Biden tags economy 'Bush recession'

The Hill ^

[Sub-Driver]

Biden tags economy 'Bush recession' By Michael O'Brien - 07/29/10 07:42 AM ET

Vice President Biden trotted out a new line of attack against Republicans, terming the nation's economic difficulties the "Bush recession."

Vice President Joe Biden trotted out a new line of attack against Republicans on Thursday, terming the nation's economic difficulties the "Bush recession."

The vice president sought to explicitly link the recession plaguing many Americans to President George W. Bush as Democrats ramp up their attacks on the previous administration.

"There's never enough until we've restored the 8 million jobs lost in the Bush recession," Biden said on NBC's "Today" show when asked if the administration had done enough to address unemployment. "Until that happens it doesn't matter -- it matters, but it's not enough."

Democrats have increasingly invoked Bush in their campaign messaging, sensing that blaming the former Republican president helps explain why so many problems haven't been resolved despite over a year and a half of Democratic control of government. They also use Bush as a shorthand for the kind of eras and policies that, Democrats warn, GOP lawmakers and candidates would revive if they were given power in November's elections.

Another top Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), has said that there is essentially no limit to how long Democrats could credibly invoke Bush, as long as hangover effects from his presidency plague the U.S.

"Well, it runs out when the problems go away," Pelosi said in early June when asked if there was a limit to how long Democrats could blame Bush.

The former president, who's stayed largely out of the public spotlight since leaving office and avoided strong criticism of President Obama, is likely to become only more of an election year issue, as well.

Lawmakers are still yet to wrangle over the fate of the tax cuts Bush sought during his administration, which are set to expire at the end of the year. The former president's memoir is set for release a week after the election, as well, meaning that any excerpts that might leak before then could cause a political firestorm on the campaign trail, so close to Election Day.

Still, Biden told the still-large number of jobless Americans to "keep the faith" when it comes to finding employment in the shifting economy.

"My message is keep the faith. We are moving in the right direction," Biden said when asked what his message to the jobless was. "We are not going to let you go without food or basic services. That is not going to happen in this country, in this administration."

[Sub-Driver]

FAIL........

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Whatever you say, Bite Me.

But it's the Obama Depression.

[tgusa]

Plugs. What a ‘doosh-bag.’ These guys are SO predictable.

[Howie66]

EPIC FAIL

[Matchett-PI]

Pssssst: Obama inherited the economy from himself and ‘RAT Congress, not Bush. Pass it on. bttt

Chart:

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/02/05/past-deficits-vs-obamas-deficits-in-pictures/

[SonOfDarkSkies]

Biden tags economy 'Bush recession

This will backfire because it reminds people that, regardless of who started it, the Obama administration hasn't fixed it (and has in fact exacerbated it greatly).

It is the logical equivalent of Biden screaming, "we're impotent, we're impotent!"

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Fine.

The “Bush Recession” will seem like the Roarin’ 20’s compared to the “Obama/Biden Depression” that we have now entered.

[Red Badger]

It’s not gonna work. They can’t go to the election in November with the slogan “It’s ALL Bush’s fault!” The people, even Dems and libs, aren’t buying that anymore..................

[4rcane]

if dem are going to call it the “bush recession” i hope the gop have the guts to call it the “obama recession”

[fatnotlazy]

The nitwit speaks.

And by the way, Mr. Biden, you and your president have had over a year and half. What have YOU done to fix the economy? Stimulus? Nearly 10% unemployment and most of the other economic indicators in the toilet. Oh yeah, that has worked well (she said sarcastically).

[Le Chien Rouge]

In ten years from now, when the economy really starts to turn around, from somewhere on Dewey Beach, a sun tanned Joe Biden will pat his big beer gut and claim credit for the booming economy of 2020.

[Sooth2222]

This will backfire because it reminds people that, regardless of who started it, the Obama administration hasn't fixed it (and has in fact exacerbated it greatly).

Exactly. Zero was hired for the job because he claimed he could fix the economy.

Now he's claiming that he should be rehired because he's incompetent?

[Matchett-PI]

The Washington Post babbled about Obama inheriting a huge deficit from Bush. Amazingly enough, a lot of people swallow this nonsense. So once more, a short civics lesson.

Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress, and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democratic Party. They controlled the budget process for FY 2008 and FY 2009, as well as FY 2010 and FY 2011. In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.

For FY 2009, though, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budgets.

And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete FY 2009.

Let's remember what the deficits looked like during that period:

If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the FY 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending.

After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets. If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself.

In a nutshell,

what Obama is saying is 'I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th.'

MORE HERE bttt

[Dr. Ursus]

Biden qualifies to be a token member of the CBC!

[gov_bean_ counter]

Exactly. Zero was hired for the job because he claimed he could fix the economy.

President Shuck-N-Jive said he had a plan...
S-N-J reference is to an Art Garfunkel song.

[The_Victor]

Yeah, that 4% unemployment and 4% GDP growth under W really sucked.

[VanDeKoik]

If this is supposedly Bush’s recession, and you clowns are so inept that you cant turn things around. Then what are YOU?!

[Christian4Bush]

I seem to remember a certain community organizer plick say that the war in iraq was a distraction from 4.4 percent unemployment.

What’s the distraction from 10% unemployment (likely more) under this bastard?

[CrazyIvan]

They can’t fool me. It’s STILL Hoover’s fault.

[Bitsy]

Liberal democrats are so pathetic and adolescent - never take the blame when you can blame someone else. I have NEvER heard ONE democrat take responsibility for anything. How people still vote for these sad excuses for politicians is beyond my comprehension.