JONATHAN CHAIT JUNE 30, 2011
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News reports of President Obama's press conference focused on his portrayal of himself as the responsible adult vis a vis the child-like Republicans, and on his insistence that a debt deal include shared sacrifice. But I think the most important theme was the way Obama castigated Congress for failing to act to stimulate the economy:
In addition to the steps that my administration can take on our own, there are also things that Congress could do right now that will help create good jobs. Right now, Congress can send me a bill that would make it easier for entrepreneurs to patent a new product or idea –- because we can’t give innovators in other countries a big leg up when it comes to opening new businesses and creating new jobs. That's something Congress could do right now.
Right now, Congress could send me a bill that puts construction workers back on the job rebuilding roads and bridges –- not by having government fund and pick every project, but by providing loans to private companies and states and local governments on the basis of merit and not politics. That's pending in Congress right now.
Right now, Congress can advance a set of trade agreements that would allow American businesses to sell more of their goods and services to countries in Asia and South America -– agreements that would support tens of thousands of American jobs while helping those adversely affected by trade. That's pending before Congress right now.
And right now, we could give middle-class families the security of knowing that the tax cut I signed in December will be there for one more year.
So there are a number of steps that my administration is taking, but there are also a number of steps that Congress could be taking right now on items that historically have had bipartisan support and that would help put more Americans back to work.
This is a kind of Obama-ized version of Harry Truman's famous campaign against the "do-nothing Republican Congress." It's Obama-ized in that he precedes the above passage by touting various pro-business initiatives his administration has taken unilaterally, and because he takes care to note that the proposals he touts for Congress have all enjoyed bipartisan support.
But the thrust of the passage is to assail Congress for failing to act. This is -- and has to be -- a major component of Obama's political message through the 2012 election. The economic recovery is going to be too long and difficult to run a "see how great things are" campaign. The only real alternative is to shift the blame for the status quo onto Republicans who have blocked his economic recovery agenda. The other portion of his campaign has to be contrasting his priorities on taxes and spending, which line up relatively closely with those of most Americans, against those of his Republican opponent, which will not. That theme, too predominated in Obama's remarks, and was presaged in his April budget speech.
The truth is that none of Obama's proposals would have more than a marginal boost for growth. (That makes them better than the Republican proposals, which would worsen the economy.) But he needs a theme, and castigating Republicans for failing to act on his moderate, pro-business agenda seems like a useful way to combine Clintonian and Trumanite themes.
9 comments
Obama's FAILED Truman Show Railing against a do-nothing Congress is fundamentally different from railing against do-nothing Congressional Republicans; it perpetuates the lie that obstructionism is a bipartisan phenomenon. If I were a Congressional Democrat, I'd be furious. Shifting the blame for the anemic recovery onto Congress per se might improve Obama's electoral chances, but it won't help Democratic incumbents in the House and Senate. It is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the conclusion that our president is a tool.
- AaronW
June 30, 2011 at 6:31am
Give 'em Hell Barry!
- MikeB.
June 30, 2011 at 8:52am
Aaron - respectfully disagree. I think the American people are smart enough to conclude - when agreeing with the Prez that Congress is to blame, that is - that its the GOP controlled House that shoulders the vast majority of the responsibility for doing nothing. I say vast majority instead of "all", because, let's face it, our reps on the Dem side of the aisle aren't exactly blameless. "If I were a Congressional Dem, I'd be furious..." Oh, I agree. But furious at whom? The President? Why? For stating what is factually correct, that its Congress who is standing in the way of recovery? Let the people connect the dots, and flip the House back to blue in 2012.
- Tristan
June 30, 2011 at 8:55am
I'm with Tristan. Congressional democrats have a job and responsibility; and at the end of the day, especially in the senate, if they can't do their part then the seat might as well go to the next Tea Bagger in line. At least then we won't be wondering "WTF?" when they vote against an important bill, like a major stimulus package.
- GSpinks
June 30, 2011 at 9:48am
Until someone acknowledges that we had poor economic performance during the Bush low tax rates, you can talk about corporate jets and oil subsidies all you want, but the Republicans have won the argument because nobody is willing to raise rates. We've atrophied government and the solution to that is less nourishment because of the unjustified fear of what it will do to the economy. The lower capital gains and dividend rate is weakening the motivation for investors to invest in businesses where profits are taxed at higher rates.
- Nusholtz
June 30, 2011 at 9:49am
Look, bills get out of Congress onto the president's desk only after they've passed both houses. To the extent that there is legislation bogged down in committee that Obama would sign if it ever reached him, it's because Republicans control one of two houses and because they gave no interest in making laws that either Obama or the Democratic Senate majority could support. Do individual Congressional Dems bear some responsibility in particular cases? Possibly. Is that a nuance that the leader and public face of the Democratic Party should acknowledge in any way? Absolutely not. Simple and true--those should be the watchwords of Democratic messaging. Simple, true, simple, true... "Republicans in Congress are taking every opportunity they can to stop our government from taking effective action to improve the economy." It's simple, and it's mire or less true.
- AaronW
June 30, 2011 at 10:44am
have, not gave iPhone blues...
- AaronW
June 30, 2011 at 10:45am
Fine comments, Tris and GS.
- liberalref
June 30, 2011 at 11:20am
Tristan gets it right, congress is controlled by the Republicans. Voters, no matter how disengaged know that, though Obama will have to repeat it a lot just to make sure. Since the economy's bad, more voters are paying attention and will understand who's holding things up.
- jet
June 30, 2011 at 5:30pm