Obama blames political wrangling for rise in the number of unemployed

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

Barack Obama has blamed political wrangling over the US debt ceiling for a jump in unemployment to 9.2%.

The US president warned that uncertainty over a deal being hammered out between Republicans and Democrats, which involves plans to raise taxes, cut government spending and stimulate the economy, is stopping businesses hiring.

His comments follow figures that show employers last month hired the fewest workers for nearly two years, crushing hopes of a turnaround in the jobs market, and adding to jitters to world stock markets. Companies added only 18,000 jobs in June, the US labour department said, compared with the 90,000-120,000 that had been forecast. It was the weakest reading since September 2010.

Speaking at the White House, Obama said that once Congress reached an agreement on the debt ceiling, businesses would have the confidence they needed to add workers to their payroll.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jul/08/us-jobs-debt-unemployment-obama

[emulatorloo]

1. Yes I blame the obstructionist Republicans and their bullshit. They've blocked everything

constuctive.

[Enrique]

2. a political answer

we need economic answers, and it doesn't look like that's what Obama is interested in. Just his games.

[bhikkhu]

45. Nevertheless, it is the real answer

They sunk the boat in '08, but confabulated themselves back in in '10, largely by selling fear and made up shit about Obama. The entire time, from '08 to now, they have obstructed every bit of good legislation to help the recovery.

They have been particularly effective in strangling legislation lately, and now add fear of a deliberate government shut-down into the mix.

[Autumn]

3. Since we have a rise in the number of unemployed

perhaps he should reconsider cuts to fix their phony deficit.

[lib2DaBone]

4. We need a President who is committed to Nation building at home...

..obviously.. it's not Obama.

Obama should at least do the right thing for the country and not run again in 2012.

[Fire1]

7. I'd say we need a congress who isn't committed to

sabotaging this administration and doing everything in their power to see it fail.

[Liberalynn]

9. When are you going to get it

Yes the Thugs try to sabotage him, but he is also sabotaging himself and dragging the rest of us down with him. He doesn't even pretend to fight them any more. Now he evenly openly cuts other Democrats out of the process. He views them as irrelevant which they are because they won't use their power to fight back either.

Boner says this is the way its going to be and Obama says okay my good buddy John! Thats how laws are now made in this country and it is taking us to hell in a hand basket and your precious President is as much to blame as the rest. He's not mine anymore. He doesn't represent me or even give my representatives a voice at the table anymore.

But by all means keep apologizing for him. I'll see you in the bread lines, if they even give us bread this time around.

[Fire1]

12. What part of a republican majority in the house don't you

understand!! I don't see any indication that he 'ignores' ANY of the democratic caucuses and cuts them out of the process!! He already knows where they stand!! He's logically trying to build some kind of fuckin consensus with the opposition who also happens to be the freakin majority!! What part of that don't YOU GET?????!!!!!!

[Doctor_J]

16. he had huge majorities in both houses in 2009-2011

and still gave in to the right wing on every major issue.

That excuse is complete bullshit at this point.

[Fire1]

22. I think you need to review those things that WERE done

IN SPITE of "blue dog" democrats and thanks to the "bite off your nose to spite your face" electorate, the mid-terms went to the republicans. Thanks alot.

[Doctor_J]

25. Like taking Public Option off the table

before the negotiations started? I have reviewed that one to tears. And it turned out to be a preview of his "presidency"

[Fire1]

28. THAT was NEVER GOING TO PASS! The blue dogs AND

republicans saw to that VERY EARLY ON!!

[Doctor_J]

54. If the president had made it a priority, 70,000,000 people would have been

in the streets making sure it did pass. he never did. he surrendered before a single shot was fired.

[PassingFair]

62. Then why the fuck was Max Baucus put at the helm?

Obama's uniformly crappy choices of "advisors",
policy people, enforcers and attack dogs can't
all be a matter of happenstance.

"The Blue Dogs" provide political cover for Obama.

They have provided political cover for the "DLC",
"New Dems", "Third-Way" whatever you want to call
the corporate supported "wing" of our party --
ever since I noticed them.

[Liberalynn]

30. Like refusing to even investigate

the potential "criminal misdeeds" of the Bush administration, not only not ending the war in Afghanistan but increasing troop levels, etc. When he had the majority. Excuse me, I didn't realize these were "Democratic Goals." :sarcasm:

Its his own fault that people stayed home and the Pukes got in. He gave the base and the independents virtually no change and almost nothing to get excited about and in return they gave him nothing back.

