dagblog - Comments for "Obama's Middle Class Legacy"

Oop, I mistyped. I meant

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 18:32:09 +0000

In reply to Aren't public figures such as

Oop, I mistyped. I meant troll model. I mold young minds by relentlessly posting right-wing talking points on their instagram feeds.

Aren't public figures such as

Michael Maiello — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 17:11:21 +0000

In reply to Thanks for the update, momoe.

Aren't public figures such as yourself supposed to deny being role models?

This is the coolest thing, Michael. You're molding young minds with your work!

Thanks for the update, momoe.

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 17:08:56 +0000

In reply to OT. Joey's project is done

Thanks for the update, momoe. I was about to email you b/c I didn't hear back from him. I feel terrible that my response came so late. I was bleary from New Year's Eve revelry when I received his email, so I didn't respond immediately, and then it just slipped my mind. I'm glad that the published interviews worked out for Joey's project, but I still feel awful that I screwed up so badly. Anyway, thank you again for encouraging him to interview me and for reading my book with him. Sorry that I wasn't a better role model. ;)

OT. Joey's project is done

trkingmomoe — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 05:27:39 +0000

In reply to I wouldn't blame Obama for

OT. Joey's project is done and turned in the first day back to school. He found all your interviews on his google+ and thought you had sent them to him. I didn't tell him different. You were the only thing on his google+. He listened to them several times and we read the rest. He did find your e-mail last week on his phone. His work is on display in the school library. Report card comes home on Friday. He thanks you and thinks it is cool that his grandmother knows an author.

I wouldn't blame Obama for

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 04:09:39 +0000

In reply to Obama's Middle Class Legacy

I wouldn't blame Obama for causing the decline of the middle class, but I would say that he made little effort to solve the problem. It did not seem to become an administration priority for about a year ago, years after more attuned progressives raised awareness about the problem and far too late in his presidency to make any impact.

Well, the Blue Dogs were a

Michael Maiello — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 23:38:41 +0000

In reply to Generally I agree with you

Well, the Blue Dogs were a problem as they all thought they were going to lose their seats over adequate stimulus. Tim Geithner was also to blame, guided as he was by his blindspots.

I don't think the Republicans

Michael Maiello — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 23:37:03 +0000

In reply to Would I be correct is saying

I don't think the Republicans care much for "business," at least at the level most people practice it. Let's say I own a corner grocery store. Don't I want food stamp benefits to be expanded? Isn't me getting paid that way better than me not getting paid at all? Or if I own a paving a roadwork company, isn't public spending my bread and butter? Shouldn't Republicans have been concerned about all the businesses taken out by the real estate bust?

I can't say whether or not the Republican pivot towards dealing with the deficit was ignorance or something more sinister. Probably both.

Generally I agree with you

ocean-kat — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:02:15 +0000

In reply to Obama's Middle Class Legacy

Generally I agree with you and while Republicans deserve most of the blame this: "Obama can be criticized for asking for too little, but I think history has shown that the Republicans in Congress were never going to allow for more. That those same Republicans almost caused a new financial crisis by risking a debt default in 2011 is proof enough of their unwillingness to help" is just spin.

The voters gave Democrats control of all three branches of government by substantial majorities. While some exaggerate the amount of time the senate Democrats had a super majority they did in fact have one for many months. Are you saying that we can only expect Democrats to solve problems if we constantly give them 60 votes? Or more to account for some conservative blue dogs? Obama and the Democrats have to take a big part of the blame for the failure of economic legislation in the first two years of Obama's reign.

There were other options. Had the Democrats fought harder and eliminated the filibuster entirely not only might we have gotten more progressive legislation but we might not have lost the house and subsequently the senate. I've been against the filibuster since the gang of 14 stopped the Republicans in 2005. Democrats are simply more diverse and fractious so they rarely make good use of the filibuster. Democrats are also pay less attention to their left wing than Republicans do to their right. We lose more fights when Republicans use the filibuster than we win when we use it. If we had let the Republicans begin the process of ending it it would have been a win mostly for Democrats, what ever small public discontent would have fallen on Republicans, and it would have paved the way for further reform later by Democrats.

At any rate it's long past time for it to go.

The stimulus package HR #1

NCD — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 20:46:23 +0000

In reply to Would I be correct is saying

The stimulus package HR #1 passed in January, 2009 was for $819 billion, a plan breathtaking in size and scope that President Obama hopes to make the cornerstone of his efforts to resuscitate the staggering economy.

You would be correct in saying if you acknowledged that not one Republican voted for it.

Would I be correct is saying

Beetlejuice — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 19:27:06 +0000

In reply to Obama's Middle Class Legacy

Would I be correct is saying the republicans' view on the stimulus was aimed specifically at business, thinking if business activity grew they would pull the public up as well ... like a rising tide thingy? So they focused only on stimulating one aspect of the economy believing the public would benefit without Congress having to allocate more funds to sate the public's financial,job and benefits loss issues cause by the over excesses of the financial markets?