Clarity in Crazytown
Leave it to the NYTimes, in this lickspittle Obama-toadying piece (really, honestly, do yourself a favor and clear your cache or whatever you need to do to read this almost perfect example of water-carrying) to clarify exactly what this campaign is all about.
It's about having fewer public employees.
First, a taste of the shrieking Obama-defense. About the "six words" Obama said, about the "private sector" doing well, The NYTimes rushes to his aid:
But for the day at least, the damage was done, as Republicans hijacked the news cycle with their barrage against Mr. Obama’s six words in a professorial 29-minute exchange. While the metaphor of the bully pulpit originated with President Theodore Roosevelt about a century ago and generally remains apt, it does not allow for a 21st-century media environment of constant cable television chatter, blogging and instant Internet videos that empower a president’s opponents to bully back.
He's too smart for us, see. He was just being "professorial."
Then, clarity breaks out. You see, we all agree. The NYTimes says:
Mr. Obama’s point at his news conference was that for more than two years, monthly jobs reports have shown growth in the private sector, but continuing cutbacks in the public sector as state and local governments slash jobs in their struggle to balance their budgets; the public sector — not the private sector — most needs additional government help.
And Obama says:
“We’ve created 4.3 million jobs over the last 27 months, over 800,000 just this year alone. The private sector is doing fine. Where we’re seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government — oftentimes, cuts initiated by governors or mayors who are not getting the kind of help that they have in the past from the federal government and who don’t have the same kind of flexibility as the federal government in dealing with fewer revenues coming in.”
Mitt Romney says:
“He wants another stimulus. He wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did: It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”
I love this. This is clarity. The left wants more government workers. We want fewer. I know this seems obvious, but it's rare we get this agreement about where the line in the sand is.
- Comment (27)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments:
May '12
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
Great that Gov. Romney did stand his ground, but what does he mean "...and help the American people".
I can only speak for me, but I suspect there are a handful of ricoteers that would agree.
We - the American people - don't want or need 'help' from the federal government, nor our state or local government. What we want and need is the government to get out of our way, roll back reams of regulation, live within the strict confines of the constitution and leave the rest up to us.
This is what makes my support for Gov. Romney less enthusiastic. His solutions still require federal gov't intervention - education is a good example. Yes, he is for more choice, but why do we need the federal gov't in it at all.
If Gov. Romney or any republican want to help our citizenry try passing a real balanced budget right now (not in a decade) and then just roll back laws and regulation, and get the heck out of the way.
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
My favorite quote from the article:
That's quite the diaphanous strawman you've set up there, Mr. President. The medical device manufacturers laying off workers to prepare for your sales tax, the power companies shuttering coal plants in response to the latest diktat from Lisa Jackson's EPA--they are all "doing fine"? And I suppose all those vacant storefronts at the mall are just green measures to create more urban "open space." No need for tax cuts or regulatory relief, what we need is more spending.
But I suppose your real constituents actually are "doing fine." As Mark Steyn notes in his column today, and elaborates on at the Corner, the only Americans you seem to associate with are your fellow celebrities.
Edited on June 9, 2012 at 5:46pmJan '11
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
Are these the same NY Times writers who were complaining about their retirement being converted from a defined benefit to a defined contribution?
Jul '11
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
If I had a professor who read from a television monitor and only took scripted questions I think I'd get the lecture notes. Obama is in big trouble over this statement and they know it, nobody circles the wagons like the NYT though. They may soon reach the credibility of Baghdad Bob.
Edited on June 9, 2012 at 10:15pmDec '10
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
"...as Republicans hijacked the news cycle with their barrage against Mr. Obama’s six words in a professorial 29-minute exchange..."
A couple of things. First, did you hear that press conference? That snarky whining was 'professorial? Seriously? I don't ever remember hearing a professor sniveling like that (although, to be fair, I wasn't a Poly Sci major).
Also, the Republicans aren't ever - ever - in the position to 'hijack' the news cycle. The news cycle belongs to the left.
On another note:
Mitt Romney says: ".... He wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. "
It's suicide to get sucked into talking about cops and firemen. We need to cut the armies if bureaucrats and government cronies, not cops. Romney is really bad at this. He need to stay on script.
One more thing, am I the only one on Ricochet who's grossed out by the word 'lickspittle'? Can we put that on the forbidden word list please?
Dec '10
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
One thing that struck when I was in D.C. last week was the lack of available space. Granted, I stayed well cocooned in the heart of the place, but every business was busy. People were bustling from one place to another with $5 cups of coffee and expensive iPhones in their hands. Everyone was well dressed and professional looking. From the president's view, the busy power center of D.C. with all the construction and renovation around the mall would create the impression that things are great. The president really needs to get out more, as you and Steyn note.
Oct '10
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
The argument still comes down to Keynes and Hayek. Paul Krugman is running around saying we need to re-hire all those teachers that State and local governments laid off over these past two years: Nothing like more voters beholden to government for their livelihood to shift the political balance.