[Fire1]

31. Oh the hell with criminal misdeeds!!! The economy took a

a FREAKIN NOSE DIVE!!!! Who gives a damn about bush when people are trying to stay above water!! The people I WISH he could go after are the freakin BANKS!!! But of course, I KNOW that NO PRESIDENT IS EVER GOING TO DO THAT!!!!!

[Liberalynn]

35. That's right! Just Screw the Constitution

He had just finished swearing to defend and protect against all enemies foreign and domestic. Its just a worthless piece of hooha not worth the paper it is written on right? :sarcasm: Sadly, IMHO, it is begining to look like this is rapidly becoming the case and no one is doing a damn thing to stop it.

He could have still worked on the economy and have gone after the Bushies at the same time. Its called multi tasking. People do it every day. Plue that's why the President has a cabinet, and aides and the like, so he doesn't have to handle things all by himself. What the hell do people think the Justice Department is for? They are for the very purpose of investigating illegal acts. He should have ordered them to do their jobs against the Bushies and the Bankers.

Can this President then only handle one task at a time?

Gee that's kind of scary given that he's now got at least three wars going on and the economy is tanking at the same time. Oops too bad for us, one's going to have to get flushed, and I am willing to bet you it ain't the wars.

And what is he doing exactly to change the economry tanking? Is he talking job creation, etc. No he's got his hands in the S.S. cookie jar with his good friend the Boner. Like taking Grandma and Grandpa's pension fund is going to save the economy. :sarcasm:

And of course he wasn't going after the bankers, they are who he answers too, not the "little people."

[Fire1]

56. I didn't really bother reading your post beyond "screw the

constitution," b/c from that point you begin to sound like a republican. There is such a thing as priorities, of which I'm sure you know nothing about.

[Tempest]

60. Huge majorities? BULLSHIT!!!

Blue dogs don't count towards that majority, genius.

Not only that, but Republicans set a record for filibusters during the 2009-2010 sessions.

[Fire1]

63. BINGO!!! "Blue dogs don't count!!!!!!!!!!!" n/t

[Liberalynn]

17. There were NO DEMOCRATS

allowed at the debt ceiling meetings. The Democrats in the Senate asked the President to meet with them on this issue on Wenedsay. He Refused! He only let Pelosi back in because apparently as CBS is reporting she seems open to the possibility of capitualting on COLA, which equals a cut to SS.

He isn't trying to build a consenus. That's crap. A consenus requires two sides. Not one side, the Repulican side. The Dems are shut out period. Even when the Pres had the majority in both houses he still gave into the Pukes at almost every opportunity.

He let the tea party and the Pukes control the debate on Health Care, and said little or nothing to explain or defend even his own bill. He didn't even pretend to entertain debate on the Public Option. So he got his watered down milk toast version passed. Whoop De Doo! Most of us are still paying almost every time to Big Pharma, and Big Insurance.

Obama even says all the time how much he admired RayGun, the ultimate hero of the Neo_Cons, and his former press secretary mocked the liberal base over and over.

But you are entitled to your opinion. When the country ends up bankrupt economically and morally, however, I will still contend this President is equally to blame.
I GET THAT.

[larwdem]

42. you are

right on point I agree. And you don't need help from me:popcorn:

[Liberalynn]

52. Thanks!

:hug:

[Doctor_J]

14. Why doesn't he fight back?

it can't be that bad if he never pushes back.

[Fire1]

20. You don't call what he said before the July 4th holiday

"pushing back?" Exactly what would you have him do? Throw a tantrum or become the "angry black man," so we can once again be side tracked and distracted from what is really important??

[Doctor_J]

21. I see. He gives in to every republican demand because he's afraid of

being called an angry black man. If that's true he really should not have run for president.

[Fire1]

24. That is not at all what I said. I asked YOU! Would you have

him behave like that?? What do you want the man TO DO!!!???

[Quantess]

58. I, personally, would like him to behave "like that". Yes.

[StarsInHerHair]

64. have him behave like Harry Truman, like FDR-as the situation requires him to

be a fighter, not the wimp he's acting like now.

[SSDA]

53. It's all a game.

Obama is wedded to the wall street mafia, not the average Joe lunchbox.

