Hi char,

char: "Iowan, most economists flat-out don't agree with you."

And what is that to me? Obama's 'economist' dream team (Geithner, Romer, Orsazg, Summers, presumably the cream of the crop) confidently 'agreed' that their 'stimulus' would prevent unemployment from exceeding 8%. Even Romer admitted that her plan failed and tacitly admitted that neither she nor 'most economists' understood why the economy wasn't magically bouncing back as she predicted it would. She admitted her assumptions were, shall we say, flawed. When it comes to believing 'most (unnamed) economists', should I believe them or my lyin' eyes?

char: "Deficit spending to get out of recessions is Keynesianism whether Reagan did it or Obama. Maybe you can find one or two rogue economists who think that cutting spending is the way to get out of a recession, but I doubt it. And if tax cuts were the key to prosperity we would not be in this mess, now would we?"

So it's your opinion that the Bush tax cuts are responsible for the mess we're in. You might have a point if there was a shred of evidence supporting such an assertion. Not surprisingly, there isn't. Annual federal deficits were declining and the unemployment rate held pretty steady in the 5-5.5% range up through 2007, which curiously coincides with the Democrat's assumption of power in Congress. Since then, annual federal deficits have risen each year to the point that at present, Obamanomics has produced MONTHLY federal deficits that equal (approx.) the ANNUAL federal deficit when Republicans held the majority.

char: "They are as low as your Party wanted them to be, which is pretty darned low for the post-WWII era."

So you favor repealing all the Bush tax cuts. Noted. Reagan pushed Congress to reduce marginal tax rates across the board. What followed was vigorous economic growth. Compare that to Obamanomics and the anemic economic growth that have resulted from his genius.

char: "In short, your prescriptions are preposterous as ways to increase employment."

In short, Obamanomics is a dismal failure. Poverty continues to rise, with no end in sight, the housing market is tanking even as we post, an unemployment rate of around 9.5% will be with us for the foreseeable future, and foreclosures will likely continue at record rate.

char: "Of course we should reform Fannie and Freddie, but it was just as important to reform the financial sector in general, which Obama managed to get a good start on, not that your side helped."

Fannie and Freddie are largely responsible for the subprime meltdown, which is largely responsible for the financial sector crisis. The country gave Obama and Geithner, et.al., the keys to the car, along with large majorities in both houses of Congress. He needed not a single Republican vote to pass anything he wanted passed. Dems decided that a spending kegger was in order. Drunkenness and driving don't mix. Which of course explains your desire and that of your fellow liberals for more beer.

You guys got $1 triilion annual deficits for at least a decade, a 'stimulus' bill of almost a trillion passed, Obamacare mandates that everyone purchase a government-approved healthcare plan. I'm still waiting on Democrats in Congress to run campaign ads touting their support of these wonderful pieces of legislation.

char: "When the Republicans had things all their own way for the runup to this disaster, it's hard to credit these warmed-over Republican talking points with any power to do any good."

You've had two years 'all your own way', char. Keep on blaming Bush. That sounds like a splendid campaign formula. 

Now, please spell out what YOU think will reduce unemployment, reverse the increase in the numbers of Americans living in poverty, reverse the increases in home forclosures, and produce economic growth in the range that occurred after the recession in Reagan's first term. What tax rates do you favor? How will raising taxes as Obama proposes address any of the problems listed above?

later. iowan15