The care with which we are carrying out the provisions of the Recovery Act has led some people to ask whether we are moving too slowly. But the act was intended to provide steady support for our economy over an extended period – not a jolt that would last only a few months.
Now some people might suggest that the use of “… some people…” to set up a straw argument means this op-ed was ghostwritten by Obama’s speech team. But the gaffetastic insistence that the stimulus was never supposed to be “a jolt” is a giveaway – pure Biden. Via Hot Air via Swamp Politics, direct from the Office Of The Vice President:
We also came forward with what we’re going to talk about today, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, an initial big jolt to give the economy a real head start. But some criticism — we’ve not gotten enough money out so far. Well, look, since I was the guy put in charge of it, I want to make sure these first hundred days we do it right. The one thing that could undermine this whole effort is if you had read stories the last hundred days about how this money was being wasted and the tens of billions of dollars.
In fairness to Biden he was just echoing his boss. Behold, the wonders of 45 seconds of Lexis work:
Washington Times, Nov 25, 2008:
In his news conference, Mr. Obama laid out a hefty agenda for his first Cabinet appointment, tasking Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy F. Geithner and the rest of his new economic team with crafting a spending package to “jolt” the economy.
Washington Post, Feb 10, 2009:
“So, you know, we can differ on some of the particulars, but again, the question I think that the American people are asking is: Do you just want government to do nothing, or do you want it to do something? If you want it to do something, then we can have a conversation,” he said. “But doing nothing — that’s not an option, from my perspective.” Obama defended the role of government in the recovery process, saying that “with the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back to life.”
Oh and not for nothing – but it’s not hysterical, impatient wingnuttery to give Biden flack for failing to (a) boost aggregate demand via massive government spending without (b) overheating the economy while (c) preventing government waste. That hat trick is pretty much impossible given economic fundamentals and bureaucratic corruption. But that’s why conservatives opposed the stimulus. It just can’t be done. Something inevitably has to give.
Whining in the New York Times about how he can’t spend government money fast enough for it to be effective because he knows if he tries things will go wrong – that’s the whole damn point.
References and previously after the jump…
References:
* What You Might Not Know About the Recovery [Biden]
* Joltin’ Joe whiffs on his own curveball [Hot Air]
* Joe Biden: Economic stimulus ‘jolt’ or no? [Swamp Politics]
* OPENING REMARKS BY THE VICE PRESIDENT [White House]
Previously:
* Stimulus Czar Biden: In Fairness To Me, "Everyone Guessed Wrong" About How Few Jobs Stimulus Would Create
* Reader Poll: What’s The Dumbest Thing That Iraq Czar Biden Has Said About Iraq?
* Foreign Policy Experts Freak Out Over Biden’s Gaffetastic "Green Light" For An Israeli Attack On Iran
