What we have here is “The Bush II and 1994-2006 Republican Congress” economy!

The “Coolidge and Hoover Economy” took some 18 years and a Second World War before the Coolidge-Hoover mess could be straightened out. The Bush II version of The Great Depression may take as long … maybe even longer considering the current klatch of obstructionist Republicans in Congress!

Bush II’s unfunded tax cuts, more tax loopholes for the fatcats, two unfunded foreign invasions, an unfunded Medicare prescription drug benefit, unfunded expansion of government by some 400,000 direct and contract employees, seven unfunded debt ceiling increases between 2001 and 2009, and the addition of some $5 trillion to the national debt … ARE WHAT GOT US INTO THIS MESS!

The Republicans drove the economy into the ditch … and now they want us all to take driving lessons from them! Ridiculous!

I respectivefully disagree with the first commenter. In my opinion, you’re comparing apples and oranges. The economies of the twenties and thirties have little in common with today’s disastrous economy. No Fannie and Freddie, Little stock market regulation. No massive globalization. No open borders and excessive immigration. No outsourcing. No terrorist threat. No Medicare, Medi Cal, and all the other entitlements (except SS which only began in ’35)., No Internet. No NATO. No worldwide array of US military bases (a thousand at last count!). No unpopular wars. No inexperienced, inept, and clueless President. No PC. No global warming hoax (there are real problems with pollution, and perhaps global warming–but it has been “propagandized” and objections censored so severely that one can not trust the government’s programs and pronouncements). No purely “obstructive” environmentelists. Etc. Need I add more? I will agree to one similarity: the divisive partisanship was equally destructive.

Ted,

You make it sound like tax cuts leading to more money available for individuals to spend on goods and services are what made the economy fail and cost jobs. Any time arguments are made like that they just show that you are simply parroting the rhetoric you hear from liberal talking heads and your political heroes.

I get really tired of people spouting off without facts. Please give detail on these “tax loopholes” for the rich. I would really like to know what “loopholes” you are talking about. My bet is that you have no idea what you are talking about but it sounded good coming out of some politicians mouth so you started saying it. Are these loopholes things like deductions for mortgage interest?, Perhaps medical expenses? Or maybe those tax credits you get for putting in energy efficient windows into your home? I am sure there must be some deductions that both of us can agree are not worth it but I woudl like to hear about them. Please stop class warfare rhetoric and provide actual details please!!!

I will agree that the Medicare drug benefit that was supported by Bush was probably not a good idea but only because they did not fund it.

And if you are going to play the blame game based on who happened to be in office at the time of a specific event or period of economic distress (as you did with Hoover), then the “1994-2006″ republican Congress economy (as you put it) was pretty darn good. THe period had very high economic growth, with a very minor recession in 2001. They even had a balanced budget and surplus thrown in. It seems that things hit the fan in 2008, a while after the Democrats had taken both chambers away from the Republicans. Just using your own logic back at you.