What Steve Benen said.
Watching the reaction from Republicans and most news outlets, I keep thinking of an analogy. There's a nine-alarm fire, and Obama's the fire chief. He wants to send the cavalry, hoping to save lives and contain the fire from spreading out of control, while simultaneously taking fire-prevention steps for the future. Soon, Republicans start wondering if 2% of the tools on the fire-engines are entirely necessary for fighting the fire. Democrats think nine trucks is an excessive number, and maybe if Obama sent seven, it'll make Republicans happier. (Said Sen. Ben Nelson, "I don't know, hundreds of gallons of water sounds like an awful lot.")
Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Lou Dobbs, and Joe Scarborough try to convince the community that Obama is making a big mistake trying to put out a fire with water, which is just socialism in disguise.
Conservatives want to know why Obama won't just give people a tax cut, so the public can buy fire-extinguishers, axes, and Dalmatians of their own. The Washington Post runs four op-eds from Amity Shlaes, arguing that Fire Chief Roosevelt overreacted during the last nine-alarm fire, and it would have gone out on its own if he'd just left it alone.
And while the fire keeps burning, the Senate wants to figure out how to address the fire in a way that costs less and satisfies the concerns of "centrists."
And it's not like this crisis isn't real. Just ask our pal btp at Rochester Turning. He just got laid off.
I say this all not to cry on anyone's shoulder, or to brag about how unbelievably awesome I am, but to send out a warning- I am really, really good at what I do, I have a broad skillset, excellent communication skills, and have worked in small privately held companies as well as Fortune 500 companies. I regularly outperform management expectations, and have typically been "pulled" into new positions of greater responsibility.
Yet everywhere I am looking, networking, applying, all are saying this is the worst economic situation they've seen. And I'm afraid it's only going to get worse. Even though I'm at the top of my game, the economy has been mis-managed and roto-tilled into a game of musical chairs where they're suddenly removing 25%+ of the chairs.
This warning will hopefully not depress people, but stir you into action.
I've gone from being a supporter of Obama and a robust stimulus package to possibly a benefactor of it.
So, if for nothing else, please- for me, and my 3 little kids, please call senators Schumer and Gillibrand. If not for me, you all have friends and family likely going through the same thing-do it for them...and tell the staffer that you're calling to urge your them to "support the Obama economic recovery plan and oppose all conservative amendments." Call back and repeat for our other senator. The toll-free number: 866-544-7573.
If you were in a "eh, I could eat" kind of place about the stimulus, I'm asking you personally to call, right now, and let me know what they say, in the comments.
Thanks. The job you save may be your own.
This economy is getting worse by the hour. It's time to actually do something about it. |
