Jul 17 2008
Bush: “I’m Not an Economist” — Ya Think?
Yesterday was a busy day. I was hurrying past the newspapers on my way back into the building when an image brought me to a complete stop…dead in my tracks. The picture on the front of the July 16th Washington Times was not the most flattering portrayal of President Bush. The very fact that it appeared on the front of the Times seemed most significant. Just above the fold, a subhead read “Day of Tumult”. The eight subcategories listed: “Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke told Congress…Soaring costs of gas and food pushed inflation sharply higher…Retail sales edged up…The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell…Oil prices plunged…General Motors said it plans to lay off…Angry customers lined up outside IndyMac Bank…”, and finally, “Paramount Pictures was forced to suspend plans for $450 million in film financing when Deutsche Bank said it could not find buyers for the Hollywood studio’s debt.” Well, I guess that would be important to a movie going public who doesn’t mind $10 movie tickets while paying $4.21/gallon to drive to the theater. Yes, those are the costs in my neighborhood. “Day of Tumult”…try Decade of Tumult. Reality continues to collide with the “World According to Bush” and there are indicators the gap might be closing. On Tuesday, at his press conference, the President did admit he is not an economist, but merely an optimist. Optimist…is that what you call it? Gee, when I think of the past seven years, Optimism is not a word that jumps to mind.
From the Associated Press… and then, there is Jon Stewart…
