Economy



Democrats Take Action to Save Economy. Economists agree that the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - opposed by virtually every Republican member of Congress - prevented the U.S. economy from slipping into an outright depression. While many argued that the stimulus should have been bigger, there is no doubt that, had we done nothing (as the Republican Party wished) we would have been in much dire straits today.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/business/economy/17leonhardt.html


http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2010/08/stimulus_boosted_gdp_by_up_to_45_percent_in_2q_201.php?ref=fpa



(http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/08/who_can_we_blame_for_job_losse.html)



(http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/02/17/business/economy/17leonhardt_graphic.html)


Indeed, though we have a long way to go, the Recovery Act has been so successful that even Republicans have been quick to take credit for the bill they fought against en masse.


The Wall Street Journal:

Republicans railed against the Democrats' massive economic-stimulus and spending bills as fiscally irresponsible, but some GOP lawmakers are taking credit for projects in their own districts funded by the measures.

"Washington needs to stop spending money that it doesn't have," Michigan Republican Rep. Pete Hoekstra said in attacking the $410 billion omnibus-spending bill, which funds the government through September. But once it passed, he touted its benefits for his district, which stretches along Lake Michigan.

http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB123759908731101583.html


For a much longer list of those taking credit for the bill they voted against, see:

http://a.abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/ht_republicans_support_stimulus_100205.pdf



The Deficit and Tax Cuts: The Real Story


While Republicans falsely accuse President Obama of harboring plans for the biggest tax hike in history, their plan to cut taxes for the very richest among us would add a whopping $36 billion to the federal deficit next year and provide a $31 billion tax break for those making over $1 million a year. Keeping his campaign promise, President Obama has vowed to keep tax cuts in place for everyone who makes less than $200,000 per year ($250,000 for families).


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/08/12/ST2010081200375.html?sid=ST2010081200375



Comparing Democratic and Republican tax plans


(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2010/08/11/GR2010081106717.html?sid=ST2010081200375)