“We Have No Short Term Deficit Problem”
by digby
That’s AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, railing against neo-Hooverism at AFN2010. Jared Bernstein, sitting next to him on the stage, looked like he’d rather be anywhere but here. It’s a tough gig.
Bernstein said that we must not lose sight of all the administration successes and then rattled off a long list of same. He also said the White house is not obsessed with the deficit but insisted that “we have to prove to the American people and the markets that we have a brake and that we will use it when the time comes.” I’m not sure why since the people need jobs, credit and peace of mind and the bond market seems to think US treasuries are a very safe bet, but whatever. The CW prevails. Bob Herbert then stepped up to give a call to arms —“It’s impossible to overstate the depth of the unemployment crisis.” (Bernstein didn’t hear any of this because he left as Herbert started speaking. So much for dialog.)
After hearing that and attending the scary lecture on America’s broken pension system I was actually starting to get freaked out thinking about the horror of the looming cat food commission on top of it. What’s going to happen? Then I ran into a couple of very savvy ladies who organize senior citizens and they set me straight. They said “they’ll have some very angry cougars on their backs if they even try it.” They listed all the times that the government has tried to mess with social security and all the times they’ve beaten it back and I have to say from the determined look on their faces and their assertive attitudes — I believed them. (I guess they don’t call themselves panthers anymore…)
Dday dubbed this “the surly conference” and I think it’s apt. People don’t seem depressed or apathetic but they are also not interested in listening to platitudes. (And the days of delirious excitement are definitely over.) I think that’s probably a good sign. There’s some heavy lifting ahead.
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