Friday, January 30, 2009

Economy shrinks at 3.8: It'll be interesting to see the Press Corps get laid off

From Crooks & Liars

Watching the White House Press Corps use right-wing talking points to attack President Obama's stimulus package over and over again got me thinking. I wonder how they would feel if most of them get laid off (except for Helen Thomas) and Gibbs takes questions from one source?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economy shrank at a 3.8 percent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, as the deepening recession forced consumers and businesses to throttle back spending.


Since Americans voted overwhelmingly for Obama and not to trust Conservative ideology to try and repair the damage caused by conservative ideology, it's very frustrating when the media simply ignore the damage they have done as Obama is trying to get his package off the ground.
A new poll in support of the stimulus plan:

A new poll by Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg.

A survey of 1,200 voters in 40 traditionally Republican congressional districts now held by Democrats Greenberg's firm conducted between Jan. 14 to 19 shows Obama's post-election honeymoon reaching a rapturous stage, with 44 percent of voters strongly supporting his policies.

A full 64 percent favor his economic plan, compared to 27 percent against. And precisely that same proportion favors the stimulus in 13 states that are expected to have competitive Senate races in 2010: Kentucky, Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Colorado, Ohio, Kansas, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Greenberg says an incumbent's support for the economic plan appears to make voters more likely to reelect the lawmaker -- particularly good news for the 20 or so Democrats who in November captured districts that former President Bush carried in 2004. He said one-third of Republicans and two-thirds of independents are leaning with Obama's general goals on the recovery.

"If the Republican Party's goal is to cheer Rush Limbaugh, they're welcome to," Greenberg told a group of reporters, alluding to the radio talk-show host who's referred to the economic package as a "porkulus" bill.


So many people are hurting right now in this country and our media stacked the TV deck with Republicans last week so they could make up a phony argument that blames Nancy Pelosi for their no votes instead of their ideological/obstructionist play that the media knows is the root cause of their no vote. Let's see what happens next week. Will the media give equal opportunity to the Democratic Party to explain their positions? The country is still very much behind President Obama.

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