Reality Check: In 2000, the GOP inherited a large budget surplus and promptly ran the economy into the ground with tax cuts for the rich, deregulation and wars. They left the country with a huge deficit, and on the verge of a complete economic collapse. The people whose policies caused the economic meltdown are obviously the wrong people to listen to when it comes to fixing or running our economy now.
Barack Obama became president Jan. 20. Just five months ago, on Feb. 18, he signed a two-year, $787 billion "Economic Recovery Bill," which was much smaller than he and most economic experts, like Nobel Prize-winning Paul Krugman, wanted, thanks to intense pressure from the GOP. Since the bill was signed, only $103 billion has been dispersed. Unemployment rates, which were averaging 700,000 lost jobs per month, already have slowed to 400,000 per month.
In 1936, a constant drumbeat of pressure from Republicans to bring down the deficit and lower taxes derailed FDR's "New Deal" recovery plan for the Great Depression, which was making steady progress, forcing him to sharply cut back his plan. That plunged the country into a deeper recession that began in 1937, and the country's unemployment again began to skyrocket.
It's much too early for any of us to listen to the Republicans and cowardly conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats, by giving up on a plan that has averted eminent disaster, isn't close to being fully implemented, and already is making steady progress. We must keep our heads about us this time, and not be tempted to repeat the very dangerous and costly mistakes history has taught us.
We must understand that unemployment is a lagging indicator of recovery - and not foolishly fall for the lies of those who wish to hobble the long-term recovery plan for short-term political gain.
Most urgently, with health care costs now gobbling up 16 percent of our nation's GDP, and estimated to top 20 percent within the next 10 years, we must not listen to the likes of Ben Nelson - who has received more than $1.2 million from insurance lobbyists - or Max Baucus - who's received a stunning $3.4 million from the health care industry since 2003.
It's time to cut the middle man right out of our health care equation, to ignore the industry-sponsored fear mongering, and adopt a single-payer system like all the countries in the world who now outrank us in quality health care, including Turkey. This is a fight our country can't afford to lose.
Barack Obama became president Jan. 20. Just five months ago, on Feb. 18, he signed a two-year, $787 billion "Economic Recovery Bill," which was much smaller than he and most economic experts, like Nobel Prize-winning Paul Krugman, wanted, thanks to intense pressure from the GOP. Since the bill was signed, only $103 billion has been dispersed. Unemployment rates, which were averaging 700,000 lost jobs per month, already have slowed to 400,000 per month.
In 1936, a constant drumbeat of pressure from Republicans to bring down the deficit and lower taxes derailed FDR's "New Deal" recovery plan for the Great Depression, which was making steady progress, forcing him to sharply cut back his plan. That plunged the country into a deeper recession that began in 1937, and the country's unemployment again began to skyrocket.
It's much too early for any of us to listen to the Republicans and cowardly conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats, by giving up on a plan that has averted eminent disaster, isn't close to being fully implemented, and already is making steady progress. We must keep our heads about us this time, and not be tempted to repeat the very dangerous and costly mistakes history has taught us.
We must understand that unemployment is a lagging indicator of recovery - and not foolishly fall for the lies of those who wish to hobble the long-term recovery plan for short-term political gain.
Most urgently, with health care costs now gobbling up 16 percent of our nation's GDP, and estimated to top 20 percent within the next 10 years, we must not listen to the likes of Ben Nelson - who has received more than $1.2 million from insurance lobbyists - or Max Baucus - who's received a stunning $3.4 million from the health care industry since 2003.
It's time to cut the middle man right out of our health care equation, to ignore the industry-sponsored fear mongering, and adopt a single-payer system like all the countries in the world who now outrank us in quality health care, including Turkey. This is a fight our country can't afford to lose.
