White House: We Never ‘Cheerlead’ On The Economy, Admitting It Is In A ‘Recession’ Is ‘Irrelevant’
White House: We Never ‘Cheerlead’ On The Economy, Admitting It Is In A ‘Recession’ Is ‘Irrelevant’
In yesterday’s White House Press conference, spokesperson Tony Fratto responded to a question about whether or not the economy is currently in recession by saying, “We don’t make determinations or predictions on…the bottom of the business cycle.”
Noting the obvious euphemism, one reporter observed, “I may be wrong, but I’ve never heard anyone ever say the word recession from the podium.” The reporter asked, “Is that word radioactive or why isn’t it said?” Fratto responded:
[We] think its relatively irrelevant to the primary focus that we have which is dealing with implementing policy. I mean, I don’t think the American people sit around and say, “Boy, why won’t they say it?” … I don’t think anyone who has stood at this podium could be accused of cheerleading the economy or looking through rose colored glasses. We try to be very, very transparent.
Watch it:
The White House has yet to admit what a majority of Americans and economists now agree on: The U.S. economy is in recession. Just yesterday, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce declared, “We are currently in…a recession.” Last month, former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker said, “[T]he economy, I believe, is in recession,” and Steve Forbes said similarly that “we’re in a recession, a very serious recession.”
Despite Fratto’s claims to the contrary, the White House has been anything but “transparent” with regard to the condition of the economy. Indeed, while the economy edged closer and closer to crisis this year, the Bush White House put on their pom poms and engaged in economic happy talk:
– “I don’t know of anyone predicting a recession.” [Fratto, 1/7/08]
– “I think when people take a look back at this moment in our economic history, they’ll recognize tax cuts work.” [President Bush, 3/12/08]
– “First of all, we’re not in a recession” [President Bush, 4/22/08]
– “The data are pretty clear that we are not in a recession” [Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Edward Lazear, 5/7/08]
– “I think we have avoided a recession.” [White House Budget Director Jim Nussle, 7/31/08]
– “I don’t think anybody could tell you right now if we’re in a recession or not” [Dana Perino, 10/7/08]
As Dan Froomkin wrote in April — and the current economic crisis demonstrates — the Bush administration’s rhetoric on the economy amounted to nothing more than “tone-deaf cheerleading.”
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
47 Responses to “White House: We Never ‘Cheerlead’ On The Economy, Admitting It Is In A ‘Recession’ Is ‘Irrelevant’”
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Hey Dumbya, only 73 more days.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out feckless idiot, incompotent stooge, (on 2nd thought...)
http://change.gov/
November 8th, 2008 at 10:17 amWhy can't these people just go ahead and pack their sh!t and leave?
People who get fired from their jobs don't get to stick around for another two and a half months for very good reasons...
November 8th, 2008 at 10:27 amLet's hope their isn't too much addtional carnage during these interminable 73 days :(
November 8th, 2008 at 10:28 amFratto responded: I mean, I don’t think the American people sit around and say, “Boy, why won’t they say it?”
Actually, we do.
After all, your incapacity for understnding the plight of teh middle-class on any level is exactly why your party was fired on Tuesday from this job - in both Executive and Legislatve capacities.
In fact, had we any say in the Judicial branch, Scalia, Roberts and Thomas would be finding out about the crappy unemployment process first-hand.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:31 amExit Stage Left Says: Let’s hope their isn’t too much addtional carnage during these interminable 73 days :(
I heard that out of spite, the carnage has already begun in terms of trashing environmental policy, pissing off Syria and anything Dick Cheney can devise in between his daily orgies of blood shed and blood sucking.
We let a group of spoiled-rotten four-year olds into the White House, so what do we expect from them after they've been spanked?
November 8th, 2008 at 10:35 amExactly right. Just listen to the spin from the podium, and you can hear the immaturity in the message; refusal to take responsibility for anything bad, trying to take credit for stuff that they think they can spin as good...
I would think that the ADULT thing to do would be to acknowledge the reality of conditions in which we find ourselves. Not for BushCo. It's always a marketing job, all the time with them. One could say that's because they're in permanent campaign mode, even when they can't run again, but to me it looks more like a bunched of spoiled children unwilling to admit when they spilled the Froot Loops.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:45 amI just remember this:
bush: The tax cuts will usher in a new era of prosperity.
