It is the Economy......

[BeFree]

Bush lowered taxes and promised that would create jobs.
Interest rates are at an all time low.
Regulations on business have been lowered across the board.
Inflation is under control and has been for years.

So, why is the economy still in the toilet? Why are there so many people still out of work? Why isn't the stock market going great?

If we can't grow with inflation low, tax breaks, and plenty of money to borrow, when will the economy ever grow?

Bush is living in a fantasy world when he says he has helped the economy.

The sad truth is that the economy is in bad, bad shape, and it is Bush's fault because of the record deficit he created.

[Strelnikov_]

1. Pete Peterson On Now This Week Voiced Your Concern

"We suffer from an acute case of short term itus in this country, and I’m not talking about what’s going to happen in the next six months. My God, if you can’t grow with a 450 billion dollar deficit, with huge tax cuts, with 1 and one-half interest rates, when are you going to grow? So I’m not talking about the short term, I’m talking about what will happen in a few years from now. And I don’t know a serious person who isn’t concerned about it."

Yes, I know Peterson is not ideologically pure enough for the extreme left on this board. But I have read (part) of his book, and I think he is simply a grandfather, with an extensive knowledge of our economic system, that is concerned with the financial time bomb we have created.

If, as Progressives, we are going to limit our quest for leadership to those who have been ideologically pure their entire life, and shut out those who have changed their position, I am afraid that we are going to become as insular as the right, thus destroying our greatest strength.

[BloodyWilliam]

2. The economy isn't in the toilet!

It's perched on the seat, ready to fall in. Of course, Bush has a long history of dropping bombs so it's safe to say we'll go plop pretty soon.

I love butchering metaphors.

Still, this is a recession and not a depression yet, though I can easily believe that Bush's lottery-winner freshman-with-a-credit-card fiscal policy will put us into a major crash if he gets another four years.

[baldguy]

3. Tax cuts are like fertilizer.

In order to be effective, they have to be spread around - given to people who will actually SPEND THE MONEY. A real re-distribution of wealth would have the same effect.

The only way to grow the economy is to raise the standard of living for a large portion of the working population. As long as the gov't allows CEOs to earn 1000x more than their workers, that's not gonna happen.

[Nay]

4. Unfortunately, most people don't feel that the economy is in bad

shape until they personally cannot go to Walmart and buy their stuff as usual. That is the situation that will wake the average American up, and we aren't there yet. In fact, we have a few more ways of extracting cash and/or free work from the average American that haven't been used yet, so you can expect a few more rounds of things like home mortgage equity loans, so the average American can spend the equity in his home down at Walmart,etc. etc.

It's too bad that by then, the country will be destroyed. But hey, maybe they can all sell stuff on E-bay from their cardboard shacks!