Senator Johnson (R-WI) pens Politico op-ed attempting to sell Mitt's economic snake oil

[ProSense]

Follow Mitt Romney’s plan to restore economic growth

By: Ron Johnson

Jobs. The economy. Growth. These are the issues that should define this election.

For almost four years, President Barack Obama has pursued his plan — the plan he claims he will continue if he is reelected. That plan has focused on expanding government. We’ve seen a roughly $800 billion stimulus. We’ve seen billions invested in “green energy” companies, many of which the president’s campaign donors either ran or invested heavily in. Despite these efforts — or perhaps because of them — unemployment has remained above 8 percent for 43 months, and the growth of our economy has slowed to less than 2 percent. With no relief in sight.

Now the president is calling for more of the same. He wants to pass a jobs plan — a second stimulus paid for by higher deficits or more taxes on small business. It’s curious that he is willing to increase taxes on small businesses when the economy is slowing because in 2010, he said that raising taxes “would be a mistake when the economy has not fully taken off.”

These are bad ideas — not the sort of proposals that anyone hoping to return our nation to prosperity should support.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We have an alternative, a plan based on the things that have made our country prosperous in the past. It’s Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s plan — and it’s one that deserves a chance.

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81270.html

Flailing: Mitt is boxed in and doesn't have a plan.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021358154

Still, if Johnson wants to bring it, let's talk about his party's role in crashing the economy and obstructing the recovery.

Obstruct and Exploit

By PAUL KRUGMAN

Does anyone remember the American Jobs Act? A year ago President Obama proposed boosting the economy with a combination of tax cuts and spending increases, aimed in particular at sustaining state and local government employment. Independent analysts reacted favorably. For example, the consulting firm Macroeconomic Advisers estimated that the act would add 1.3 million jobs by the end of 2012.

There were good reasons for these positive assessments. Although you’d never know it from political debate, worldwide experience since the financial crisis struck in 2008 has overwhelmingly confirmed the proposition that fiscal policy “works,” that temporary increases in spending boost employment in a depressed economy (and that spending cuts increase unemployment). The Jobs Act would have been just what the doctor ordered.

But the bill went nowhere, of course, blocked by Republicans in Congress. And now, having prevented Mr. Obama from implementing any of his policies, those same Republicans are pointing to disappointing job numbers and declaring that the president’s policies have failed.

Think of it as a two-part strategy. First, obstruct any and all efforts to strengthen the economy, then exploit the economy’s weakness for political gain. If this strategy sounds cynical, that’s because it is. Yet it’s the G.O.P.’s best chance for victory in November.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/opinion/krugman-obstruct-and-exploit.html

The Jobs Program That Wasn’t

Macroeconomic Advisers on the American Jobs Act, proposed a year ago:

We estimate that the American Jobs Act (AJA), if enacted, would give a significant boost to GDP and employment over the near-term.

-The various tax cuts aimed at raising workers’ after-tax income and encouraging hiring and investing, combined with the spending increases aimed at maintaining state & local employment and funding infrastructure modernization, would:
-Boost the level of GDP by 1.3% by the end of 2012, and by 0.2% by the end of 2013.
-Raise nonfarm establishment employment by 1.3 million by the end of 2012 and 0.8 million by the end of 2013, relative to the baseline

Of course, it that had happened, Obama would be more or less a lock for reelection. Instead, having blocked the president’s economic plans, Republicans can point to weak job growth and claim that the president’s policies have failed.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/08/the-jobs-program-that-wasnt/

The American Jobs Act -- One Year Later

By Steve Benen

On September 8, 2011 -- exactly one year ago tomorrow -- President Obama delivered an important speech to a joint session of Congress. In it, the president unveiled a proposal he called the American Jobs Act.

You may recall the economic circumstances at the time, and how similar they are to 2012 -- though job growth looked strong in the early months of the year, the summer proved disappointing. Obama sought to shift the national conversation away from austerity and towards job creation, and presented a sensible plan, filled with ideas that have traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support.

Independent analysis projected the American Jobs Act, which was fully paid for, could create as many as 2 million jobs in 2012.

<...>

The American electorate was clamoring for action on jobs; the Obama White House crafted a credible plan that would be helping enormously right now; and congressional Republicans reflexively killed the Americans Jobs Act for partisan and ideological reasons.

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http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/09/07/13726783-the-american-jobs-act-one-year-later

They Blocked that!

by jamess

When it comes to the GOP -- they didn't Build that.

Most times They Blocked that ...







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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/30/1126128/-They-Blocked-that

[yourout]

1. Johnson is a pock mark on my state. The next original thought he has will be his first.

The Koch brothers and the rest of the 1% have their hand so far up his ass it's tickling his tonsils.

[madaboutharry]

2. This idiot from Oshkosh

won the seat from Russ Feingold. That was a tragic day for Wisconsin and the nation

[ProSense]

3. Should add this, typical Mittwit campaign contortion:

Romney Campaign Approvingly Cites Statement Saying That Its Tax Plan Doesn’t Add Up

By Pat Garofalo

The Romney campaign has been pushing back against a recent report by Innovation Ohio and the Center for American Progress showing that “millionaires in [Ohio] would receive an additional $87,000 in tax breaks under the tax plans of Gov. Romney and Rep. Ryan while middle-class families would pay $1,900 more in health care taxes and $1,066 more in taxes on their mortgages.” That report used data from a Tax Policy Center study showing that, if Romney were to keep his promise to reduce tax rates while maintaining government revenue, he would have to raise taxes on middle class families by more than $2,000.

In an attempt to refute the IO/CAP report, the Romney campaign approvingly pointed to a Tax Policy Center blog post saying that the math in Romney’s tax plan can’t possibly add up:

As part of his pushback, (Romney campaign spokesman Christopher) Maloney cited a blog by Tax Policy Center director Donald Marron saying, “I don’t interpret this (study by his group) as evidence that Governor Romney wants to increase taxes on the middle class in order to cut taxes for the rich, as an Obama campaign ad claimed. Instead, I view it as showing that his plan can’t accomplish all his stated objectives.”

Unless Romney is admitting that he will be breaking one of his tax plan’s key tenets if he gets into office, there is no way to make it add up without a middle class tax increase.

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http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/09/14/849181/romney-tax-plan-math/

[julian09]

4. This one issue to subvert the the job creation for partisan gain, should be enough to defeat Gop.

What Sen Johnson doesn't mention was one third of stimulous package was tax cuts.
A lot of people who lost homes, insurance, dignity because of Gop impediment to them getting a job, should remember in Nov/ 6/12.
House couldn't vote on jobs bill, but voted 33 TIMES to repeal Obamacare and against womens issues.

[ProSense]

8. While people are acknowledging

that Mitt's strategy to focus on the economy is a failure, and that no one likes Mitt, the fact still remains that Republicans sabotaged the recovery.

I mean, a more likeable Republican candidate wouldn't change that fact.

[Cha]

5. Full of Nothing but LIES! REC!!

[pansypoo53219]

6. snake oil

from senator stupid.

[hfojvt]

7. it really just disgusts me that such a dishonest, self serving, evil person

can be elected Senator and given a platform to spew his lies.