I'm still waiting for the benifit of those tax cuts to kick in. Oh yeah, they did in the form of a recession.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:47 amAdmitting it's a recession is as unlikely as admitting they are war criminals.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:48 amI'm certainly not an economist and I do appreciate use of appropriate wording, but why the obsession with the word 'recession' in everyday discussion? What purpose does it serve to hammer in the negativity in a press conference? The media could state economic statistics as a prelude to their questions concerning economic plans and policy but it serves no purpose to allow a presidential flunky the opportunity to define the issue.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:50 amI guess because it is what it is. The fact that it was predicted and predictable when a republican comes to power is trivial and well known. The fact that they are actually saying it denotes the sunami that this recession really is.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:56 amRule #1 in the Republican book of (dirty) tactics:
If facts are not on your side (could happen very often), deny, mislead, change the subject, obfuscate, and outright lie.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:58 amWell, makes sense.
The Dumbinator was a cheerleader in college no less.
What a poofter...
November 8th, 2008 at 10:59 amBecause, generally, it helps to respond better to a situation when one actually understands the facts and reality of the situation.
Like when Sarah Palin said bout global warming:
it kinda doesn't matter at this point in the debate what caused it. The point is it's real; we need to do something about it.
That puzzled me; how do you know what you "need to do" about it if you don't know the cause? It's like calling Joe the Plumber to your house for an overflowing toilet and hearing him say "it kinda doesn't matter at this point in the debate what caused it. The point is it's real; we need to do something about it," and then he goes out to his truck, comes back with a Shamwow, sops up the water and hands you a bill for $150.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:06 amgus smith Says:
but why the obsession with the word ‘recession’ in everyday discussion? What purpose does it serve to hammer in the negativity in a press conference?
"What purpose does it serve"? Are you serious? The first step towards fixing a problem is recognising it exists.
I'd rather have someone in charge who can see things for what they are, describe them accurately, and take appropriate action to correct the problem.
You are actually questioning the need to acknowledge reality.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:07 amHow about this gus smith: When you go to the doctor, you expect them to diagnose your condition accurately, don't you?
Imagine them not wanting to "hammer on the negativity" of your problem -let's say you caught the West Nile virus- and instead told you that you have a mild case of the flu.
Imagine the doctor prescribing medication for the "less negative" disease he diagnosed, instead of your actual condition -because he doesn't want to "hammer in the negativity".
Now imagine the Bush administration telling us we are not in a recession and refusing to take any action to shore up the economy -because this is what has been happening- since they don't want to "hammer in the negativity".
Does that sound rational to you?
November 8th, 2008 at 11:17 amWe Never ‘Cheerlead’ On The Economy,
Liars! I distinctly remember this administration's members and their mouthpieces trumpeting relatively low unemployment rates, record home ownership, economic growth rates and relatively low inflation.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:26 amIf Bush were a CEO of a company and he ran the way he has ran our country he would have been shown the exit door a long time ago.
Sadly we were warned by Bush himself when he said he would run the government like a business and that he was the CEO president. Those statements alone should have set off alarm bells for any intelligent American when you consider Bush's failures as a businessman.
Of course when Bush said he would run the government like a business he never said he was going to use Enron as the business model.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:30 amAnd by the way, gus smith, Bush's stubborn refusal to acknowledge his mistakes (ie, reality,) and take corrective action based on the mess he created -as opposed to the rosy scenario he is trying to sell to us- is the chief reason why he is going to go down in history as the. Worst. President. Ever.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:31 amHey George...I see that eight years of tax cuts for the wealthy has really stimulated the economy, you stupid bastard!
