Like father, like son

It's official, Bush has given up on the economy. Like his father, Jr. doesn't want to think about the barren economic wasteland he has created. So like an ostrich, he puts his head down the proverbial hole and pretends the only thing that matters is war, war, war.

Bush no longer volunteers to talk about the economy, preferring to politicize the war. If asked, his stock response is "make the tax cuts permanent" (which won't be an issue for another ten years). Oh, and he blames Clinton. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill thinks everything looks peachy: "the latest indicators look good."

But things are not peachy. Pollster Zogby gives Dems the advantage, even if everyone is currently talking about Iraq:

There is some reason for Democratic optimism. Independent pollster John Zogby said that when voters -- 66 percent of whom have retirement accounts -- get their quarterly statements in October, "that thrusts the conversation right back to the economy." Democratic pollster Mark Mellman said Bush may be creating a "long-term disadvantage" by dropping his visibility on domestic issues in voters' eyes.

Zogby is too kind. Bush is not just "lowering his visibility", he's ignoring the mess his policies have created. And blaming Clinton won't spare him when economic indicators show the economy in a double-dip "Dubya" recession. This one is all his, baby. He ignores his mess at his own -- and his party's -- peril.

Posted September 25, 2002 08:30 AM | Comments (0)