[Liberalynn]

8. +10000

cause 1 is just not enough.

[BlueIdaho]

10. I am amazed...

At Obama's ability to continually demoralize Democrats. The brain trust responsible for his reelection seem to think they can heap any amount of crap on "the base" to capture independents and in the end we will all "come home" when the chips are down - after all - what else can we do?

Well, we could just close our pocketbooks and stay home...

[Liberalynn]

11. That and beg someone anyone to primary him

[BlueIdaho]

19. You know at this point it wouldn't take much.

You know I bet his golfing buddy John Boner would be happy to contribute to his reelection campaign.

Me? I just took myself off his mailing list.

[Liberalynn]

43. I've been off since he endorsed the pay roll tax holiday

[unkachuck]

5. sorry, Mr. Prez....

....this shitty economy is your albatross and you've got to stop blaming others, nobody believes you....

....you've had ample opportunity to follow New Deal/Progressive policies and programs but you've chosen to follow Republican supply-side crap, which created our problems in the first place....

....you've made your bed, now sleep in it....

[TomCADem]

47. Blame Democrats and Give Republicans A Free Pass

Americans voted for the House Republicans, and they sat on their collective ass for two years. Yet, its the President's albatross?

The economy was beginning to recover when Democrats controlled Congress. Is it any surprise that nothing has come out of the House that is responsive to employment since the Republicans took over?

[Liberalynn]

6. Self deleted dupe

[Doctor_J]

13. Why doesn't he, for once, blame the Repukes?

The man is an unmitigated disaster.

[Fire1]

15. I think he did that before the 4th holiday and is the reason

they don't have a "break."

[Doctor_J]

18. The week before the 4tf he spent playing golf with Boner

so no, you're not thinking correctly.

[Dept of Beer]

23. "businesses would have the confidence they needed"

I don't buy that it is the confidence of business when they are making record profits quarter after quarter.

Businesses must be compelled to create jobs, or their taxes should go up to offset their gross and uncaring avarice.

I'm done hearing excuses about he corporations. They know what they are doing.

[Doctor_J]

27. that's a right-wing talking point the president has adopted

he either believes it, or is trying to scare up enough teabagger votes to win next year despite alienating millions of his 2008 supporters.

[primavera]

57. Business isn't creating jobs because...

... having given all of our money to corporations, there's no one who can afford to buy their products anymore.

[lovuian]

26. if he was smart he would have adopted a jobs program

in every state instead of Bailing out AIG and Brokerage firms

[Dept of Beer]

29. The wrong people have been broken up.

The big guys should have but as usual the little guys get screwn.


Too big to fail trumps too little to care about.

[whosinpower]

33. I said that in December

When we were sold a damaged bill of goods stating that the bush tax cut extension would create jobs. We needed a bold jobs program.

[zogofzorkon]

34. WPA and PWA solutions are so yesterday.

[bhikkhu]

46. Directly funding programs like the WPA are illegal now

...a bit of repug legislation passed under Reagan, if I remember right, to prevent direct government-funded jobs programs. The only things that are allowed are summer jobs programs for kids.

[woo me with science]

61. It's a real shame the President doesn't know anyone in government

who could possibly address problems like that.

[StarsInHerHair]

65. that's why I've been saying the President needs to get that undone & then

ACT like he TALKED when he convinced us he was the guy for the job!

[whosinpower]

32. Sorry Mr. President but UK economists

Will tell you that the BIG drop began for them, when they began their talks of....austerity.

Is this the same thing?

And when the president of the United States refuses to sign a clean bill that just raises the debt ceiling, but insists on bundling cuts in spending including the social safety net - how on earth can this magically make the confidence fairy appear?

One can surmise that the extension of the Bush tax cuts in December, combined with a payroll tax holiday of social security DID NOT HAVE THE EFFECT OF STIMULUS. Tax cuts do not create jobs. Tax cuts do not restore confidence and trust lost.

The GOP do not want to work with you Mr. President. They want to destroy you. They want to destroy the democrats. Do not help them. Give business more incentive to hire than to sit on its trillions....threaten to tax it all. Or - give businesses who manufacture, set up plants, make stuff in America and hire american workers the only future tax cuts - and you can even pro rate those cuts as per how many NEW permanent jobs were created.

