad about Obama. No extremists, like Palin, who Dems assure us would lose in a landslide.

So, the Dems argue, better to lose a close race. Run a Republican candidate we like... like McCain!; 7/8/11, 8:49 AM
Franklin said...: I'll admit it - I am shocked to see this headline on the front page of NYTimes.com

"Job Growth Falters Badly, Clouding Hope for Recovery"

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/business/economy/job-growth-falters-badly-clouding-hope-for-recovery.html?_r=1&hp

If the New York Times - the New York Times is jumping ship and being mildly critical of Obama's stewardship of the economy, he is absolutely toast.; 7/8/11, 8:58 AM
garage mahal said...: Just need to fire some more teachers.; 7/8/11, 9:04 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: I blame the Koch brothers.; 7/8/11, 9:07 AM
chickelit said...: garage mahal said...
Just need to fire some more teachers.

Heh. Are you still sore about Walker preventing all those layoffs?; 7/8/11, 9:08 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Just need to fire some more teachers.

More government employees! That's the answer.

Nobody has to pay for that either, right? The government just writes a check.

It's free money!; 7/8/11, 9:09 AM
Michael said...: Garage. Right wing talking point. 9.2%.

Love to hear your recap of our smartest President's upcoming speech on the topic of jobs. I dont know which would be more entertaining.; 7/8/11, 9:10 AM
chickelit said...: LarsPorsena said: Boom times for northern VA and Maryland.

POTUS should tout that in his presser: "See, I remade DC into Phat City! Just lemme spread the wealth across this great nation!"; 7/8/11, 9:13 AM
garage mahal said...: More government employees! That's the answer.

There are -500k fewer government jobs since Obama was inaugerated. That should be good news to wingers like you who truly think taking money out of the economy in a recession is a good idea.; 7/8/11, 9:22 AM
Scott M said...: There are -500k fewer government jobs since Obama was inaugurated.

Citation, please.; 7/8/11, 9:25 AM
Michael said...: Garage. Link to the federal employment number you just provided. Thanks.; 7/8/11, 9:25 AM
Automatic_Wing said...: There are -500k fewer government jobs since Obama was inaugurated.

Prolly has something to do with the census winding up...; 7/8/11, 9:30 AM
garage mahal said...: CHART: Over 500,000 Government Jobs Lost Since Obama’s Inauguration

We just need to cut deeper.; 7/8/11, 9:35 AM
Scott M said...: But what happens when you shed public sector jobs amidst an already weak economic climate is the sharply reduced incomes of the former teachers and whatnot lead to them spending less in their local communities.

Thanks for the link, GM. I'm going over it now, but this statement jumped out at me. Given that statement, I wonder what Matthew thinks the impact on the economy would be if energy prices "necessarily skyrocketed". It doesn't matter how your income is reduced. By his logic, it's still less money in the economy.

My point being, if you are in line with him over this, aren't you against policies the President has said would cause energy prices to dramatically increase?; 7/8/11, 9:41 AM
Rich B said...: GM-

So you link to a chart at ThinkProgess (there's a good name - who could be against progress?). There is no indication of where that chart came from. Have any idea?; 7/8/11, 9:43 AM
Anonymous said...: 'Blogger Rich B said...

GM-

So you link to a chart at ThinkProgess (there's a good name - who could be against progress?). There is no indication of where that chart came from. Have any idea?'

That's my question too. I can't find any cite. A fabrication...?; 7/8/11, 9:44 AM
Scott M said...: So you link to a chart at ThinkProgess (there's a good name - who could be against progress?). There is no indication of where that chart came from. Have any idea?

In the comments, its claimed to be a BLS-fed chart.; 7/8/11, 9:47 AM
dbp said...: The chart might be correct. Of course you have to take into account the greater than 500,000 census jobs which have gone away since the census was completed.; 7/8/11, 9:47 AM
Anonymous said...: Blogger Scott M said...

So you link to a chart at ThinkProgess (there's a good name - who could be against progress?). There is no indication of where that chart came from. Have any idea?

