By , ,
Published May 15, 2015
The news that is not White House approved...
Now and Then
The White House just can't seem to get its stories straight when it comes to the economy.
Remember back in December when on the very same day the president's top economic aides delivered this mixed message on whether or not the recession was over?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA ROMER, CHAIRWOMAN, COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC ADVISERS, DEC. 13, 2009: I think the president has always said and what I firmly believe you're not recovered until all those people that want to work are back to work.
DAVID GREGORY, HOST, "MEET THE PRESS": So in your mind this recession is not over?
ROMER: Of course not.
LARRY SUMMERS, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER, DEC. 13, 2009: Today everybody agrees that the recession is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Wednesday Christina Romer went off her talking points yet again, but this time she contradicted herself:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, CO-HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": With unemployment still about 10 percent, is the biggest bang from the stimulus behind us?
ROMER: Absolutely not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
That is a far cry from what Romer was saying just last year:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMER, OCT. 22, 2009: Most analysts predicted the fiscal stimulus will have its greatest impact on growth in the second and third quarters of 2009 and by mid 2010, fiscal stimulus will likely be contributing little to further growth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well, Dr. Romer, here we are in 2010, so I guess the stimulus has all but run its course.
It is no wonder the American people are losing trust in the president's ability to handle the economy.
Biding Her Time?
California Senator Barbara Boxer is just the latest Democrat to find herself in the lurch. A brand-new poll shows that each of Boxer's potential rivals in the 2010 Senate race are within striking distance. And not only that, but Boxer cannot cross the 50 percent line against any of her potential foes.
Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, now trails Boxer by just four points at 46-42 percent. California State Senator Chuck Devore is running just five points behind her at 47-42 percent. Former Congressman Tom Campbell trails Boxer by four at 45-41 percent.
According to pollster Scott Rasmussen, the fact that Boxer polls similarly against all three Republicans suggests that the upcoming election will be a referendum on her, not them.
That cannot come as good news to Senator Boxer.
Bloomberg Speaks Up
New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is fighting back against allegations that he overestimated the cost of the 9/11 terror trials, and he's directing all of his attention at the comment former Vice President Joe Biden made Sunday:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: The mayor came along and said the cost providing security to hold this trial is X hundreds of millions of dollars, which I think is much more than would be needed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Sorry, Joe, but Mayor Bloomberg says you simply don't have all the facts, telling reporters Tuesday, "We have a lot of experience in knowing what it costs to provide security. We've sat down with the federal Justice Department. We've gone through the numbers with them."
The mayor says the Justice Department had no objections to the city's estimates.
I guess the lesson we can all learn from this is never, ever assume that Joe Biden actually knows what the heck he's talking about.
Out of Sight…
The president's popularity around the world may have helped him rise to power, but in most places the enchantment seems to have worn off. That includes the country of Indonesia, where President Obama spent part of his childhood.
This statue of a one-year-old Barack Obama caused an outcry in that country when it was erected last December. Until recently it stood in a public park in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.
Just days ago, however, it was removed from the park due to all the public backlash that it caused. According to the AP, critics argued that President Obama may pursue policies that harm Indonesia.
We have good news for fans of that statue: it was relocated to the elementary school that the president attended while he lived in Indonesia.
What a relief. Maybe Mount Rushmore is next.
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https://www.foxnews.com/story/mixes-messages-from-white-house-on-economy