'It's Obama's Economy, Stupid'

As Jonah Goldberg notes today at the L.A. Times (gee, I wonder how well this column will play there?) “‘Now, my administration has a job to do as well, and that job is to get this economy back on its feet,’ President Obama declared on July 14, 2009, in Warren, Mich. ‘That’s my job, and it’s a job I gladly accept. I love these folks who helped get us in this mess and then suddenly say, well, this is Obama’s economy. That’s fine. Give it to me:'”

So what does this guy have to do to get the blame for the bad economy? Mark Halperin, an analyst for MSNBC and Time magazine, was asked on the “Today” show over the weekend about the political impact of the bad economy. He assured viewers that the president was totally engaged in the need for job creation. “The Republicans, though, have the onus on them to come forward with some ideas. The president’s ideas are still a little bit up in the air.”

A little bit up in the air? They’re in concrete. From his April 14, 2009, “New Foundation” speech at Georgetown University to his latest campaign stop, Obama has insisted he knows exactly what he’s doing. He stands by “Obamacare” as a boon for the economy. He still sees the “green revolution” — and all the crony capitalism that comes with it — as the solution to our woes (That’s why he nominated John Bryson, a former utility CEO, subsidy-seeking entrepreneur and environmental activist, to be his next Commerce secretary).

But is there any evidence it’s helped create jobs? Consider that when President Reagan oversaw a huge jobs boom, the media recycled the untrue claim that these were all low-paying “hamburger flipper” jobs.

Well, McDonald’s alone may be responsible for a quarter to half of the new jobs created in the last month. And that hiring probably wouldn’t have happened if Mickey D’s hadn’t been given a waiver from Obamacare.

Read the whole thing.

And then check out Power Line on “The Real Unemployment, Cont’d.,” and Stacy McCain’s co-blogger Smitty on the reality-based economy — and these days, the lack thereof.