In the comments, its claimed to be a BLS-fed chart.

------

I went to the BLS site but can't find anything after 2009. Maybe I missed something.; 7/8/11, 9:53 AM
bagoh20 said...: How long until we try something new. This Keynesian bullshit always does this.

It's the snake oil of economics. It's positively new age.; 7/8/11, 9:55 AM
garage mahal said...: Employment in government continued to trend down over the month (-39,000). Federal
employment declined by 14,000 in June. Employment in both state government and local
government continued to trend down over the month and has been falling since the
second half of 2008.

Link; 7/8/11, 9:58 AM
Clyde said...: Obviously President Obama needs to add some of those Atlanta teachers to his economic team to magically improve the unemployment numbers. I'd bet dollars to donuts that at least 90% of them voted for him.; 7/8/11, 9:59 AM
Rich B said...: GM-

Assuming your chart is correct, approximately 2.3% of government jobs were cut. This is a lot better than what happened in the private sector.; 7/8/11, 10:00 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: garbage,

You'll still leading us around the Mulberry bush.

So, how does adding more government employees help anybody but the guy who got the job?

Thousands of people who pay taxes (many of whom have lost jobs or have reduced incomes) have to ante up to pay that one guy's salary.

The White House just gave all of its employees fat pay raises. That's gotta help, too.; 7/8/11, 10:06 AM
Rich B said...: GM-

Your link still doesn't support the chart.; 7/8/11, 10:08 AM
Anonymous said...: Government workers are doing a lot better than just about every sector of the economy.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t14.htm; 7/8/11, 10:10 AM
Tank said...: Zero and the Repub Zeros are meeting again on Sunday.

Maybe they should go to church and pray really hard.

They need a miracle, and so do we.; 7/8/11, 10:11 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: CHART: Over 500,000 Government Jobs Lost Since Obama’s Inauguration

We just need to cut deeper.

Yes we do!!! I suggest another 15% in job reduction for the government (parasite) workers. We can start with all the schlubs working on Michelle and Barry's staff who just got a nice raise.; 7/8/11, 10:11 AM
bagoh20 said...: Lets say you have 10 people: 6 private industry and 4 public employees, and you want things to get better, because the public people are costing more than the private ones can pay for.

What will help:

1) More public employees?
2) Less public employees?
3) More private employees?
4) Less private employees?

How do you get what you want?

*note: Private employees hired due to government subsides are actually public employees; 7/8/11, 10:12 AM
Anonymous said...: Prolly has something to do with the census winding up...

Not really. Despite the artful misdirection of the reference to "Obama's inauguration", the chart is for employment by ALL levels of government. (Federal employment is actually up a bit over the same period.); 7/8/11, 10:16 AM
garage mahal said...: Yes we do!!! I suggest another 15% in job reduction for the government (parasite) workers.

Agreed. A 15% reduction of Republican public workers would be a great start.; 7/8/11, 10:21 AM
Aurelian said...: Crack

To paraphrase a fairly well known quote: "Every word out of their mouths is suspect. Including 'it' and 'the'.; 7/8/11, 10:35 AM
Michael said...: GM: "Agreed. A 15% reduction of Republican public workers would be a great start."

That would be about twenty people. How about a 15% reduction in Federal employees, period?

Guess how many layers of "management" between the Secretary of the Interior and a ranger? 18.

You have not supported the 500K reduction in Federal employees. The links do not support that contention.; 7/8/11, 10:38 AM
edutcher said...: And David Plouffe will tell you unemployment will not have an effect on the election next year.

He said that after whistling, "Dixie", as he strolled past Arlington.

FedkaTheConvict said...

The unemployment rate is being severely under-reported. Its actually over 12 percent and the underemployment rate is closer to 20 percent.

Throw in the "discouraged" workers and the 99ers (about 5.5 million people), whom Little Zero doesn't count, and it's in the low 20s.

Seeing Red said...

Housing prices, too!

