red states rule
12-02-2009, 07:49 AM
How typical of Obama. The thin skinned rookie does not want any dissenting comments about his failed economic policies
Facing rising unemployment rates and having seen uncertain results from the stimulus bill, President Obama is hosting a "jobs summit" at the White House Thursday that will be packed with business leaders and economists supportive of White House policies but lacks a diversity of opinion, several analysts say.
Missing from a partial list of attendees released by the White House are the self-proclaimed voices of business - the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business - both of which have been critical of Mr. Obama's proposed health care overhaul.
Confirmed attendees include liberal economists credited with shaping the $787 billion stimulus package, union leaders, environmental advocates and executives from Google and other blue-chip firms.
"He's going to get lots of recommendations to spend more money," said Peter Morici, a professor at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. "These are the very same people who gave us the stimulus package. My feeling is we're not going to get what we need, and that's a complete change in direction on economic policy."
A spokeswoman for the White House would not comment for the record on the format or how the list of participants was drawn up. A full list of attendees is expected to be released Thursday.
More federal spending to generate jobs is a likely subject at Thursday's summit given that guests will include economists such as Paul Krugman, who has argued that the first stimulus package was not large enough. Likewise, chiefs of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute, both of whom are slated to be in attendance, have called for more federal dollars to aid states experiencing budget shortfalls.
"My chief concern is that the list features no serious and prominent labor economist, which seems essential to offering a sound, long-run policy to put us on a path of lower unemployment," said John Coleman, an economics professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
Representatives from NFIB and the Chamber of Commerce said their organizations were not asked to attend, but representatives from some of the country's largest unions, Change to Win and the United Steelworkers, will participate.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/02/obama-policy-critics-not-invited-to-jobs-summit/
Facing rising unemployment rates and having seen uncertain results from the stimulus bill, President Obama is hosting a "jobs summit" at the White House Thursday that will be packed with business leaders and economists supportive of White House policies but lacks a diversity of opinion, several analysts say.
Missing from a partial list of attendees released by the White House are the self-proclaimed voices of business - the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business - both of which have been critical of Mr. Obama's proposed health care overhaul.
Confirmed attendees include liberal economists credited with shaping the $787 billion stimulus package, union leaders, environmental advocates and executives from Google and other blue-chip firms.
"He's going to get lots of recommendations to spend more money," said Peter Morici, a professor at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business. "These are the very same people who gave us the stimulus package. My feeling is we're not going to get what we need, and that's a complete change in direction on economic policy."
A spokeswoman for the White House would not comment for the record on the format or how the list of participants was drawn up. A full list of attendees is expected to be released Thursday.
More federal spending to generate jobs is a likely subject at Thursday's summit given that guests will include economists such as Paul Krugman, who has argued that the first stimulus package was not large enough. Likewise, chiefs of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute, both of whom are slated to be in attendance, have called for more federal dollars to aid states experiencing budget shortfalls.
"My chief concern is that the list features no serious and prominent labor economist, which seems essential to offering a sound, long-run policy to put us on a path of lower unemployment," said John Coleman, an economics professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
Representatives from NFIB and the Chamber of Commerce said their organizations were not asked to attend, but representatives from some of the country's largest unions, Change to Win and the United Steelworkers, will participate.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/02/obama-policy-critics-not-invited-to-jobs-summit/