Barack Obama, the responsible adult, strikes again. In the article quoted below from pollster.com Obama speaks to the issue of the economy in a clear, responsible and confident manner. He is smart to begin to reframe the issue of the economy as it has been twisted of late by the Republicans to be "all his fault".
Obama is not one to shirk responsiblility, but he also won't take responsibility for the wreckage of the Republican administration which preceded his.
He is doing what he needs to do politically, because of the short attention span of the American public. He must make sure that recent history is not spun away by right wing apologists. He must stand and fight based on the truth.
Rebuilding Something Better
By Barack Obama
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Nearly six months ago, my administration took office amid the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. At the time, we were losing, on average, 700,000 jobs a month. And many feared that our financial system was on the verge of collapse.
The swift and aggressive action we took in those first few months has helped pull our financial system and our economy back from the brink. We took steps to restart lending to families and businesses, stabilize our major financial institutions, and help homeowners stay in their homes and pay their mortgages. We also passed the most sweeping economic recovery plan in our nation's history.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was not expected to restore the economy to full health on its own but to provide the boost necessary to stop the free fall. So far, it has done that. It was, from the start, a two-year program, and it will steadily save and create jobs as it ramps up over this summer and fall. We must let it work the way it's supposed to, with the understanding that in any recession, unemployment tends to recover more slowly than other measures of economic activity.
So Obama sticks to the facts in his above statement. The opening paragraph is something that could well evolve into a talking point for the admistration. That would be a good idea.
Republicans are so good at revisionist history that basic historical facts listed above have to be presented on a regular basis to maintain clarity in the public discourse. We are looking at a two year program, not an overnight fix.
With Republicans crying "economic Failure", Obama is wise to respond with economic and political facts. It's so nice to have a responsible adult as President of the United States.