[1stBunny]

36. When did they deliver a clean bill that just raises the debt ceiling for him to sign?

That's news to me. You mean he vetoed it? Because if he refuses to sign it automatically becomes law after a certain number of days.

[primavera]

59. I think the GOP wants him to work FOR them

He's a terrific ally - he gives them everything they want, covers for their extremism, and blames his own party for raising objections. What better friend could the right-wing have?

[goforit]

37. Qbama, Qbama Qbama....Being the Republican that you are,

Just ain;t gonna produce jobs.
Patting GOP'rs on the back, handouts to the rich .........dough nah cut it.

[Jakes Progress]

38. How mealy mouthed. What happened to the gifted orator?

Why can't he just say that the republican's support of rich tax cuts is causing the problem. Why does he have to bury the message in politigarble?

[lib2DaBone]

39. Does Obama read history?

I know he does.. he is well aware of Herbert Hoover, austerity and how spending cuts crippled the economy and caused the Great Depression.

Yet.. he does whatever the Koch Bros and the Republicans want?

What's up with that?

[DeSwiss]

40. Sure, sure.....

- It was definitely the politics what done it.....

"....create jobs building solar panels and wind turbines and the fuel-efficient cars of tomorrow. Jobs that will help us end our dependence on foreign oil and may save the planet in the process. Rebuilding our crumbling roads and schools and bridges...." "....so we can have a new electricity grid and bring renewable energy to population centers here in Indiana and across America. Build an American infrastructure for the 21st century." - Barack Obama, 2008

"....that tired, worn-out old theory that says, that says we should give more to billionaires and big corporations and hope that prosperity will trickle-down on everybody else. The last thing... the last thing we can afford is four more years where no one in Washington is watching anyone on Wall Street because politicians and lobbyists killed common-sense regulations. Those are the theories that got us into this mess. They haven't worked and it is time for change, and that's why I'm running for President of the United States of America." - Barack Obama, 2008

"...bailout Wall Street banks. As President I will insure the financial rescue plan helps stop foreclosures and protects your money, instead of enriching CEOs. And I'll put in place the common-sense regulations that I've been calling for throughout this campaign. So that Wall Street can never cause a crisis like this again. That's the change we need." - Barack Obama, 2008

"It is absolutely true that NAFTA was a mistake." - Barack Obama, 2008

[emilyg]

41. BS

[Fearless]

44. He didn't provide a solution. Who cares what his opinion is on why it happened?

[JDPriestly]

48. He really doesn't understand.

He is better than Bush, but not good enough.

It's not the "political wrangling" in the US. It's the "Made in Anywhere but America" labels on everything we buy. That's what is preventing employers from hiring.

[keopeli]

49. Wow, I seldom hear of Obama or the Dems trying to "control the message" like this

Clearly, what the President is saying makes no sense. Because of an empty threat to refuse to pay our nations debts, he proposes, businesses are not hiring.

No. Because of low demand, businesses are not hiring and new businesses are not being created. The imaginary "debt ceiling" has nothing to do with it.

This summer's debate topic, "the debt ceiling", was created via negotiation last December when the President renewed the Bush era "tax holiday" that has been going on for over 10 years now. With the new dynamic in Congress for 2011-12 being "status quo" because absolutely nothing of any substance would be passed, everyone in Congress knew what few measures MUST be passed for the government to function.

In case it is unclear, all the businesses that lobby and fund our federal elected officials, i.e. oil, pharmaceuticals, banks and wall street, military contractors, etc., do not want our government to shut down. Our largest industries make a large portion of their money from government contracts, services and regulations (laws).

Accepting that no one wants a crippled government, certain actions must be passed by Congress regardless of partisanship. For example, all the funding laws must be passed. There can be haggling over the 5% of the budget that is allocated to partisanship, but the rest is necessary to keep major corporations profitable.

Yes, a certain minority are so wealthy that they are willing to sacrifice some profit short-term (i.e. 10-20 years) in a bid to gain more control over the government and secure long-term profits (25-50 years). But most corporations are lead by aristocrats whose greed is calculated daily and yearly, not by generations.

Everything we are witnessing this summer was setup last December. If cuts to citizen investment programs (i.e. social security, medicare, medicaid) will occur, that decision was made last year. What we hear about is the political spin attempting to blame the opponents and win elections.

Almost all of the political spin we hear today is generated by the Republicants. No one should think that the U.S. will fail to pay it's debts, for as soon as we do, the entire world economy will tank.