Cavuto asked Arthur Laffer if we've entered the second dip of the housing market and Laffer said, "When did we ever leave the first?". Pretty much says it.; 7/8/11, 10:40 AM
Alex said...: garage is waiting to next Tuesday to declare victory!; 7/8/11, 10:45 AM
Drew said...: And the April and May numbers were readjusted downward to 44,000 fewer jobs than initially indicated.

Just wait until August when the July numbers are modified by -20,000, erasing even this tiny gain.; 7/8/11, 10:45 AM
Alex said...: Remember government spending is a huge multiplier for economic growth. I know this because liberals have cited 1000s of studies from left-wing economists.; 7/8/11, 10:47 AM
Original Mike said...: Heck of a job, Barry!; 7/8/11, 10:49 AM
Alex said...: Remember the Democrats do not "own" the economy yet. In fact because the GOP has the House now, that clock just reset again. The Democrats can't own the economy unless they control the government for 20+ uninterrupted years.; 7/8/11, 10:51 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: In a separate article that I read yesterday, some doctors are dumping participation in health insurance and running their practices on a cash on the barrel head basis.

Based on their rates, I'd say that this is the outcome:

18% of medical payments go for actual medical services.

82% of medical payments go to paying for insurance and government bureaucrats in administrative positions.

Make sense, doesn't it?; 7/8/11, 10:51 AM
garage mahal said...: You have not supported the 500K reduction in Federal employees. The links do not support that contention.

First of all I never said Federal employees. Secondly, I didn't write the article. Email or go post at Yglesias site if you have a beef with it. Anyways I thought you would celebrating along with the rest of the right wing about the sad unemployment levels?

1. Better shot at POTUS
2. High unemployment means lower wages; 7/8/11, 10:53 AM
Joe said...: (The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew)
Remember government spending is a huge multiplier for economic growth. I know this because liberals have cited 1000s of studies from left-wing economists.

Well one thing we know:
1) is that ObamaCare will create almost 400,000 jobs IMMEDIATELY,
2) Is that Unemployment Payments are the best way to stimulate the economy, with $1.80 being generated for every $1 spent.
My conclusion is create an NHS AND put everyone on Unemployment and soon we will be in an Utopia…..depending on how you define “Utopia.”; 7/8/11, 10:53 AM
Scott M said...: Sorry, Alex. The DNC chair gaffed her way into owning it a couple weeks back. She was so excited about the gains and improvements in the economy that she wanted to make sure everyone understood that the Democrats owned it.

Gaffetastic.; 7/8/11, 10:55 AM
Alex said...: The Democrats own the economy when any little bit of good news comes out and the GOP owns it whenever unemployment goes up. Those are the rules.; 7/8/11, 10:59 AM
Alex said...: Remember it's considered holy writ among liberals that "30 years of GOP policies deciminated the middle class".; 7/8/11, 10:59 AM
Alex said...: New Republican Assault on Middle Class: Slash Medicaid, Hurt Seniors and Millions in Need; 7/8/11, 11:01 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Anyways I thought you would celebrating along with the rest of the right wing about the sad unemployment levels?

1. Better shot at POTUS
2. High unemployment means lower wages

You are such a thoroughly malevolent person, garbage.

Most Democrats I meet at least attempt to portray themselves as sensitive and caring.

You're just a completely vicious lout.

Better to be honest about it, I guess.; 7/8/11, 11:06 AM
traditionalguy said...: The economy is like lake Mendota. It was a soft patch, but it has now turned into a deep bog.

Like The Obama Master, we must blame all of those private Jets.

The co2 exhaust from the Jets probably is to blame.; 7/8/11, 11:13 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: In other sad economic news, Eatery That Offered $175 Burger Goes Bankrupt, Report Says.; 7/8/11, 11:15 AM
Michael said...: GArage: My bad, I thought you cited Federal employees. If 500K government jobs have been lost nationwide during the term of Obama's presidency I would be shocked, but would consider it trivial given the number of govt. jobs and the percentage that represents.

