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Beltway Bubbles
Author: Raine
Date: 08/02/2010 12:41:21
This morning let's take a look at willful ignorance. Yesterday on Fox News Sunday, House Minority Leader John Boehner said that he doesn't care about the congressional Budget office numbers. He cares about what the people are saying. He accused the host, Chris Wallace of spending too much time inside the Beltway bubble when pressed on how to fix the economic woes this nation still faces.
From Think Progress: Of course they are asking the question, because people like John Boehner have been telling The American people there are no jobs. I will concede that there isn't enough job creation, but this is dishonest.
The American people elect leaders for a reason. They elect leaders to guide the great ship that is this country. They rely on the leaders to provide them information that is truthful. Americans are by and large not economists, and it isn't their job to crunch the massive numbers that consist of our budget and spending. This is why we have economists and analysts. Steve Bennen puts it succinctly:
The GDP is growing. The numbers are right here.
Jobs ARE being created. The stimulus IS working.
55,000 auto industry jobs alone were added since last June. Inaction would have produced the loss of a million jobs.
Can things be better? Of Course, but this tactic by Mr. Boehner is misleading the American people, and then when they react to the lies he tells them, he uses their reaction as proof that the problems are real.
His GOP actually blocked a jobs bill back in May. More recently, his GOP blocked a small business spending bill.
Mr. Boehner needs to listen to ALL Americans, including economists and those people working inside the Congressional Budget office. He needs to realize that at a certain point, the blatant lies will catch up. He DOES need to see the numbers instead of spreading anti-intellectualism in this nation. Ignoring reality and pretending that truths do not exist will not change reality.
If he really was listening to the American people, he would hear that they are asking for help.
They are asking for more jobs.
They are asking for better infrastructure.
They are asking for a living wage.
They are asking to end these wars.
They are asking for better education opportunities.
They are asking for the Bush Tax cuts to expire (As the former president designed them to do).
They are asking for manufacturing jobs to come back to our country.
They are asking for Fair Trade.
They are asking for renewable energy.
They are asking for an end to our oil dependence.
They are asking for banks to start lending again.
They are asking for economic security.
They are asking for better health care.
They are asking for more corporate regulations.
They are asking for clean elections.
They are asking for an end government corruption.
They are asking for honesty and integrity from elected officials.
They are asking for help.
What they are not asking for is pandering to a select group of people to score political points. That hurts us as a nation, only provides more fuel to the fire of those that are not being told the truth. I wonder who he's really listening to. Perhaps it's the very people he has been lying to. Talk about living in a bubble.
& 
Raine
From Think Progress:
WALLACE: Congressman — a number of top economists say what we need is more economic stimulus.
BOEHNER: Well, I don’t need to see GDP numbers or to listen to economists. All I need to do is listen to the American people, because they’ve been asking the question now for 18 months, “where are the jobs?”
The American people elect leaders for a reason. They elect leaders to guide the great ship that is this country. They rely on the leaders to provide them information that is truthful. Americans are by and large not economists, and it isn't their job to crunch the massive numbers that consist of our budget and spending. This is why we have economists and analysts. Steve Bennen puts it succinctly:
the "American people," en masse, lack the qualifications and background needed to make sweeping decisions about complex economic policies. It's why our system is built around the notion that voters will choose sensible representatives to do this work for us -- evaluate a situation, consider the judgment of experts, and ideally reach a wise decision about the way forward.
If Boehner were facing a serious ailment, would he say, "Well, I don't need to see lab results or to listen to medical professionals; all I need to do is listen to the American people"? Maybe so, but at this point, the serious ailment is our national economy, and it affects us all.
The GDP is growing. The numbers are right here.
Jobs ARE being created. The stimulus IS working.
55,000 auto industry jobs alone were added since last June. Inaction would have produced the loss of a million jobs.
Can things be better? Of Course, but this tactic by Mr. Boehner is misleading the American people, and then when they react to the lies he tells them, he uses their reaction as proof that the problems are real.
His GOP actually blocked a jobs bill back in May. More recently, his GOP blocked a small business spending bill.
Mr. Boehner needs to listen to ALL Americans, including economists and those people working inside the Congressional Budget office. He needs to realize that at a certain point, the blatant lies will catch up. He DOES need to see the numbers instead of spreading anti-intellectualism in this nation. Ignoring reality and pretending that truths do not exist will not change reality.
If he really was listening to the American people, he would hear that they are asking for help.
They are asking for more jobs.
They are asking for better infrastructure.
They are asking for a living wage.
They are asking to end these wars.
They are asking for better education opportunities.
They are asking for the Bush Tax cuts to expire (As the former president designed them to do).
They are asking for manufacturing jobs to come back to our country.
They are asking for Fair Trade.
They are asking for renewable energy.
They are asking for an end to our oil dependence.
They are asking for banks to start lending again.
They are asking for economic security.
They are asking for better health care.
They are asking for more corporate regulations.
They are asking for clean elections.
They are asking for an end government corruption.
They are asking for honesty and integrity from elected officials.
They are asking for help.
What they are not asking for is pandering to a select group of people to score political points. That hurts us as a nation, only provides more fuel to the fire of those that are not being told the truth. I wonder who he's really listening to. Perhaps it's the very people he has been lying to. Talk about living in a bubble.
& Raine
