"The debate has been much too polite," Nobel prize-winning economist

[The Lone Liberal]

"There might be some question whether Bush polices are advisable. The proper reference point is that the Bush policy is the worst policy in the last 200 years." said George Akerlof, a Nobel prize-winning economist


Bush met with national reporters for a 13 minutes question and answer session on his economic policies. That was intended to show his concern for our plight. During the meeting he said , that the economy is getting better, no further tax cuts are needed ( if that changed he’d tell us), and next year everyone will be able to find a job.

Meanwhile the Democratic candidates picked up the pressure on his policies.

Bush ended the quickie brain-session by telling those gathered that the “skies are now safer, because the FBI had foiled its own plot to sell a phony shoulder held missile to some muscle head they had talked into buying it.”

Sort sounds like the plot for the story of how the public bought his phony economic policies and the wealth transfer to the rich.

http://motherjones.com/news/dailymojo/2003/33/we_525_05a.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/13/national/13CND-BUSH.html?ex=1061808677&ei=1&en=ef58feb72eccc852

[Merlin]

1. This is the first I've seen Akerlof picked up in mainstream US media.

He made his most devastating comments a few days ago in an interview in der Spiegel. But, aside from liberal web sites, it went unreported in mainstream US media (other than in a column by Krugman). This article will be picked up by thousands of local rags.

[laura888]

7. isn't this the same guy Gore made reference to....

...in his speech last week?

If so, thousands probably heard it on CSPAN.

[jafap]

9. gee officer Krugman

I think the column was by the often-overlooked Bob Herbert.

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. Yeah, and the skies are a lot safer because numbnuts

tried to pull sky marshalls off of planes because the gummint was too cheap to pay their hotel bills. Penny wise and pound foolish.

[OHdem10]

3. LoneLiberal--you are right1

This is what happens when a political party has two factions.
One faction believes the way to win is to actually co-opt Reublican Party Issues thus shaving of just enough votes to make a 52-48 win
and a faction true believers in Democratic Principles and a faction in the middle who lean mote to the Left than Right. This puts the Leadership of the Party, no matter how liberal they as individuals may be,into a no win situation because they cannot take astrong stand. They will offend the very influential group of Co-opders.
You cannot criticize Republican Policy if at the same time you
are trying to make it a little kinder and run an election on it.
Thus do you vote for an "echo" or contrast? Let see how long this stays up before it is deleted.

[newyawker99]

4. Hi OHdem10!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[TennesseeWalker]

5. Kick

eom

[Merlin]

6. Hey! That's just politics.

Every party has shades of opinions in all directions. The leadership is paid to manage that situation. What we cannot have them doing is selling out Democratic principals on important issues by making private deals with Bush on key issues like the Iraq war resolution.

[UTUSN]

8. Kick for Needed Rudeness n/t

[ameriphile]

10. I gotta admit

I was, at first, stunned to read Dubya's remark about no further tax cuts being necessary. But, as I thought about it, I realized that since a Republican congress halved his last tax cut, he probably doesn't want to risk the embarassment of having a third proposed cut die in the Senate. I think there are enough old-school Republicans who still believe in fiscal responsibility, and that Bush's ocean of red ink is starting to scare them.