The economy is recovering and Republicans are determined to destroy it

[ProSense]

The ongoing recovery is doing two things: blowing a hole in the pundits' theory that the economy would collapse if Obama was relected and erasing the phrase "double dip recession.

The ISM non-manufacturing index (service) increased (highest since February 2012), weekly initial unemployment claims declined (lowest 4 week average since March 2008), the ADP employment report was above expectations, and mortgage delinquencies declined.

The only negative was the increase in the trade deficit, but overall the data was better than expected.

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2013/03/summary-for-week-ending-march-8th.html

Solid retail sales bolster economic outlook

By Lucia Mutikani

Reuters) - Retail sales expanded at their fastest clip in five months in February, the latest sign of momentum for an economy facing headwinds from higher taxes and pricier gasoline.

The solid sales last month comes on the heels of strong gains in employment and manufacturing. But the improvement in the economic picture is likely insufficient to shift the Federal Reserve from its very accommodative monetary policy stance.

- more -

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-economy-retail-idUSBRE92C0I820130313

Jobless claims improve for seventh straight week, near 5-year low
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022505778

Still, Republicans are doing everything in their power to strangle not just the economic recovery, but also America's safety net.

Ryan's unfortunate slip

By Steve Benen

<...>

For those who can't watch clips online, Ryan said, in reference to his plans for health care:

"This to us is something that we're not going to give up on, because we're not going to give up on destroying the health care system for the American people."

Coming soon to a campaign ad near you.

Incidentally, if you saw any of Ryan's remarks, you might have noticed that, immediately behind the congressman, there were two women from the House GOP caucus. That wouldn't be especially noteworthy, except there were a total of 16 House Republicans, including Ryan, standing in front of reporters in the House Radio & TV Gallery to introduce the budget plan -- 14 of them were white guys.

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/12/17286141-ryans-unfortunate-slip

Lindsay Graham: I Will Destroy America’s Solvency Unless The Social Security Retirement Age Is Raised
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/12/30/1379681/lindsay-graham-i-will-destroy-americas-solvency-unless-the-social-security-retirement-age-is-raised/

Republicans want to destroy the programs that protect Americans from death and poverty.

Why we can't have nice things

By Steve Benen

It's hard to believe, but the economy is actually starting to look pretty good. The latest job numbers were strong; the latest manufacturing figures were very encouraging; the housing sector is looking increasingly strong; Wall Street is up; and the new retail-sales numbers were so good, "it's hard to imagine how the numbers could have been stronger."

All Americans really have to worry about now is their elected lawmakers acting against their interests on purpose.

Take, for example, what the House's top Republican said late last week...

House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) on Thursday said he would continue to insist that the next debt-ceiling increase be accompanied by matching spending cuts, raising the prospect of a high-stakes showdown when the borrowing limit expires this spring.

...and what the Senate's top Republican said yesterday.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that Republicans will use the expiration of the debt limit this summer as leverage to get President Obama to consider entitlement reforms. This could set up a standoff over the nation's borrowing authority similar to the one that resulted in the nation losing its credit rating in 2011. <...>

"We all anticipate that the president's request of us to raise the debt ceiling, which we'll probably do sometime this will generate another, hopefully, another discussion about solving the real problem," he said.

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/03/13/17297281-why-we-cant-have-nice-things

The economy has momentum, and if Congress would seize on this to pass a jobs bill, it would definitely pick up steam.

[onehandle]

1. I thought you were re-posting a headline from four years ago.

'mericans should be up in arms, instead of ogling Kardashians and cheering DWTS.

[ProSense]

4. Humor:

Toomey: Left Caused Financial Crisis
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/toomey-left-caused-financial-crisis

[stopbush]

2. I'm convinced that the Rs internal polling on the economy last year showed a bigger recovery

was just around the corner.

They were hoping that Romney would win and the economy would boom right on schedule, leaving the impression with the rubes that all the country needed was to get rid of Obama, install an R and the gravy train was back. Romney even said as much in a number of speeches, where he opined that the economy would improve simply by his winning, because businesses would start hiring, etc.

No doubt the Rs got their biz friends to hold back on hiring through 2012 just to make Obama look bad.

[ProSense]

3. They block it. As Krugman pointed out:

The Jobs Program That Wasn’t

Macroeconomic Advisers on the American Jobs Act, proposed a year ago:

We estimate that the American Jobs Act (AJA), if enacted, would give a significant boost to GDP and employment over the near-term.

-The various tax cuts aimed at raising workers’ after-tax income and encouraging hiring and investing, combined with the spending increases aimed at maintaining state & local employment and funding infrastructure modernization, would:
-Boost the level of GDP by 1.3% by the end of 2012, and by 0.2% by the end of 2013.
-Raise nonfarm establishment employment by 1.3 million by the end of 2012 and 0.8 million by the end of 2013, relative to the baseline

Of course, it that had happened, Obama would be more or less a lock for reelection. Instead, having blocked the president’s economic plans, Republicans can point to weak job growth and claim that the president’s policies have failed.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/08/the-jobs-program-that-wasnt/

[ProSense]

5. Kick for

whatever!