Obama's Fine Economy

http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/11/obamas-fine-economy/



President Obama told the American people Friday that he believes “the private sector is doing fine.” The astounding statement reverberated from the White House Briefing Room, and the negative reaction was intense. Within a few hours, Mr. Obama attempted to cover for his earlier remarks by telling reporters in the Oval Office, “It is absolutely clear that the economy is not doing fine. That’s the reason I had a press conference.” Too late.

Mr. Obama made his initial comment as he called on Congress to enact a third stimulus of $35 billion. He wants to grow the size of state and local government, as if this will get people back to work, saying “Where we’re seeing weaknesses in our economy have to do with state and local government - oftentimes, cuts initiated by governors or mayors who are not getting the kind of help that they have in the past from the federal government.”

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wasted no time pouncing on the president’s remarks. “I think he’s defining what it means to be detached and out of touch with the American people,” he told supporters in Iowa. “He wants another stimulus. He wants to hire more government workers. He says we need more firemen, more policemen, more teachers. Did he not get the message of Wisconsin? The American people did. It’s time for us to cut back on government and help the American people.”

The main reason states are in tight budget crunches is the burdensome cost of outsized benefits for the unionized employees of state and local governments. Some Republican governors like Scott Walker of Minnesota, Chris Christie of New Jersey and Mitch Daniels of Indiana have fought to break Big Labor’s stranglehold in order to balance their budgets.