Jan '11
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
Government wants to bail out the public sector, i.e., itself.
That's exactly what we've been complaining about.
Jul '10
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
Another remarkable floor exercise in jackasstics and still can't stick the landing.
Tank Dukakis meet Fine Obama.
Edited on June 9, 2012 at 6:05pmApr '12
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
The term "hijack" continues its climb to the post of preeminent descriptor for Republican and conservative attempts to control spending and regulation.
It is being overused.
In a decade "hijack" will refer to hitchhikers and people that take too long getting on the bus or plane.
It is good the Democrats and news keep using the term. Every instance is an over application that blunts its emotional impact and chips away at its, once dire, denotation.
May '10
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
4.3 Million Jobs created? Really? Population is up about 2% since 2009, workforce is down about 5% since 2009. People want to, and need to retire later as life expectancy and health improve. Can someone come up with a figure as to how many jobs should have been created since 2009? My guess is about 15 million; certainly something in the mid-teens.
Apr '12
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
I love how he refers to the public and private sectors as though they're just, you know, different parts of the economy, both of which should be as large and thriving as possible.
Apr '11
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
That really was a huge gaffe by Mitt, criticizing the government workers who are actually popular. Didn't Scott Walker make a point of exempting police and firefighters from his reforms?
Dec '10
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
This is key. It's not firefighters and police who hold up an addition to your house for six months while you jump through your own butt and uncountable bureaucratic hoops before you can even break ground. There's a reason we celebrate our military and public safety workers yet hold our elected officials and their bureaucrat minions in highest contempt. Mitt should know this, but for some reason he doesn't. It's another donut to him.
Jul '11
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
The federal employee list is remarkably absent of firefighters and policemen, but I guess all those EPA jobs are part of our critical public-sector infrastructure that prevents people from building a new house on land they've purchased when teaspoons of water are found in the soil and so it becomes designated a wetland. In flyover country.
The stimulus already bailed out teachers, police, and fire - just ask those state gov'ts that avoided making hard decisions because of the infusion of "stimulative" dollars that only propped up unsustainable spending for another couple of years. Surprisingly, more stimulating is needed to keep that job growth going, for some reason. I mean, how many times can you bail out the states under the guise of economic stimulation before even the average Joe/Jane on the street says "This is flat-out garbage".
I keep hearing about teachers being laid off, firefighters and cops being laid off, but I don't see that happening in my wee state of VT. Instead, I hear about new ways to raise taxes in order to keep the public sector funded at the levels they've grown accustomed to - and that politicians love.
May '10
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
The King Prawn
One thing that struck when I was in D.C. last week was the lack of available space. Granted, I stayed well cocooned in the heart of the place, but every business was busy. People were bustling from one place to another with $5 cups of coffee and expensive iPhones in their hands.
Kind of reminds me of the Capitol in the Hunger Games trilogy. Residents of the Capitol live in the lap of luxury while out in the Districts the people struggle to survive.
I'm also reminded of this when I watch House Hunters on HGTV and a young couple in some DC suburb is shopping for a rowhouse for $500K. Where is all this money coming from?
Obama's plan is to continue down that path. Massive, bloated government with increasingly prosperous employees, and then the rest of us out here who pay for all of it.
Oct '10
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
Message to Mitt: We don't want fewer cops and teachers; we want to set salaries and benefits at a reasonable rate so that we can hire more.
This is shaping up to be a campaign of dumb and dumberer.
Jan '11
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
Sorry to be contrarian but I;m skeptical of the assertion that police, fire and teachers are immune from a critical examination of need.
Yes, they fill an important public safety role but I've seen plenty of instances of enforcement geared towards offsetting departmental costs (more speed traps, tickets for 'unsecured' dogs in cars, parking violations from 2am-5am, mandatory response from fires companies: engine, ambulance and command vehicle in tow - whether needed or not, say in instances when just an ambulance is called and the whole convoy shows up. School districts larded up with mandated counselors, dieticians & hot lunch programs etc.
There's a whole lot of fat in municipal budgets even in these areas that can be paired back. As happy as I am that Scott Walker is my Governor, he knew he couldn't touch the police & fire fighters - I think they could and should be part of these reforms.
Jun '10
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
In San Francisco:
Aug '11
Re: Clarity in Crazytown
Victor Davis Hanson has a great post on the Corner regarding this as well.
I think that Rob is right about the election being about the media carrying water for Obama. He's so right. And the narrative is always the same-- its always about us not understanding him or what he's trying to do. But yet he's considered an effective leader? That's what I don't get about the "you just don't understand me" gambit. Somewhere along the line he's not communicating or delegating properly, or everyone beneath him is incompetent or sinister. All of those outcomes are problematic for the big government apologist.
I think the good thing about the Times and Obama is that they are so into this big government agenda they simply can't pull a Clintonian "triangulation" and even though Mitt Romney's messaging isn't always great, or even conservative, we will still be presented with two very different visions of the country. Obama believes in the government and the writers of Vogue magazine.