speaker Böhner’s Recession

clearly-john-boehner-wrote-this-press-release-before-the-jobs-report-came-out

Mr. Böhner, where are the jobs? We were told that the Republican tide would be the cure for all of our problems. People are hurting, Mr. Böhner. Why isn’t it fixed yet?

In case you don’t remember, President Obama was declared to be President Elect on November 4th, 2008.

On November 6, 2008, Rush Limbaugh says, “The Obama recession is in full swing, ladies and gentlemen.”

On November 11, 2008, Sean Hannity says, “Wall Street keeps sinking. Could it be the Obama recession?”

In the blogs and world of online punditry, this idea is mimicked with phrases like “the Obama recession still continues” appearing as early as January 14th 2009…. six days before the new President is even sworn in.

Obviously, so many people can’t be wrong. If contemporary media has taught me anything, it is that any statement repeated often enough automatically becomes a “valid point of view.” So there must be something to it.

Of course, as much as economic downturns and unemployment are the fault of the President of the United States, they must also logically be the fault of the heads of the other branches of government. Isn’t it the House of Representatives, after all, that has to approve the Federal Budget and pass the spending bills into law? Isn’t it the House of Representatives, after all, that helps to create the laws that regulate employers and affect employment levels? Isn’t the House of Representatives, therefore, also responsible for unemployment in this country?

Speaker Böhner, you are in charge of the House of Representatives. (Or at least, you will be.)

Speaker Böhner, why haven’t you fixed the unemployment problem yet?

Our country is on a precipice, and the Republican Wave was promised to be the Second Coming. Republican ideology was sold to us as the solution to all of our problems. With Republicans in power, we were told, we would be richer, happier, and more free.

But I don’t see a difference, Mr. Böhner. As I type this, I look around, and see no change.

Mr. Böhner, where are the jobs?