Comments

You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name

Your e-mail (optional)

Website (optional)

	My Original Nic Pic-a-Nic Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Foto

Submit your comments on this article

Home Front: Politix

Congress critters fear their jobs are next

2009-11-07

Of all the numbers swirling around this week Capitol Hill this week -- health care whip counts, CBO estimates, winning and losing margins in Virginia, New York and New Jersey -- one stands out from the rest: 10.2 percent.

That's the national unemployment rate. And lawmakers from both parties know that, if it doesn't go down dramatically before next November, they could be adding to it themselves.

With control of the White House and Congress, Democrats have the most to lose if jobless numbers remain high.

"I think anytime unemployment is high and people are concerned about their jobs, the economy, incumbents on both sides of the aisle need to be concerned," Republican Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker said Friday. "What people care most about is food, clothing and shelter. Period. .... When food, clothing and shelter are sort of impacted, their base lives are impacted, it definitely sours the public as it should. Usually the party in power takes the brunt of that, but it affects all incumbents."

With control of the White House and Congress, Democrats have the most to lose if jobless numbers remain high. But like Corker, Democrats insist that incumbents in both parties will feel the pain. "I think it's bad for incumbents in general. You'd have to be a fool not to realize that," said Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley, whose home state of Nevada has a jobless rate in excess of 14 percent. "The way our fellow citizens register their concern is at the ballot box ... if the unemployment numbers don't go down, if there's no relief, they will express their frustration in November 2010."

Posted by:Fred

#11 The Discreet Charm of the Left-wing Plutocracy

Posted by: SR-71 2009-11-07 15:16

#10 I've read some of it, and found the 1930's-era business and economic reporting more to-the-point and useful for an average citizen.

Absolutely. It was damn clear what caused the problems in the '30s. It was a fucking lacka money.

Posted by: .5M 2009-11-07 11:31

#9 They started cooking the employment books back during Reagan's tenure. IMHO, the media have cooked the books on economic & business reporting for decades. I used to subscribe to the WSJ to educate myself on investing my retirement funds, but gave it up, as the info WSJ provided was utterly useless for my purposes. Many 401K owners followed the WSJ line in their investments and have paid a dreadful price. It is unlikely they will live long enough to recover. You can go back and read old issues of the NY Times during the worst years of the Depression. I've read some of it, and found the 1930's-era business and economic reporting more to-the-point and useful for an average citizen.

Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2009-11-07 11:09

#8 Just cook the books. Just start making up unemployment numbers.

If it's good enough for the Soviets, it good enough for Obama. Soon the US will have no unemployment. Nor sex.

Posted by: ed 2009-11-07 11:09

#7 Both links go to same site, SR-71.

Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-11-07 10:09

#6 Just cook the books. Just start making up unemployment numbers.

They started cooking the employment books back during Reagan's tenure. Successive administrations have further refined the scam to the fine art it is today.

Posted by: badanov 2009-11-07 09:43

#5 Grom, this. It give a good description of how the system works.

Victor Davis Hanson speculates on why.

Posted by: SR-71 2009-11-07 09:40

#4 sorry - should be "unemployed contractors (people formerly working 1099)"

Posted by: DMFD 2009-11-07 05:49

#3 Just start making up unemployment numbers

Already happening. The 10.2% doesn't include 'discouraged workers', contractors (people working 1099) and a host of other actual unemployed people. The REAL unemployment number is closer to 17.5%.

Posted by: DMFD 2009-11-07 05:48

#2 And lawmakers from both parties know that, if it doesn't go down dramatically before next November, they could be adding to it themselves

Neah, there is always work in think tanks, lobbying firms, etc...---the ruling class takes care of its own.

Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2009-11-07 04:46

#1 Just cook the books. Just start making up unemployment numbers. The MSM will go along with it and not just because they're loyal, but because they no longer care about doing the leg work that would reveal the discrepancy. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Posted by: Procopius2k 2009-11-07 03:50

00:00