Posted on 05/30/2006 6:09:32 PM PDT by FairOpinion
We've been astonished to see that Americans fail to realize the economy is booming, and many actually think it's in recession. A big reason for that is the media's open antipathy toward all things Bush. Neither O'Neill nor Snow was able to overcome that.
Bush's tax cuts were just right. Since his last cuts in 2003, we've had 12 straight quarters of economic growth, added 4.9 million jobs, seen productivity soar 14% and tacked on $12.96 trillion in wealth, about the size of our entire economy.
There's a lot more, but no one seemed to be hitting it — and hitting it hard — in talking to the American people.
Hank Paulson, we hope, will do better.
Of course, we have some doubts, too. For one, Paulson, though a big GOP donor, has in the past also given money to Democrats like Chuck Schumer, Chris Dodd, Bill Bradley, and even former President Bill Clinton. Was he just hedging his bets?
While we're at it, Paulson's environmentalism is a concern. He's on the board of the respected Nature Conservancy. Will he push the U.S. to cave in to the economically ruinous Kyoto accords?
That said, as a Wall Streeter, Paulson has a broad view of the capital markets and no doubt understands the supply side of the economy. Equally important, for all Goldman's reputation for being large, successful and globally savvy, it's also known for bringing ideas to markets and making money from them.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
Bob Shafer on CBS was salivating over Paulson's environmental wacko-ism tonight.
I think the Prez realizes that this " comprehensive Amnesty" program is a sham and he's doing a Clinton in attempting to "triangulate" the Dems.
It's all to appeal to the Dems and keep the Pubbies in for November.
It's a too smart by half proposition.
The last a**hat we got from Goldman Sachs was John Corzine!!
Talk about a Liberal Liar!
Perhaps the government bubble, oil bubble (as well as most commodities), and the real estate bubble have something to do with the misperception.
It's a shame GWB resisted supply side tax cuts until then.
This thread is about the economy, but many threads get hijacked into the alien problem quickly these days. I think the point of the thread is well-taken, and the point is that the MSM still has plenty of ability to sway public opinion on some subjects, and the MSM is not enamored with capitalism.
Re the alien problem, since it's been brought up, again...
Bush's immigration/amnesty plan is the same basic plan he has pushed since he was governor of Texas. He hasn't changed, the American people have finally awakened to the problem of illegal aliens, and the majority seems harsher than Bush on the subject. This is the same Bush that Republicans voted for twice, but the illegal alien problem was not big on the radar screen in 2000 or 2004. Go back and check the debates. (I'm harsher on illegal aliens than Bush too, but I'm not a single-issue voter.)
Bush has always been a relative softy on this subject, his feelings may be religously based. It does seem to be a subject that he is not pragmatic about.
Oh, and I forgot. I don't agree with your theory that Bush is triangulating. I don't think he cares about that kind of thing, especially now. He is doing what he thinks is right, like always. The fact that we disagree with him does not make him a triangulator.
You speak the truth!
Keep posting.
You go Woods!
I am most definitely not trying to hijack the thread with immigration.
My comment was more in tune with what the Prez perceives as his "public persona". I think he does care about that all of a sudden due to the upcoming election and the introduction of Tony snow/Josh Bolton types.
They are more media savvy than his past spokespeople, but Tony and Josh are pre- Clintonian and thus their assumptions of the "American People"/ as it were are still a bit more naive and gentlemanly. The result is once again, the Mushy Middle!
An what was $44B for Ed w/Ted?
Medicare?
Amnesty?
Giving up on SS & tax reform?
And as much as I am behind all tax cuts, what says the recovery wasn't just as, or more affected by the Fed's expansionism?
FWIW Paulson was knee-deep in watergate.
Yes, being president is complicated, isn't it?
As far as why the economy has done well, that's complicated too, and yes, tax cuts are only part of the reason.
But I sure like them.
BTW, when you joining up?
W made the SS debate possible.
My money says this guy will help Dems get a Govt controlled "pension" program that Wallstreet can't wait to get.
This guy and his leftist family are the absolute pits.
These old big money aholes haved ruled the country ever since they got the Fed & taxes they all wanted.
IBD noted that Paulson chaired the "respected" Nature Conservancy, but both Goldman Sach and Nature Conservancy are in favor on mandatory GHG controls (come to think of it, so was O'Neil). Paulson's appointment is opposed by a coalition of free market-based policy groups, including the National Legal and Policy Center, the Free Enterprise Action Fund, Capital Research Center, National Center for Public Policy Research, and Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise. http://www.impactwire.com/article.asp?id=2486
I also note that the book on global warming sponsored by the British government (foreword by Blair) called "Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change" (http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=11021) was just launched in the US on May 9 at JP MorganChase (Exxon is a major shareholder); this book is designed to scare up political support in the US and elsewhere for binding measures more significant than Kyoto: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2006/060509e.htm.
Just what is going on these days? Is the Bush administration turning Green?
Another Goldman Sachs alumnus is Robert Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury under President Clinton. Yet another is Stephen Friedman, who is the incoming Chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, replacing Chairman Brent Scowcroft. Friedman previously served three years as Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.
Goldman Sachs is obviously a politically connected brokerage firm with its senior "Republicrat" partners being part of what was once called the "permanent government." It appears that the Bush Administration is anticipating the Republican loss of one or both Houses of Congress in November. To appoint someone so diametrically opposed to conservative principles, especailly on environmental issues, is appalling. No doubt the White House is hoping that Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, et. al., will continue to rant about illegal immigration, allowing Paulson to be approved "under the radar".
He is by no means an environ-wacko...
I work for an environmental organization, and am a conservative all the way. The attitude that having ideas that are considered environmentalist be construed as "wacko" really pisses me off...it makes my job harder and doesn't give credit to the wonderful GOPers that give to so many environmental organizations. This attitude allows the left to coop this entire issue and it is a foolish approach in my mind.
Do you know the family well? I think you are making a gross characterization.
Again I say that the organizations that the Paulson's support philonthropically are NOT diametrically opposed to all conservative issues on the environment. That is just not accurate.
The Kyoto Protocol is a key first step to help slow the onslaught of global warming and benefit conservation efforts. But the Protocol alone is not the final answer.
Science shows that global warming is not merely a real threat for the future, but that it is already having a destructive impact on the natural habitats and resources on which we all depend. Global warming is a result of human activities that left unchecked will have serious consequences for this and future generations.
(This statement can be read in full at http://www.nature.org/pressroom/press/press1791.html.)
The advocacy of un-Constitutional, socialistic controls over private property and business activities in the name of the environment is not conservatism in the American sense. Nor is the acceptance of the liberal dogma that global warming, if it indeed exists, is the result of human activities.
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