Last December, the Democrats told the Republicants that they would cut citizen investment programs and extend Bush's Billionaire Tax Holiday. The trade-off would be that the Republicants would pass these measures in the new Congress. It was an offer the Republicants could not refuse. The Democrats were positioning themselves to win the 2012 election. Republicants didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They were going to get what they wanted, but they were also going to lose these precious talking points that they had wielded against the Democrats for years. No longer would they be able to say, "Democrats want to raise your taxes" to their wealthy donors, because the Democrats would simply say to them, "How are your taxes today? Higher or lower?" They would also say "How's your bottom line? Do you have more money or less than you did 4 years ago?" The American Aristcrats would know well that the Democrats had given them everything they wanted.

In 2012, the winner will be the candidate who raises and spends the most money (billions of dollars). The partisan Supreme Court, being the only branch controlled by the Republicants prior to 2010, tried to open the campaign funding floodgates with Citizens United. But, they merely opened a portal for massive anonymous funding of political campaigns. The decision did not secure a Republicant victory, but rather forced the Democrats to pander even more to the ruling aristocrats.

The Democrats have taken their typical approach to political messaging by remaining almost completely mum about what is happening. They seldom attempt to control the political message until they are forced to do so. This silence is deliberate and is frequently used by the ruling party. After all, it's easier to get forgiveness than permission. The party that is out of power often attempts to control the message in an effort to spin American's reaction so they can win the next election.

None of this is surprising. U.S. politics has been functioning like this for the past 30+ years at least. What I find surprising is that Obama is now actively working to control the message by blaming a divided Congress for the high unemployment rate. He knows, like every reasonable person, that it is a phoney excuse, but this doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that Americans blame Republicans for any bad news.

The fact that Obama is making this messaging attempt before the artificial "debt ceiling deadline" indicates to me a growing concern in the ruling Democratic Party that our economic outlook over the next 1-2 years is worsening. Otherwise, the normal course of action would be to remain mum by only offering vague responses until the debt ceiling is raised.

Republicants, for their part, have forced the debt limit increase legislation (a foregone conclusion) to be intermingled with the new budgeting legislation (also legislation that is essential to keeping corporate america operating). By conflating these two issues, the impression is given that one is relative to or influenced by the other. This is not the case. The U.S. debt is used to pay obligations already made. Very little is actually negotiable. The separate budget legislation is also largely predestined. Major changes would need the approval of all parties involved. Whatever is to happen with these different bills was decided long ago.

What we are witnessing is the political spin. The fact that Obama is entering the fray with rhetoric that has no bearing on reality is simply indicative of the fact that the Democrats have become concerned about controlling the message. That, to me, is an indication that they are no longer confident in the political and real outcomes of the actions they've already chosen to take.

peace

(Any references herein are my own opinion. I have not cited sources and have no sources to cite. These comments are from my own accumulation of knowledge and reflect my own conclusions, not that of others.)

[DallasNE]

50. Governments Layoff 39,000 In June

This is an uptick from recent months where the number had been pretty steady at 30,000 government jobs lost. Recently Wisconsin replaced union workers with unpaid prisoners on work relief that are likely part of this. The private sector added 57,000 jobs, which is still very weak and is well below the 140,000 needed each month just for population growth.

Not mentioned, as well, is the impact of high gas prices that only started to recede in mid/late June. All of the Social Security tax holiday money went into higher gas prices rather than stimulating the economy. And there is no doubt that uncertainty with what will happen in Washington D.C. also contributes to this malaise and that finger rightly should be pointed at the GOP.

[Harry Callahan]

51. He should blame it on his macro-keynesian economists and their idiotic policies of QE.

[StarsInHerHair]

66. it is REAGANOMICS that got us here! TAX CUTS THAT CREATED THIS SINKHOLE!

[earthside]

55. Let's all just admit it ...

... Barack Obama blew any chance at a meaningful, job creating recovery before he was even sworn-in. When he hired Timmy Geithner and Larry Summers he cast his lot with the gamblers on Wall Street.

Everything that has followed has been as a consequences of Obama's alliance with the banksters and the belief that the financialization of our economy is an unalterable reality.

The only thing left for us now is a contest for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination and a new progressive, populist candidate that can swing the country back to building a working/middle class economy.