Our country is so screwed up. People hate taxes and they hate stimulus spending so we’re stuck with giant deficits and high joblessness. You can’t fix a problem if the other side refuses to listen to scientists, economists, and experts. If they hold magical concepts in their heads and they refuse to compromise, solutions to problems like climate change become impossible.
If the president thinks he can get free trade deals done, that’s fine with me. Unlike NAFTA, I think these trade deals will help grow exports without hurting our manufacturing base. If he thinks he can get Congress to do patent reform, good, go for it. There’s a good chance he can pass his Returning Heroes Tax Credit that gives businesses an incentive to hire veterans who have served abroad. The president has to work with Congress on the things that can pass, even if they’re collectively inadequate. This isn’t because doing something is better than nothing at all (because that’s not always the case). It’s because we can’t have complete gridlock. The government needs to function on some basic level, even if it only shows the faintest pulse.
But, I have to say, I agree with Christina Romer:
But Christina Romer, who stepped down last year as the chairwoman of the president’s Council of Economic Advisers, said Mr. Obama should fight for short-term spending in combination with long-term deficit reduction.
“Playing it safe is not going to cut it,” said Ms. Romer, a professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley. “Not proposing anything bold and not trying to do something to definitively deal with our problems would mean that we’re going to have another year and a half like the last year and a half — and then it’s awfully hard to get re-elected.”
There’s the issue of timing, of course. Perhaps the White House can work on some things and get them wrapped up by December before pivoting. But they need a bold plan. They can’t run away from stimulus forever, even if it’s only theatre. If they don’t roll out a bold plan it is going to look like the president isn’t willing to fight for the people who are struggling. Getting things done is the first priority, but winning reelection and retaking control of Congress are the most important things that need to get done. Unless, you know, you think the current iteration of the Republican Party will fix things if they’re back in power…