No thinking person would celebrate these crappy employment numbers and for you to insinuate that it is a cause for joy among conservatives is profoundly insulting and sophomoric. It might occur to you to examine the policies that have not worked in the current downturn and discover what might be changed in order to improve the situation.; 7/8/11, 11:18 AM
AllenS said...: garage mahal said...
Just need to fire some more teachers.

We'll have to wait until the teachers finish their summer vacation.; 7/8/11, 11:31 AM
garage mahal said...: No thinking person would celebrate these crappy employment numbers and for you to insinuate that it is a cause for joy among conservatives is profoundly insulting and sophomoric

Bullshit. Republicans want a crap economy and you know it. They will prevent any plan that could help from becoming law at all costs to make that happen. They're even against tax cut policies they are in favor of. Obama is almost as bad as he is too fucking chicken to even make the case that he needs job bills, and meanwhile millions suffer as a result. It's criminal.; 7/8/11, 11:31 AM
Scott M said...: Bullshit. Republicans want a crap economy and you know it.

Political realities are what they are. Are you going to deny that Democratic leadership wasn't thinking along the same lines in 2006 and 2008? Or either party anytime they are not in the White House?

Why do you think this shit only flows on one side of the sewer? Everyone stinks.; 7/8/11, 11:34 AM
Original Mike said...: I've have always thought that this is a big part of the way in which regulations impose a drag on the economy. Putting aside the content of regulations, the constant change makes it very difficult for business to plan for the future. And what is hiring if not a bet on the future? Dems and Repubs alike are guilty of this. "We are going to focus an jobs" may be the scariest words out of a politicians mouth. Set the playing field, and then stop meddling!; 7/8/11, 11:34 AM
Scott M said...: They will prevent any plan that could help from becoming law at all costs to make that happen.

Another thought occurs...the flip side of this would beg the question on the Democrat's lack of producing a budget. I don't suppose there were any cynical political calculations involved, do you?; 7/8/11, 11:35 AM
Original Mike said...: And what, exactly, garage, is a "jobs bill"?; 7/8/11, 11:35 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Remember government spending is a huge multiplier for economic growth. I know this because liberals have cited 1000s of studies from left-wing economists.

I think that most here would seem to agree that that attitude is a big part of the reason that we are where we are right now with the economy.

I did think that Garbage was conflating federal government and all government workers. It is that the only way that the feds could dump a half a million employees would be to lay off all those Census workers. Otherwise, this would be a notable chunk of the fed's non-defense workforce. And that just doesn't seem credible given the increase in federal spending since the Democrats took over Congress in 2007 of around 4% or so of GDP and increase in the annual deficit of of a trillion or so dollars.

I do actually remember Democratic polls like Pelosi in a bidding war as to the what Keynesian multiplier would apply to all the great spending that they were authorizing. Turns out, it is less than one in real life, except for possibly shovel ready projects, that Obama just discovered don't really exist. (And to the person in a previous thread who tried to say that the Dems weren't trying to practice Keynesian economics - most agree that there are significant differences between Keynesian economics and the economics of Keynes).

Just remember the meme: Obama made the economy worse.; 7/8/11, 11:37 AM
Scott M said...: Putting aside the content of regulations, the constant change makes it very difficult for business to plan for the future. And what is hiring if not a bet on the future?

Get rid of two-term presidents. One six-year term with no re-election ever and prohibit them from holding other office. Tax their lobbying income at 50%.

Long enough to get things done, while not scooting around the country at three years running for re-elections (ie, not doing your job). Sit astride three congressional elections. No second terms ever, even non-sequential.; 7/8/11, 11:39 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: And what, exactly, garage, is a "jobs bill"?

I think that all of us (excluding maybe Garbage) understand now that a "Jobs Bill" is a pork laden attempt to enrich Democratic party constituencies through trading private sector jobs for bribes to these constituencies. The reason that they can use the word "jobs" in the title is that they are actually costing jobs each time they do this.; 7/8/11, 11:40 AM
Rich B said...: GM-

So you took a TP chart on faith without checking the source? Doesn't mean it's wrong, but you should be more careful in the future.

