Baron Hill: 'Boot us out' in two years if there's no gain on economy

[Project Grudge]

Source: The Courier-Journal

Voters should give Democrats two more years to build on progress they’ve made with the economy and implement programs to help pull the country further out of its economic downturn, incumbent Democratic Rep. Baron Hill said Tuesday.

But if the unemployment rate hasn’t returned to pre-recession levels by 2012, voters should then “boot us out” of office, he told The Courier-Journal’s editorial board.

Hill said the benchmarks for measuring Democratic progress in two years should be an unemployment rate about 4 or 5 percent, consumer confidence at about 90 percent, and gross domestic product growing at about 4 or 5 percent. If those don’t occur, “then it would be fair to say the Democrats have not got the job done,” said Hill, who is fending off challenges from Republican Todd Young and Libertarian Greg Knott.

Read more: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100928/NEWS02/309280055/Baron+Hill++%E2%80%98Boot+us+out++in+two+years+if+there+s+no+gain+on+economy

---

I know he's a blue dog, and thus can't be good with numbers, but 4 percent unemployment seems extraordinarily optimistic in 2 years. With everything I read, from Reich to Krugman and others, the economy has shifted tremendously.

[Bluesbreaker]

1. He's an idiot

Unemployment may be worse in two years, and if so, it will have very little to do with Congressional Democrats and more to do with forces that were set in motion years ago with the repeal of the Glass-Steagal Act and the passage of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, both of which were drafted by Republican Senator Phil Gramm. The operations of the Federal Reserve also contributed significantly to the nation's financial meltdown.

Baron Hill doesn't have a clue about economics or recent developments in the financial markets. With friends like him, we're in big trouble.

[indypaul]

10. The Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 20000

better known as the "Enron Exemption" also had a lot of help from Indiana
Senator Richard G Lugar when he tagged it to a must pass appropriations
bill on Dec 15, 2000. Two days after the famous Bush v. Gore Supreme Court
decision.

[Tutankhamun]

2. If Baron Hill gets elected this "boot us out" statement will _really_ come back to haunt him.

That was an absolutely moronic thing to say.

[karynnj]

7. I agree that the conditions are not realistic, but see this as a ploy to get two years

The current environment is as angry and toxic as it can get. If this helps him get those additional two years and the economy improves and some of the anger dissipates, running in 2012 will be less bad.

Now, his opponent will eagerly show how all those benchmarks were not made, but if unemployment were down to say 6%, he would be able to point to real improvement. (If it is really worse, forget it, 2012 will be a cataclysmic election - and in hind sight, winning 2008 might look like having handed the "hot potato" at the wrong time. )

[TheEuclideanOne]

3. That whole statement demonstrates utter cluelessness

Not only of the current economic climate, but also of the political climate. Most of all it shows a lack of understanding of what it would take to get the economy to get to that point no matter who is "in charge".

[ixion]

4. Talk about setting yourself up to fail

There is no way in hell the unemployment rate is going to be at "pre-recession" {sic} levels" by 2012.

Well, there is a way, but the Dems are too busy helping the F.I.R.E. vertical to want to actually be populist and help Main. St.

[SkyDaddy7]

5. This is INSANE!

What dream is he living?

[COLGATE4]

6. Fool me once...

[Jkid]

8. The reason why there is presumably little gain is the fear of being labeled as socialists.

If the Democrats did more to the economy, they more the fear of being labeled socialists.

[bemildred]

9. I'd say he deserves at least a primany challenge in 2012. nt

[nyy1998]

11. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I like this message.

Give us two more years, if we still can't get our s*** together then we deserve to lose to the Republicans.