November 8th, 2008 at 11:32 amIf you spreaketh not the word then it does not exist. But watch out, if a Republican starts talking openly about a recession, then that means we’re in a depression.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:33 amIn my honest opinion I believe they were trying to hold our crumbling economy together until January 20th, 2009 in an attempt to help McCain win the presidency. When they realized they couldn't wait any longer they knew John McCain was history. Just like when the Bushites encouraged Georgia to start up trouble with Russia, it was an attempt to help John McCain win the presidency due to his *vast* experience and self proclaimed knowledge on how to win wars. Georgia was rewarded very nicely with something like $1.5 billion.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:37 amDenial is a river in Egypt.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:43 amSomething dawned on me after reading the comments above. Had BushCo done the adult thing throughout its administration and admitted its faults I think the world would have viewed them slightly more positively. For example, consider the recession we are now in. I would have felt better had Chimpy come out months ago when the indicators were falling off the map and said "We are in serious economic times. Even I can see that. But here is what we are going to do to change that situation." Had he done that and laid out even rudimentary plans for combatting the issue, I would have felt more at ease. Instead we have Chimpy telling us to not listen to the man behind the curtain (with apologies to the Wizard of Oz) when everyone with an IQ greater than a sand fly can see that we are in deep kimshee.
What am I saying? Bush has had his entire wretched life to admit to his mistakes. Why should I expect him to behave like an adult now? How many days until OUR president is in power?
November 8th, 2008 at 11:49 amCurlew, it is quite possible that Bush may have been viewed a bit more positively had he admitted his mistakes and had just been honest with the American citizens BUT then I'm reminded of being lied to about WMD's, torture, the death of habeas corpus, trampling on the constitution, ignoring the Geneva concentions, ignoring the threats before 9/11, dividing the country, etc, etc and well unless Bush were to start sh*tting gold bars out of his a$$ and giving one to each American citzen I highly doubt he could ever really be looked upon in a positve light.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:58 amUncle Fester ...I stand corrected. Those are all sterling examples of why I am just a dreamer!! I figured there was something wrong with me wanting to give some deference to the blathering fool. Thanks for helping me see the light.
November 8th, 2008 at 12:03 pmTone deaf? More like: deaf, dumb, blind paraplegic. The Bush administration runs a government that deserves to be drowned in a bathtub of its own drool.
November 8th, 2008 at 12:09 pmThe flood of economic agony and despair should be trickling down to Hell to fuel the flames licking Ronnie Raygun's pitiful a$$.
November 8th, 2008 at 12:14 pmHeh, no problem Curlew. I almost wanted to agree with you but than I don't work for Haliburton, KBR, Bechtel, BlackwaterUSA etc, etc, whom I'm sure all look on Bush in a favorable fashion, for their own reasons of course.
November 8th, 2008 at 12:18 pmIf they admitted we were in a recession, then they would have to eventually admit that their conservative way of governing took us there.
Conservatism does not work as a model for governing a free country. You need to have the government there to protect people from unscrupulous corporations like, say, Enron, which was run by a close personal friend of Bush. Your economic policies won't work and won't help the nation if you let just a few people keep all the money. Which is exactly where your policies have taken us (against our will).
November 8th, 2008 at 12:29 pmThe Bush Cheerleading team: Rah-Rah-Shish-Boom-Baa!
Bush: Give me a C
Cheney: Give me a O
Paulson: Give me a R
Bernacke: Give me a P
Perino: Give me another O
Bush: Give me another R
Cheney: Give me a A
Paulson: Give me a T
Bernacke: Give me a E
Bush: Now give me a W
Cheney: Give me a E
Paulson: Give me a L
Bernacke: Give me a F
Perino: Give me a A
Bush: Give me a R
Cheney: Give me a E
What does it spell?
Corporate welfare at the expense of the struggling American worker & taxpayer!
November 8th, 2008 at 12:31 pmWayne Says @ 12:29 pm
November 8th, 2008 at 12:34 pm````````````````````````````````````````````
You are soooooooooooooo correct sir!
"“First of all, we’re not in a recession” "President Bush"
for once, dummya spoke the truth. we he says "we" he means his cronies and himself. how can they be in a recession after raping and robbing us blind for eight years?
November 8th, 2008 at 12:36 pmRecession? At the rate people are losing their homes and their jobs and are forced to cut back their spending this will look like depression sooner than expected. Money has been taken away from the masses into the pockets of the very few.
November 8th, 2008 at 12:36 pmIf you call in an ambulance by the time it gets here make it a hearse!
Anyone can see you do not give tax cuts to your have mores and then start 2 wars... wars that utilize privatized contractors each costing 10x = more funds to the have mores. Bush and the neocons did this maybe purposely to kill the beast or make safety nets an impossibility and now they fake the long faces?