I think you're losing it.

I didn't vote for Obama, and I thought he would be bad, but not this bad.; 7/8/11, 11:47 AM
JohnJ said...: "I think that the answer is to suppress domestic gas, oil and coal production. These businesses are run by evil businessmen and entrepreneurs."

That lefty anti-business meme, with its inherent class warfare tone, used to be tossed out with impunity. Now, in addition to sounding increasingly stupid, it may be causing real harm.; 7/8/11, 11:47 AM
Anthony said...: The Democrats own the economy when any little bit of good news comes out and the GOP owns it whenever unemployment goes up. Those are the rules.

Reminds me of what Dennis Miller said when people were grading Obama's first 100 days in office: "If he does something and it works, Obama gets an A; if it doesn't work, Bush gets an F."; 7/8/11, 11:48 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: Bullshit. Republicans want a crap economy and you know it. They will prevent any plan that could help from becoming law at all costs to make that happen. They're even against tax cut policies they are in favor of. Obama is almost as bad as he is too fucking chicken to even make the case that he needs job bills, and meanwhile millions suffer as a result. It's criminal.

Someone seems to want a rerun of the "stimulus" bill that really got this recession moving and deepening. Don't know very many people besides you and former Enron advisor Paul Krugman who actually believe that this would help.

The reality is that the government cannot actually create long term jobs. There may have been one example of this actually working in the past (WWII), and many economists even question that (as an example of a counter-arugment, we were the recipient of a significant portion of the world's gold at that time, when we were still on a gold standard).

In any case. Jobs bill don't work. Never have worked long term, and most likely never will. In our current situation, it would be throwing good money after bad, likely increasing unemployment as a result.

Let me repeat: jobs bills in the midst of a recession cost jobs, and Keynesian economics fails except possibly in some very extreme situations, which we are not likely to encounter.; 7/8/11, 11:51 AM
Original Mike said...: "I think that the answer is to suppress domestic gas, oil and coal production."

That's part of the answer. Another part is to have the NLRB prevent the start up of large new manufacturing plants in right to work states.; 7/8/11, 11:54 AM
Titus said...: pathetic and very sad.; 7/8/11, 12:03 PM
Brian Brown said...: "By a 44 percent to 34 percent margin, Americans say they believe they are worse off than when Obama took office, according to a Bloomberg National Poll conducted June 17-20.”; 7/8/11, 12:04 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: Reminds me of what Dennis Miller said when people were grading Obama's first 100 days in office: "If he does something and it works, Obama gets an A; if it doesn't work, Bush gets an F."

We still get a lot of this, 2 1/2 years into Obama's term and 4 1/2 years after the Dems took both Houses of Congress. But, it looks more and more far fetched, as time goes on.

The libs here and elsewhere trot out the graphs showing that the last couple of Bush (43) years significantly increased the deficit and debt. That, of course ignores that spending bills come from Congress, and the Dems were running Congress by then. And, then, you just have to look at the graphs of the deficit, borrowing, etc. to see the huge jump once the Democrats had both the White House and Congress - the deficit jumping from a couple hundred billion at the end of Bush (43) to well over a trillion a year under Obama and the Democrats.

What Garbage and the rest of the libs are trying to hide is that Republicans are desperately trying to cut spending back to pre-Obama levels. Or, I think that they would be happy to get halfway there, and set it up to ultimately get there. And, the Dems/libs/MSM don't want us to know that they grabbed approximately another 4% of GDP for the federal government and themselves during the time that they controlled both the White House and both Houses of Congress.

This 4% of GDP is what both parties are fighting over right now, whether it is a permanent addition to the federal government, or should be given back to the private sector and the taxpayers. The problem for the libs/Dems is that keeping the 4%, which they so desperately want to do, is a big reason why we aren't coming out of the recession.; 7/8/11, 12:05 PM
Michael said...: GArage: "Bullshit. Republicans want a crap economy and you know it. They will prevent any plan that could help from becoming law at all costs to make that happen."

