White House releases talking points ahead of speech

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**biccat**

White House releases talking points to liberals ahead of speech

I receive my fair share of mass mailings from my local (and not so local) Congresscritters, and I receive a number of emails from like-minded political groups. But I don't think I've ever seen one (not that they don't exist, mind) that explicitly tells me the talking points I'm supposed to advance in support of Politician's Speech X. Although it's sure a good way to keep the true believers on track.

Anyway, here are the talking points we're going to hear repeated in the news media this weekend:

The American Jobs Act is:

- based on bi-partisan ideas;

- it is fully paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes and asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share

- it will have an impact on job and economic growth NOW — just as soon as Congress acts.

- Every day, people in this country are working hard to meet their responsibilities. The question now is whether Washington will meet theirs.

- The time for obstruction and gridlock is over. Congress needs to put country ahead of politics.

- The American people know that the economic crisis and the deep recession weren’t created overnight and won’t be solved overnight. The economic security of the American middle class has been under attack for decades.

- That’s why President Obama believes we need to do more than just recover from this economic crisis.

- The President is rebuilding the economy the American way — based on balance, fairness and the same set of rules for everyone from Wall Street to Main Street where hard work and responsibility pay and gaming the system is penalized.

- It’s an American economy that’s built to last and creates the jobs of the future, by forcing Washington to live within its means so we can invest in small business entrepreneurs, education, and making things the world buys, not outsourcing, loopholes and reckless financial deals that put middle class security at risk.

Obviously I think the guy's full of horse gak, but YMMV. Regardless, I'm sure you'll hear these talking points parroted on news segments this weekend.

**Ouze**

yeah, I can't imagine anyone else ever did this, and certainly, not on the same day. right?

**Melissia**

Ah, yes, "job-crushing regulation", that old Republican rhetoric.

Because deregulation has done SUCH a great job of ensuring that new jobs are created.

Wait, am I talking about the delusional vision of reality in hard-liners' heads where deregulation hasn't already happened, or the actual reality in which we live where deregulation failed to produce any results and in fact was a big reason for our economic slump to begin with?

**biccat**

Having watched the speech, it seems that the President is essentially calling for another mini-stimulus. First, how will this work differently from the original stimulus? Second, why didn't we do this three years ago? And third, given the failure of the original stimulus (whether inherent or due to the stimulus not being big enough), how is this new program actually going to work?

Ouze wrote:yeah, I can't imagine anyone else ever did this, and certainly, not on the same day. right?

There are two differences:

1) The "talking points" are comments that the White House wants to put out, the Republican document isn't "talking points." Maybe a minor quibble.

2) The White House document was released to the press and advocacy groups. The Republican one was apparently to other House members.

I'm not entirely sure why this "fiercereason.com" site decided to plagerize the Huffington Post.

**Waaagh_Gonads**

I simply cannot fathom how your government thinks that throwing >400 billion at an economic stimulus will work when >1 trillion thrown at it has failed.

Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that everyone was freaking out about US debt.

Like my wife, sooner or later the US needs to bite the bullet and work out how to live without spending.

**Frazzled**

Waaagh_Gonads wrote:I simply cannot fathom how your government thinks that throwing >400 billion at an economic stimulus will work when >1 trillion thrown at it has failed.

Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that everyone was freaking out about US debt.

Like my wife, sooner or later the US needs to bite the bullet and work out how to live without spending.

Not a problem. Time for Old School solutions, and by Old School I mean Roman boogie style. Nothing beats problems like conquering someone else and taking all their stuff. Under the enlightened Frazzled regime, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil would be extremely nervous right about now.

Strategically I am ok with passing the infrastructure, unemployment, and payroll sections (aka everything but the Support Loser Government Employees Act of 2009 er, 2011). It won't do a damn bit of good for improving jobs though.

Politically if I were the evil Republicans I would be all smiles and say we look forward to the actual bills Obama wants to put forward and start a daily countdown of "when are we getting the bill Mr. President?" once received pass everything but the government welfare queen sections that day. Captain Zero won't be able to run against a do nothing Congress at that point.

**Melissia**

The problem isn't spending so much as it's the direction of spending (or lack of direction in many cases).

Trying to claim the government needs to "live without spending" just makes me wonder what planet you're from...

Frazzled: Republicans wont' do that. They're too busy playing political toughguy and trying to appear to take a hard stance against everything Obama produces, no matter its actual content, to please the tea party base (which itself doesn't really have any real consistent goals aside from opposition itself).

**Mistress of minis**

It often seems that some of our political leaders live in a parallel universe where the laws of economics would actually function in the cartoonish manner they create thier 'solutions' for.

Its like they think the debt and job problems are Wiley Coyote, and the Roadrunner is reality and will always stay ahead and avoid the problems.

Meep meep.

**Kilkrazy**

Spending is fine if it goes into building up productive assets such as education, transport infrastructure and the like.

**Frazzled**

Melissia wrote:The problem isn't spending so much as it's the direction of spending (or lack of direction in many cases).

Trying to claim the government needs to "live without spending" just makes me wonder what planet you're from...

Frazzled: Republicans wont' do that. They're too busy playing political toughguy and trying to appear to take a hard stance against everything Obama produces, no matter its actual content, to please the tea party base (which itself doesn't really have any real consistent goals aside from opposition itself).

Its stimulus III and pretty much irrelevant. It won't get the economy started. If Oabama did anything, he showed us that Rooseveltian Keynes economics is utter crap.
He again missed the opportunity to go big and really propose a fix to a whole range of structural problems. But he didn't. He can't. He's a professor about a thousand feet over his head, and this was purely about putting something up so he can pull a Truman and try to run against Congress.

To fix the US economy you need strong long term structural change. He can't fathom that. Most of Congress can't fathom that.
*structural tax change.
*structural educational change.
*structural regulatory change.

It will take a dozen bills and someone Reagan/Johnson like who can focus on two or three things above all else. Frankly we've got the not ready for prime time crowd. They all need to go before the US decides we need a firm hand. Thats coming. You can see it and its scary.

**Melissia**

Frazzled wrote:Its stimulus III and pretty much irrelevant. It won't get the economy started.

Nothing the republicans do will get the economy restarted either, but I have more hope for Obama doing so than them (seeing as the Republicans are a large part of the reason why it's in this situation to begin with, with their party line of deregulation).

**Frazzled**

Kilkrazy wrote:Spending is fine if it goes into building up productive assets such as education, transport infrastructure and the like.

If it does so efficiently, agreed, and agreed in a big way (as we dicusss this firefighters pretty much gave up on historic Bastrop but have put a cordon around a bunch of historic CCC buildings. So many memories just gone now).
Propping up government bureaucracies however, which is what occurred with the 2009 event was the opposite of that.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Melissia wrote:
Frazzled wrote:Its stimulus III and pretty much irrelevant. It won't get the economy started.
Nothing the republicans do will get the economy restarted either, but I have more hope for Obama doing so than them (seeing as the Republicans are a large part of the reason why it's in this situation to begin with, with their party line of deregulation).

Well the answer to that will happen in early 2013 won't it. I have taken heart from both the Romney and Huntsman (even though he's a Democrat) plans as a good start. At least they recognize some of the issues.

**Melissia**

I'm doubtful.

If they try to take a hard stance supporting deregulation, their method will fail, only leading to more economic flops as corrupt businessmen make use of deregulation to milk money out of the economy without putting anything back in.

Just like they did before our current depression, causing it. Just like before the great depression, causing that.

**dogma**

Good talking points, they will play well.