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You are here: Home / Economics / Fuck The Middle-Class / Judy Biggert (R-Ill.): “Jobs Shmobs.” /eyeroll

Judy Biggert (R-Ill.): “Jobs Shmobs.” /eyeroll

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I need a clean-up on Aisle Hypocrisy!

“Where are the jobs? Where are the jobs?” That used to be the Teabilly siren song.

For two years, John Boehner couldn’t stop whining about jobs. “Where are they? Where are they?” he cried, orange tears plopping down his face:1

So much did our Republican compatriots love the idea of giving a job to every man, woman, and child (yes, I said child) that they ran on a platform of OMG JOBZ!! even though they have a provably craptastic record of job creation.

To wit,

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) noted that President Obama and the Democratic Congress have created “more jobs in 2010 than President Bush did over eight years.”

…

As the Wall Street Journal noted in the last month of Bush’s term, the former president had the “worst track record for job creation since the government began keeping records.” And job creation under Bush was anemic long before the recession began. Bush’s supply-side economics “fostered the weakest jobs and income growth in more than six decades,” along with “sluggish business investment and weak gross domestic product growth,” the Center for American Progress’ Joshua Picker explained. “On every major measurement” of income and employment, “the country lost ground during Bush’s two terms,” the National Journal’s Ron Brownstein observed, parsing Census data.

Obama, by contrast — even with a too-small stimulus — created hella jobs:

Overall, the economy rounded out 2010 with 1.1 million jobs added, the best year for hiring since 2007. And job growth is still trending upward, albeit very slowly, with an average of 128,000 jobs a month added in the last quarter of the year.

Admittedly, I don’t know whether 1.1 million jobs counts as “hella jobs,” and people who know about such things say that Obama could have created more jobs if he had fought for a bigger stimulus. I believe ’em. ::shrug:: I’m not an economist, and I know exactly jack and squat about economics, be they of the “trickle-down” or the “something- D-O-O” variety.

The one thing I do know, however, is that after riding into Congress on the MOAR JOBZ Express, Republicans have done exactly jack and squat — hey that’s how much I know about economics! — to create more jobs. Instead, they have gone full speed ahead, like the Titanic into that stupid iceberg, with their “We hate brown people; Everybody should speak English; There should be a baby in every womb; Fuck the poor; Joke’s on you, middle class!” platform.

And, yesterday, a Republican proved just how much she doesn’t give a rat’s ass about jobs. You see, the Congressional Progressive Caucus attempted to rub the lack of jobs and job-creating proposals in the GOP’s stupid face as those very same stupid-face-having Republicans focused on undoing the Home Affordable Modification Program (“HAMP”), and sticking yet another shiv into the backs of the hoi polloi. The Teabillies, however, would have none of it:

This afternoon, Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and other progressives took to the floor of the House of Representatives to turn this question back on their Republican colleagues. Ellison and the others asked where all the jobs-creation legislation was, excoriating their conservative colleagues for focusing on legislation like terminating the HAMP [Home Affordable Modification Program] program, which would do nothing to create jobs:

– Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN): “The Republicans’ no-jobs agenda has been exposed, Mr. Chair. The majority has done nothing to create jobs or protect homes. All they do is criticize programs that could use some improvement. Rather, they would get rid of them altogether.”

– Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY): “[The Republicans] have no plans of their own to address the foreclosure crisis that is hurting neighborhoods and disrupting lives throughout their country. Like the jobs bills they said they would have. We have yet to see them.”

– Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX): “Your cities have been impacted positively by the HAMP program. Job growth is picking up. Investing and growing jobs should be the mindset of the American Congress for that’s what we were sent back to Washington to do.”

At one point, Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) took to the floor to respond to the progressives. She attacked the HAMP program, urging her colleagues to end it, and signaled that she would oppose progressive amendments to the GOP’s bill for ending the mortgage modification program. Then, she incredulously told her colleagues to stop talking about jobs and focus rather on the substance of the amendments:

BIGGERT: I would urge my colleagues to support — oppose this amendment. And stop talking about jobs, let’s focus on the substance of these amendments.

But just a year ago, so concerned about jobs was Rep. Biggert that all she could do was mumble job-related words from her index cards (during a hearing about stimulus funds which would have actually created jobs2):

Looks like the MOAR JOBZ! EXPRESS has careened headlong into the same ravine where the charred remains of the Straight Talk Express are scattered about. In fact, it seems you can’t even say the word jobs now — unless you don’t mind getting the stink-eye from some unfortunately-dressed Teabilly.