Here is where your stupidity is spotlighted in a way that is particularly unflattering to you and your side. Republicans want to make money. Republicans prosper when the economy is good. Republican businessmen would be delighted to have nothing but great economies under Democratic or Republican or Soviet leadership because they would make more money. Do you actually think that Republicans care more about power than money? You project. You are an idiot and a malevolent one to boot.; 7/8/11, 12:08 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: "By a 44 percent to 34 percent margin, Americans say they believe they are worse off than when Obama took office, according to a Bloomberg National Poll conducted June 17-20.”

My memory is that this is even worse than it looks here for the Dems, because registered Democrats responded heavily that they weren't worse off (even apparently if they were unemployed as a result). Which means that the figures were even more lopsided for Republicans, and most importantly, independents.

Remember the meme: Obama made the economy worse.; 7/8/11, 12:09 PM
garage mahal said...: Let me repeat: jobs bills in the midst of a recession cost jobs,

LOL. You're a fool.; 7/8/11, 12:11 PM
Tank said...: Jay said...

"By a 44 percent to 34 percent margin, Americans say they believe they are worse off than when Obama took office, according to a Bloomberg National Poll conducted June 17-20.”

What are those 34% thinking?; 7/8/11, 12:12 PM
Curious George said...: "What are those 34% thinking?"

Love this federal government job!; 7/8/11, 12:14 PM
Michael said...: Garage: It is dawning on me now. You advise the President on matters economic do you not? That would explain a lot.; 7/8/11, 12:17 PM
Joe said...: (The Uncredentialed, Crypto Jew)
Let me repeat: jobs bills in the midst of a recession cost jobs,

LOL. You're a fool.

Tightly reasoned and eloquently argued…so the last “Porkulus” Bill, full of “Shovel Ready” Infrastructure jobs, it did what…besides cost $278,000 for every job created?

A “Jobs” Bill would:
1) Repeal ObamaCare;
2) Soxley;
3) Dodd-Frank;
4) Reduce Corporate Tax Rates, Ideally replace all taxes with the “Fair Tax”
5) Repeal EPA’s ability to intervene in Carbon Emissions and CAFÉ Standards; and
6) Replace the majority of the NLRB.
These things would produce “jobs” Garage….what YOU call a “Jobs Bill” is merely shoveling money to Democratic Special Interests, or temporary tax credits for doing certain government-approved things.; 7/8/11, 12:19 PM
garage mahal said...: Garage: It is dawning on me now. You advise the President on matters economic do you not? That would explain a lot.

Unfortunately is appears Republicans are advising him. I'd like to see him primaried.; 7/8/11, 12:20 PM
Tank said...: Thanks Curious.

I needed that.; 7/8/11, 12:22 PM
AllenS said...: Original Mike said...
And what, exactly, garage, is a "jobs bill"?

I can answer that, it's easy. A jobs bill is when the government spends $850 million dollars on job programs that create, oh, about 27 jobs.; 7/8/11, 12:24 PM
From Inwood said...: But, wait, here’s the rest of the story:
The so-called underemployment rate -- which includes part- time workers who’d prefer a full-time position and people who want work but have given up looking -- increased to 16.2 percent from 15.8percent.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-08/u-s-payrolls-rose-18-000-in-june-jobless-rate-climbed-to-9-2-.html

Hey, maybe it’s a good idea to avoid political attacks on industries that are just starting to recover, or halting jobs in the Pipeline as the EPA tries to scuttle oil transport from Canada's tar sands.
Or, See:

Stuck in a Ditch… Obama Says We Need to Spend More Money & We’ve Got To Live Within Our Means…Huh?

&

Obama’s EPA Finalizes Latest Job-Killing Policies For 26 States – Will Cost Taxpayers $1.6 Billion a Year & Thousands of Jobs.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/; 7/8/11, 12:24 PM
Original Mike said...: "...or halting jobs in the Pipeline as the EPA tries to scuttle oil transport from Canada's tar sands."

