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Bold, Effective Obama Stimulus Stunning Contrast To Trump Drift

Peter Harkness of Governing reminds us of the stark contrast between the listless legislating of the Trump Congress and the vigorous first-month action of the Obama Administration to save the United States from economic depression:

The start of the Obama administration was stunning and very different from Trump’s early days. Even before Obama had had time to choose a cabinet, much less form a complete government, his White House managed to push through Congress the massive and complex stimulus program called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, appropriating almost $800 billion — more than 5 percent of the nation’s GDP — to fund more than 200 grant programs and 50 tax expenditure subsidies. Almost overnight, the federal government had mobilized an unprecedented combination of resources and enhanced authority to confront the economic crisis [Peter Harkness “Let’s Give the Stimulus Its Due,” Governing, 2017.07.12].

The Obama stimulus worked, righting the American economic ship and establishing slow but steady and lasting growth in jobs and GDP on whose inertia Donald Trump is now aimlessly coasting. Remarkable what a President can do when he’s not on Twitter and cable news at all hours.

15 Comments

  1. mike from iowa 2017-07-13 11:23

    My apologies, I used the wrong lyric. It should have read in the stillness of remembering what you had and what you lost.

    We lost a Potus who gracefully grew into the job, but was a better person and Christian than the opposition wingnuts could have ever dreamt of being.

  2. mike from iowa 2017-07-13 17:17

    Drumpf had total recall today. He just remembered hearing about that June meeting last June, He also blamed Obama and Lynch for allowing that Russian lawyer to come to America to represent her client in court.

    Kismet-strike this weasel down and bring back the classiest gentleman to have been Potus.

  3. CLCJM 2017-07-13 22:51

    You are so right, Mike! It’s so disheartening listening everyday to the next horrific thing Trump or his family just did or did last year during the campaign! Trump’s legacy will be the worst of any president’s in our history! Wonder what he’ll think of that superlative!!

  4. Porter Lansing 2017-07-14 09:36

    MFI & CLCJM … Does anyone doubt for a moment that the lady Russian lawyer was wearing a wire?
    There’s little denying that there was an audio tape of the meeting and Putin has it. If Trump Jr. said something to the effect of, “My Dad, the President sends his greetings.” the Trump presidency is in dire peril of impeachment for collusion and treason (the crime of betraying one’s country). We all see Putin’s opportunity to black mail President Trump.

  5. mike from iowa 2017-07-14 09:50

    Porter, there are rumors of a 6th person at that meeting. Of course it is all fake news and Drumpf has a rubber “Pardon” stamp inked up just waiting to be used.

    The lawyer at that meeting was representing a client on trial in NYC-the same trial former US attorney Preet Bahara was working on when Drumpf fired him. The guv was looking for 230 million bucks and Sessions let the guy off the hook for 6 mil. Something stinks.

  6. mike from iowa 2017-07-14 09:53

    CLCJM- stories are flying about upheaval in WH between Kushner and Drumpf. Dems were blocked by wingnuts twice trying to get Kushner’s security clearance revoked. Dems also suggested Drumpf get his kids and SIL out of the WH.

  7. Porter Lansing 2017-07-14 10:55

    Don Trump Jr.’s Crimes
    Collusion is the descriptive word the news media has settled on to cover many potential illegal actions by the Trump campaign, which could range from aiding and abetting (18 USC 2) to conspiracy per se (18 USC 371) to conspiring to violate several potentially applicable laws like: 18 USC 1030—fraud and related activity in connection with computers; 18 USC 1343—wire fraud; or 52 USC 30121—contributions and donations by foreign nationals. Also, 18 USC 2381—for, contrary to a widespread belief that there must be a declared war, the Justice Department as recently as 2006 indicted for “aid and comfort” to our enemies, the form of collusion better known as treason. Collusion is the perfect word to cover such crimes, pejorative and inclusive. -John W. Dean was Richard Nixon’s White House counsel.

  8. mike from iowa 2017-07-14 11:27

    So if Donnie Dear Old Dad decides to pardon everyone before they get charged, is that a conspiracy?

  9. mike from iowa 2017-07-14 14:29

    And then there were 8 in attendance. from AP

    So far acknowledged in attendance: Trump Jr., Kushner, Manafort, Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, Akhmetshin and publicist Rob Goldstone, who helped set up the meeting. A source familiar with the circumstances told CNN there were at least two other people in the room as well, a translator and a representative of the Russian family who had asked Goldstone to set up the meeting. The source did not provide the names.

  10. mike from iowa 2017-07-14 14:35

    Oh what a tangled web they weave
    When Drumpf has pardons up his sleeve
    Forget it ain’t no crimes committed
    At least not the ones pardons permitted

    Don Jr, Kush and all the rest
    Are free to return to the nest
    No one here has to pay the pipers
    When Daddy Drumpf is King of vipers.

  11. Porter Lansing 2017-07-14 14:49

    Good one, Mike. :0)

  12. jerry 2017-07-14 17:01

    mfi, the reason we cannot have nice things..We have NOem and you have this dump, Steve King, what a weirdo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X-Vmk4_GtE One of the chief spokesmen for the cult republicans.

  13. CLCJM 2017-07-14 23:24

    Love your poetry! Hope you will entertain us with more, especially at the expense of the Trumps! LOL!

Comments are closed.