The Republicans are more hell-bent on undoing a program that is intended to help homeowners avoid foreclosure than they are on creating jobs that would, you know, help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Hey Orange Dude? Where are the ding dang jobs?

1 Okay fine, he wasn’t weeping in that video, but you have to admit, he really does cry a lot for an orange.

2 It’s like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a fucking job.

[via Think Progress]

[cross-posted here at that place you love]

Reader Interactions

41Comments

  2. 2.

    soonergrunt

    yes, John, they do. There is only one thing for them, and that is the acquisition of power and the use of that power to both acquire more power, and to insulate themselves from the world they would have the rest of us live in. They have no other guiding ethos, and no other goal for themselves, or for the country.

  3. 3.

    Comrade Kevin

    Looks like the MOAR JOBZ! EXPRESS has careened headlong into the same ravine where the charred remains of the Straight Talk Express are scattered about.

    Awesome.

  5. 5.

    ThatLeftTurnInABQ

    When GOP candidates for office said they would focus like a laser on jobs, they meant their jobs. Now they have jobs. Good steady work in fact, with weekends, paid vacation, health care and a nice consulting/lobbying gig to fall back on when they retire. Mission Accomplished.

    What’s your problem, you thought they meant creating jobs for other people? Hahahaha, that’s just silly. Nobody does something for other people in Galtamerica. If the Free Market wanted to create jobs for other people, it would have done so already. In these times, you have to go out and create your own job, just like the GOPers did.

  6. 6.

    DonkeyKong

    “People don’t want handouts! People want hand jobs!”
    – Connecticut governor William O’Neil at a political rally, followed by riotous applause

  7. 7.

    Cliff in NH

    Looks like the MOAR JOBZ! EXPRESS has careened headlong into the same ravine where the charred remains of the Straight Talk Express are scattered about.

    Isn’t that the MOAR LIES!! Express!

  8. 8.

    Bob Loblaw

    Admittedly, I don’t know whether 1.1 million jobs counts as “hella jobs,”

    It doesn’t. It’s a weaker job creation record than George H.W. Bush. Let alone any actually successful President economywise. The only thing the administration has going for it is they followed the worst President in modern history.

    And so, of course, the GOP is there to sabotage and make sure it stays that way. It’s really a pretty cunning plan. Too bad their cunning only works in the service of evil, or this country would be in a lot better shape.

  9. 9.

    Lolis

    I want a new job. My education/background deserve at least 10 K more than I currently earn. But, yes, I am thankful I have a job. I wish this economy was better for everybody.

  10. 10.

    Brian S (formerly Incertus)

    @ThatLeftTurnInABQ:

    When GOP candidates for office said they would focus like a laser on jobs, they meant their jobs. Now they have jobs. Good steady work in fact, with weekends, paid vacation, health care and a nice consulting/lobbying gig to fall back on when they retire. Mission Accomplished.

    Jobs that don’t pay enough to get by on, apparently, though if you say that on camera, they’ll ask your ISP to take it down.

  11. 11.

    Schad

    @ThatLeftTurnInABQ:

    Yeah, but those good steady jobs that they have don’t pay nearly enough, as it turns out:

    At a town hall meeting in Polk County, Wisconsin earlier this year, Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) was asked whether he’d vote to cut his $174,000 annual salary. Duffy sort of hedged, and went on to talk about how $174,000 really isn’t that much for his family of seven to live on. Then he went on to say he supports cutting compensation for all public employees, along the lines of what Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has proposed for the Badger State.

    I’m sure that’s been posted in a dozen threads today (and I’m sure most who did so didn’t fail to quote it properly, as I likely did), but it bears repeating over and over and over. $40k/year: exorbitant and undeserved largesse. $175k/year: barely enough for a guy to make ends meet.

  12. 12.

    Narcissus

    This post was actually very amusing, even though the subject matter is pretty horrifying.

  13. 13.

    merrinc

    There’s so much WIN in this that I gotta go back and read it again. Nice work, ABL.

    Unfortunately dressed teabilly. [chuckle]

  14. 14.

    Mark S.

    I think the way to create more jobs is to shut down the government and lay off a bunch of federal employees. Austrian economic theory states that this will create more demand and private enterprise will start hiring more people.

    Other excellent ideas include defaulting on the debt, returning to the gold standard, and eliminating the only taxes superrich people ever pay (capital gains, dividends, estate, etc.)

    This is just the general blueprint, and we can have a reasonable discussion on some of the finer details.

  15. 15.

    Martin

    Yeah, but you’re quoting the liberal Wall Street Journal, so those numbers are probably bullshit. Want proof? Ask Beese.

  17. 17.

