Visual source: Newseum
Bruce Bartlett sums up why Democratic capitulation is the best thing to happen to long-term Republican reelection prospects:
Right now, it is clear that the right side of the political spectrum is dominant. Virtually all policy debate these days is based on the premise that the conservative position is at least valid. For example, we have heard for months from Republicans that government regulation is a major, if not the primary, factor holding back economic expansion and employment growth.
So overwhelming is the Republican view that on Friday President Obama withdrew an Environmental Protection Agency regulation, widely supported by scientists as essential to air quality, because its economic burden is deemed to be unaffordable at this time. [...]
In a courtroom, justice requires that both sides be equally well represented. If one doesn’t do its job properly, the jury cannot be blamed for a wrong result. If Democrats are going to accept Republican premises, they shouldn’t be surprised if a majority of people eventually conclude that Republicans ought to be in charge of government policy.
Speaking of Republican premises, President Obama previewed his economic plan by focusing heavily on tax cuts. Hans Nichols and Margaret Talev report on the attempt to swim upstream and to change the narrative:
President Barack Obama may press Congress for tax cuts that would exceed his past proposals as well as some of the offerings from House Republicans to strengthen his hand in talks on measures to boost the U.S. economy, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
With Obama set to lay out his plans in a Sept. 8 address to Congress, the administration is focusing on cuts targeted at middle-income Americans to spur consumer spending, which accounts for 70 percent of the economy, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
In a speech to a union crowd in Detroit yesterday, Obama said he would challenge Republicans on taxes.
“You say you’re the party of tax cuts?” Obama said before the annual Metro Detroit Central Labor Council rally. “Well then, prove you’ll fight just as hard for tax cuts for middle- class families as you do for oil companies and the most affluent Americans.”
Thomas Ferraro analyzes the Republican "Young Guns," whose goal it is to make voters hate government (and its defenders). It's working:
(Reuters) - A year after declaring themselves "Young Guns" ready to clean up Washington, these budget-slashing Republicans are drawing more jeers than cheers -- and raising Democrats' hopes for next year's election.
Having rejected compromise and threatened government default, they and other Republicans have upset voters, who polls show are increasingly anxious about the economy and disgruntled with both political parties. Last month, Congress' approval rating slumped to its lowest level ever -- about 12 percent.
"Right now, voters hate everyone," said Steve Stivers, one of 62 first-term "Young Gun" Republicans in the House of Representatives. "People are frustrated. But I feel we are on the right track."
Republicans have succeeded in driving the hate so much that even the president's approval numbers have hit a record low, with pollsters now claiming that Obama isn't a favorite for re-election anymore. Mike Murray reports:
After the bruising debt-ceiling fight — as well as Standard & Poor's subsequent downgrade of the nation's credit rating — Obama's job approval rating has sunk to a low of 44 percent, a 3-point drop since July. His handling of the economy stands at a low of 37 percent. And only 19 percent believe the country is headed in the right direction, the lowest mark for this president. [...]
According to the poll, just 42 percent give the president high marks for possessing strong leadership qualities. That’s a 12-point drop from May (in the days following Osama bin Laden’s death).[...]
But for the first time in the poll, more say they'd probably vote for a generic Republican candidate (44 percent) than say they'd probably vote for Obama (40 percent).
"Obama is no longer the favorite to win re-election," Hart said, explaining that a head-to-head score will usually conform to the generic one, especially when so many believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.
Peter Schroeder reminds us of the huge fight coming up on the confirmation of Richard Corday to head up the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau:
"Opposition to or support of Mr. Cordray’s nomination will become relevant as soon as the President agrees to make the structural changes we’ve requested," said Jonathan Graffeo, the spokesman for Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). "Until then, Sen. Shelby and his colleagues stand firmly behind the statement they expressed in their May letter: No accountability, no confirmation."
Congressman Clyburn writes on his approach to the deficit committee:
I am entering the committee’s negotiations with a clear vision, an open mind and a willingness to find common ground. I have always said that if the distance between my opponents and me is five steps, I don’t mind taking three. Real deficit reduction, however, must have three components: jobs, cuts and revenue. [...]
We, as a supercommittee, cannot let our differences cause too much disagreement. Debt and deficit reduction should be wrapped into a strong cord of job creation, budget cuts and revenue raisers. Pursuing them separately will weaken our efforts and could doom our mission.
Paul Osterman demolishes Rick Perry's lie about a Texas employment "miracle" and argues that we don't have to trade job quality for job quantity as we solve this unemployment crisis:
Americans have long believed that there should be a floor below which job quality does not fall. Today, polls show widespread support for upgrading employment standards, including raising the minimum wage — which is lower, in inflation-adjusted terms, than it was in 1968. It’s time for the federal government to take the lead in creating not just more jobs, but more good jobs. The job-growth mirage of the Rio Grande Valley cannot be our model.