Yeah, ain't that a bitch?; 7/8/11, 12:28 PM
Curious George said...: "What are those 34% thinking?"

This!

wv: sabbut Saturday to Jews from the Bronx; 7/8/11, 12:28 PM
Michael said...: GM: "Unfortunately is appears Republicans are advising him."

We could only wish. There isn't a single Republican among the very few business advisers he has. Lots of leftie academics, however. Good with the models. I like the model of theirs that said we would never go above 8% unemployment if we went for the stimulus. Well, we went for the stimulus.

Hope you are right on a primary challenge though I doubt it will happen. There is no one to the left of him and the base will not accept someone to the right of him, including Hillary who would be like a bottle of ice water in the middle of the desert compared to our current leader.; 7/8/11, 12:29 PM
Bruce Hayden said...: Unfortunately is appears Republicans are advising him. I'd like to see him primaried.

I don't think that you really do. Right now he can pretend to be a centrist, maybe triangulating between the Democrats and Republicans in Congress. But if he does face a serious primary challenge, it will almost assuredly be from the left. And that means that he will have to move to the left, and this movement will have to be obvious to work.

He isn't going to lose the primary, because the Blacks in this country will be solid for him. Any Democrat beating Obama for the nomination is going to have record low turnout from the Black community, which likely means an electoral rout for the Republicans.

The thinking Democrats all know this, which is why they aren't about to let Obama lose the primary. No matter what they think about him, he is far better, for them, than another eight years of a Republican President, likely combined with Republican controlled House and Senate.

Of course, those of us with a more conservative bent are pulling with you for a viable primary challenge.; 7/8/11, 12:29 PM
Phil 314 said...: And I thought we discussed this already; 7/8/11, 12:30 PM
Curious George said...: "What are those 34% thinking?"

And this!; 7/8/11, 12:30 PM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Good thing we're stuck in a ditch. That's the only thing saving us from Obama driving us over a cliff.; 7/8/11, 12:36 PM
Original Mike said...: "Bullshit. Republicans want a crap economy and you know it."

In a similair vein, one of the stupidest things I've heard lately is the claim by libs that the reason companies aren't spending their cash is that they want a crap economy to damage Obama. Because everybody knows that the best way to make money is to cut your nose off to spite your face.; 7/8/11, 12:44 PM
AllenS said...: garage mahal said...
Unfortunately is appears Republicans are advising him. I'd like to see him primaried.

Go ahead, give me a couple of names. I'm interested in who you think would challenge obama. I'll bet nobody does.; 7/8/11, 12:45 PM
garage mahal said...: I'm interested in who you think would challenge obama.

Hopefully a Democrat.; 7/8/11, 12:54 PM
Roger J. said...: AllenS beat me to it--he always does--Damn you AllenS :)

Agree with those who believe there wont be a democrat challenge--Bruce Hayden, IMO, nails it.

I still content thats its way to early to be handicapping the presidential campaign--too much can happen--but it does look like the republicans can retake the senate, and a republican controlled congress will emasculate Mr Obama politically. This is not the optimum solution, but it is a satisficing solution.; 7/8/11, 12:56 PM
AllenS said...: AllenS said...
Go ahead, give me a couple of names

garage mahal said...
Hopefully a Democrat.

Round and round we go, down and down we go, in a spin...; 7/8/11, 12:58 PM
Roger J. said...: So against my not so good judgment, I think Russ Feingold might be a possibility. And I always wonder what goes thru Mr Clinton's mind in times like these.; 7/8/11, 12:59 PM
Toad Trend said...: Another 'recovery summer'.

Progressives always seem to be about lowering the bar, no?; 7/8/11, 1:05 PM
Original Mike said...: "...and a republican controlled congress will emasculate Mr Obama politically."

But it wouldn't allow for the repeal of ObamaCare.; 7/8/11, 1:07 PM
Toad Trend said...: @ garage

"Hopefully a Democrat."

