May 3, 2008
ANOTHER ONE OF HIS OLD MAN'S MISTAKES FIXED:
Bush's 'R' Is for 'Right' (Lawrence Kudlow, 5/03/08, Real Clear Politics)
President George W. Bush may turn out to be the top economic forecaster in the country.About a month ago he told reporters, "We're not in a recession, we're in a slowdown." At a White House news conference a few weeks later, despite the fact that reporters pressed him to use the "R" word, Mr. Bush refused. And on Friday, after the most recent jobs report -- which produced a much-smaller-than-expected decline in corporate payrolls, a huge 362,000 increase in the more entrepreneurial household survey (the best gain in five months), and a historically low 5 percent unemployment rate (4.95 percent, to be precise) -- the president told reporters: "This economy is going to come on. I'm confident it will."
We're in the midst of the most widely predicted and heralded recession in history. Problem is, so far it's a non-recession recession. Score one for President Bush. In an election year, it could be a big one.
His father bought into the rigamarole about a recession when there wasn't one in '91-'92. W learned that lesson, if not at the time then in the non-recession of '01. Posted by Orrin Judd at May 3, 2008 8:51 AM
I truly believe one of this president's greatest and quietest strengths is that you really do get that, down to the core of his soul and essence of his being.... he really, really, really DOES NOT GIVE TWO S---TS what the media and chattering classes, and for that matter, even the polls (or "polls") have to say about him.
He truly just doesn't care. And it shows.
And unsurprisingly, that seems in and of itself to drive so many of those invested in same straight over the deep end.
That is one of a number of unoticed things that many of us will miss when it is gone a year from now. History will see this man very differently than the chatterers do now. He knows it, and hence his serenity. I share it.
Posted by: Andrew X at May 3, 2008 10:45 AMAndrewX: He is imperturbable.
After two weeks of the Afghanistan campaign, the MSM and the armchair generals declared it a quagmire. Bush war cabinet had a meeting on a Friday. Some wanted to "change course". Bush asked, "Have we made the decision?" "Yes" "Then we should wait and see how things work out." On Saturday, Kandahar fell, Talibans fled.
He was practically blamed for letting people like Michael J. Fox, Christopher Reeve, and people who suffer neurological diseases rot and die because he refused them tax-payer-funded embryonic stem-cell researches. Well, let's wait and see how things work out. Now, scientists "created" embryonic-like stemm cells without turning countless poor women into embryo-producing factories.
He was the moron who trashed Koyoto, and plunged the world into global warming doom. Well, let's wait and see how things work out. Now "global warming is taking a vacation". http://iamangrydan.blogspot.com/2008/05/laying-foundations-to-defraud.html
The Right wing branded his Medicare Drug Pgm the biggest entitlement since the establishment of Social Security more than half a century ago. The left accuse his involvment of private insurance rewarding his corporate cronies, and will drive the cost up. Well, let's wait and see how things work out. Latest news: premiums drop from $41 to $25.
It's enjoyable to wait and see how things work out.
Posted by: ic at May 3, 2008 3:46 PMBut.. but.. we've got to do something!
And do it now!
And if it doesn't immediately make things better, we've got to stop doing it and do something else!
Don't you understand!? Don't you care!?
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at May 3, 2008 6:17 PMThe witches and queers had it in for the President since he identified Jesus Christ as the greatest influence in his life.
Should we now expect him to feel bad about how they treat him?
Mt.5:11, Blessed are ye, when men shall revile yiu and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 15, Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Posted by: Lou Gots at May 3, 2008 7:37 PM