November 8th, 2008 at 12:47 pmYet another example of finding loopholes instead of accountability. Technically, we are not in a recession. But it really shows the disconnect between definitions and reality (yet again). We all know that unemployment isn't really 6.5% -- again, another definition that skirts reality. How about torturing people in Guant? Same thing again. At least these #@#@$%'s are consistent...
November 8th, 2008 at 12:49 pmSometime after mission accomplished, the Iraqi people asked bush if THEY could rebuild their own country... that they could do it pennies on the dollar. this was in yahoo news and funny I can not find that article, have tried many times, in google.
Could not have that as employment would help bring organization and peace to the region. Instead we had to spend 700 billion, keep the chaos and genocide going and look where we are today.
And another 1 trillion went to bail out the big boys. These b@stards have tried very hard to crash our economy, hoped no one would find out so they could blame it on the dems in the coming years.
November 8th, 2008 at 1:18 pmAnd Nixon said "I am not a crook!" Same thing. They simply can't stand to say they screwed everything up, can they?
November 8th, 2008 at 1:30 pmWe have been robbed... duped ... happened while diverting attention towards wedge issues as: gay marriage, abortion, guns, immigration.... all of which, as usual, not much change has been made.
November 8th, 2008 at 1:53 pm"Bottom of the business cycle?!?" Business is not supposed to cycle up and down!!! Investors can't have confidence in a market that's been engineered to work like a sine wave.
Look, economics is not as hard as people make it out to be. It's just that "economic conservatives" are congenitally incapable of understanding it. Expecting a Republican to understand macroeconomics is like expecting a creationist to understand archaeology; they can't do it because they don't believe in it.
November 8th, 2008 at 2:07 pmI don't think they believe that they screwed things up. I know, delusional but I really think they cling to the idea that they are doing the right thing by destroying the things we cherrish.
November 8th, 2008 at 2:46 pmFred, I don't believe they ever believe they are wrong. This has got to be the most pathological presidency ever. If they'll just leave without vandalizing the world in a last effort to make themselves feel good by making other people suffer, I will be happy about it.
Put impeachment back on the table, Pelosi. What have we got to lose? It would be the perfect start to an Obama presidency. May being "presidential" revert to being president and not king.
November 8th, 2008 at 3:07 pmThese people are pathalogical. They even LIE about the lying they have done.
November 8th, 2008 at 3:08 pmcheerleading is not a sport...
November 8th, 2008 at 3:26 pmThe Republican way of keeping our economy out of recession was based on short-term tactics which have created several long-term problems. By repeatedly cutting the interest rates, Greenspan has virtually destroyed personal savings in America. Instead we borrow billions from the Chinese, the Japanese and the monied folks in Europe and the Middle East to "pay" for our wars and our spend-thrift ways. This won't work in the long run as we are know learning to our sorrow.
Republican-run corporations have been outsourcing and exporting our good manufacturing jobs and high-tech jobs for many years now, dating back to NAFTA and WTO in the corporate Clinton days.
Now the criminals and traitors that run GM and Ford have their hands out, begging for free money. This is obscene. These folks outsourced thousands of American jobs in the auto industry to Mexico and China and other foreign locations. Now Americans can't earn the money to buy the GD cars made by GM and Ford. What an idiotic plan. Outsource our manufacturing jobs and then act surprised when Americans no longer have the bucks to buy cars. Short-term corporate greed is destroying America.
we are going to have to tighten our belts, get the hell out of Afghanistan and Iraq and start living within our means.
November 8th, 2008 at 9:43 pmWe cannot borrow our way out of debt. It only took the Bush gangsters and the greedy corporations 7 and 2/3 years to destroy America.
The Bush Republicans decided against Diebolding the November 2008 elections because they didn't want a Republican in the White House to bear some responsibility for the coming Bush Depression of 2009. Their electronic voting-flipping and election-stealing machinery is still in place, and it will be until we return to hand-counted paper ballots in our elections.
November 8th, 2008 at 9:48 pmWhoa! Did the goalposts just move a couple of miles ?
Unfortunately, Bush made the mess and Obama is gonna have to clean it up.
November 9th, 2008 at 4:43 pmThey won't use the "r" word, but they were perfectly comfortable in threatening America with a forecoming depression if the banks weren't bailed out in a weekend. Please!
November 10th, 2008 at 2:37 pm