LOL. Clown.; 7/8/11, 1:08 PM
Roger J. said...: Original Mike--my thought would be to take it one step at a time--60 republican senators would be the magic number I think; 7/8/11, 1:09 PM
garage mahal said...: Calling me a clown when you're linking to Gateway Pundit? Haha. He is the biggest joke on the internet.; 7/8/11, 1:10 PM
Scott M said...: LOL. Clown.

Big shoes, spray corsage, red nose and all, I'd agree. However, the attempted bombing in question wasn't politically motivated. He was trying to kill/maim his wife's divorce lawyer and got another guy who drove a similar car.

Idiot on top of clown, but I wouldn't paint the guy as an operative.; 7/8/11, 1:11 PM
Toad Trend said...: @Scott M

Of course, juuuuust a coincidence.

@garage

Now go back to giving out your balloons and gum.; 7/8/11, 1:17 PM
garage mahal said...: No photoshopped bulleyes on this Jim Hoft story. He's improving?; 7/8/11, 1:20 PM
Phil 314 said...: And while we're on the subject of jobs and what can be done, if I may present these two news stories as a cause and effect

Arizona sends its thanks to California; 7/8/11, 1:22 PM
Scott M said...: I'd say he's a long way from being the biggest joke on the netz, GM. Honestly. There's much, much worse.

That being said, I don't post there very often, but I do call him out every time he uses his favorite cruch device "It Begins" at the front of some story.; 7/8/11, 1:23 PM
Toad Trend said...: "I'd say he's a long way from being the biggest joke on the netz, GM. Honestly. There's much, much worse."

This, fer sure.

I found this story checking out Instapundit links.

Garage, the larger point is, if the story is false, say so, don't impugn the 'messenger'. That's kid stuff, kid.

Then again, from a member of the party of 'check your morals at the door', I would expect nothing less.

Clown.; 7/8/11, 1:27 PM
Anonymous said...: "Remember the Democrats do not "own" the economy yet..."

Oh yes they Do! They bought it for a trillion dollars two years ago.; 7/8/11, 1:41 PM
BEK477 said...: Ann,
Will anyone be employed by 11/01/2012?

My read of the situation is that the small and medium sized business services firms and manufacturers are just holding on by their finger nails. If we get a sudden downturn in exports or consumer spending then the collapse will start.

Most of my clients are living almost month to month as regards their credit limits, revenue-flow and spending plans.
Things are shaky on Main Street and they are very vulnerable to a psychological trauma event. Confidence in the business world is fading IMHO.

If China pops or the EU undergoes a credit crisis then watch out.; 7/8/11, 3:20 PM
zefal said...: By a 44 percent to 34 percent margin, Americans say they believe they are worse off than when Obama took office, according to a Bloomberg National Poll conducted June 17-20.

You see, it is just a belief that they are worse off. There's no evidence to back this up. Does't make it so just because they believe it!

If a Republican were president it would read - By a 44 percent to 34 percent margin, Americans say they are worse off than when McCain took office.

A small distinction that makes a big difference in how the survey is portrayed.

I will give Bloomberg one Brownie point for still publishing their results. The ny times or cbs wouldn't let the poll see the light of day. They would've resurveyed with different phrasing in an attempt to get a different result.; 7/8/11, 4:23 PM
ranger117 said...: It's going to go a lot higher before there's a chance of it really coming down.; 7/8/11, 4:24 PM
zefal said...: My above post was a reply to Big Mike. It should've included the following:

RE: Big Mike

I like this part that Glenn Reynolds quotes from Bloomberg:; 7/8/11, 4:26 PM
Big Mike said...: Why, thankee, zefal.; 7/8/11, 5:09 PM
Anonymous said...: We just need to cut deeper.

Yep. We're about 1/30th of the way there. We really only need five Cabinet departments: Treasury, Justice, War, State, and Interior. I hope to see 90% of our bankrupt government abolished, and the rest folded up into these five. And the same at the state level.; 7/8/11, 6:12 PM