    Martin

    @Schad: Well, we went through this back in the Bush tax cut bullshit. $250K was barely enough to make ends meet back then. $174K and the guy probably needs a 2nd job.

  21. 21.

    The Political Nihilist Formerly Known As Kryptik

    @Mark S.:

    Hope you weren’t trying to be snarky, since that pretty much is Boehner’s plan verbatim.

  22. 22.

    Alex S.

    I have a dream: The GOP shuts down the government, refuses to raise the debt ceiling, big business suddenly realizes that they’ve enabled monsters and support Obama. Well, a dream, but seriously, how can you not see that Obama’s and Clinton’s more centrist than left economic policies are much better for business than Bush and his successors. Amount of jobs created, education policy (main difference: Democrats think that there should be education), deficits, stock markets, everything proves Republicans wrong.

  23. 23.

    The Political Nihilist Formerly Known As Kryptik

    @Alex S.:

    How can you not see?…I dunno, ask the businesses. They consistently do better under Democratic administrations in the long run, and yet they’re always in the GOP’s pocket. Or…the GOP’s in their pocket, I lose track of which it really is these days.

  24. 24.

    Xecky Gilchrist

    This is yet another instance of how Redoublechins play these days – campaign on horseshit, then when they get elected do a bunch of irrelevant far-right horror while screaming and crying that the meanie liberals are stopping them from doing what they promised and insisting that the only way they can beat the liberals is to be given even more power.

  26. 26.

    Lolis

    @Bob Loblaw:

    George H. W. Bush didn’t have a Great Recession. The president could and should have done a lot better on jobs. But I think it is unfair to compare his jobs record to other presidents who did not have a worldwide recession happening when they took office.

  27. 27.

    JPL

    @Alex S.: Won’t happen. In fact the house republicans decided their pay is essential.
    The other night someone mentioned that they should shut it all down. Airplanes wouldn’t fly, DC schools and academies would be closed, no mail delivery and I assume no Amtrak besides the havoc caused by no medicare treatment. There are numerous examples of things the federal government provide and it’s time for the public to realize where their tax dollars go. Border patrol..gone. Homeland Security gone.. Defense spending..gone.
    I wish the extremists would shut it all down.

  29. 29.

    Roger Moore

    Looks like the MOAR JOBZ! EXPRESS has careened headlong into the same ravine where the charred remains of the Straight Talk Express are scattered about.

    I think that ravine is called Galt’s Gulch.

  30. 30.

    Benjamin Cisco (mobile)

    Sorta OT but Larry O’Donnell and Barney Frank are destroying Eric Can’tor, Bachmann-Turner Diaries Overdrive, and the rest of Tea Tardy Nation, with a special shot at the media for letting Can’tor’s Schoolhouse Rock fail go unchallenged today.

  31. 31.

    JPL

    The GA legislature promised to create jobs. It appears they will pass an immigration bill that doesn’t fine businesses for hiring undocumented workers but will chase down children of immigrants. They rewrote the tax law so those earning less can pay more taxes.
    The new Republican job creation plan has to do with passing laws that benefit their donors. It keeps them in jobs.

  32. 32.

    Mike in NC

    As long as Boehner remains Speaker, the DC area will enjoy record employment for bartenders and tanning salon attendants.

  33. 33.

    Martin

    So, it looks like they might be able to avert a shutdown because the GOP has caved and is willing to cut entitlement spending. Unbelievable that after harping for half a century on entitlement spending that they were digging in their heels against entitlement cuts.

  36. 36.

    Bill Arnold

    @ThatLeftTurnInABQ:
    When GOP candidates for office said they would focus like a laser on jobs, they meant their jobs.

    Well, yeah. But did they say they focused on creating positive numbers of jobs? Did they?? The smart operators in the party are doubtless aware that destroying the economy with plausible deniability (abetted by the Power of Fox) is the way to absolute power.
    That’s the shrill shrieking and perhaps unfair.
    Perhaps most believe in their Bizarro World canon, e.g. that austerity is expansionary, that greedy poor people caused the collapse of the financial system, that an inflation rate above zero is an un-American tax on wealth, that tax reductions increase revenue.

  38. 38.

    piratedan

    @The Political Nihilist Formerly Known As Kryptik: just goes to show that if you have a company that makes a decent product and has a good marketing/advertising campaign you really don’t have to do much of anything to show a profit. All of those layers of management are really necessary when it comes to the development of a new spearmint flavored toothpaste and what you’re gonna call it. Imagine the crucial choices these guys have to face each and every day. I suspect that the reality in American business is a lot closer to Office Space and Micheal Clayton than it is that these guys are business mavens that have a basic comprehension of macro economic theory.

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