Several days ago I posted on Marc A. Thiessen’s defense of 10 policies by Trump in WaPo. I must now credit him with today on New Year’s Eve in the same venue publishing a column “The 10 worst things Trump did in 2019.” Good for him, some balance after all. I agree these are all bad things, although I disagree with some of his analysis of them, with a few caveats especially on a couple of the foreign policy items. However, I shall just list them with Thiessen’s conclusion.
10. He ridiculously claimed “Our country is FULL”
9. He used anti-Semitic tropes to attack his enemies.
8. He said the Soviet Union was right to invade Afghanistan and congratulated China on the 70th anniversary of the Communist takeover.
7. He lost a needless government shutdown.
Sorry Thiessen:
The good does not outweigh the bad. If we are going to talk about U3, we should be looking at it taking Participation Rate into consideration. And no just looking at Prime Employment does not work either, maybe we can shuffle the 55 – 65 age group off to become Soylent Green as some “ok-boomer” critics may applaud. The employment sector still sucks even with a low U3 as 3% of the civilian Labor Force sits on the side lines, another group is under utilized, and many are working temp or two jobs to get by. And the more they work in jobs which lack healthcare benefits the more Republicans and Republican-led states remove the ability to have government sponsored healthcare, support for food, and low cost housing. It is a self defeating circle.
It is fun talking to Repubs in Michigan especially when they complain about how Dems destroyed the state’s economy. The state’s districts are gerrymandered to support Republican State Legislatures. This last round, the state elected a Dem Governor, Sec. of State, and AG. It appears the AG Dana Nessel a proclaimed alternative life style person is going to give Repubs heart burn.
Did Dems cause Michigan’s infrastructure and economy to deteriorate? If one has access to Ballotpedia, it is easy to check. Since 1992, Repubs have had control of the state senate. Since 1992, Repubs have controlled the House 2/3rds of the time. Since 1992 and up till our current governor, Repubs have had control of the governorship. And Dems destroyed the state’s infrastructure and economy?
Thiessen pluses are excuses for a man who can not get it right because he does not know how as everything has been done for him and given to him by his lackeys. Another 5 to 7 years out when the tax breaks start to disappear for the middle class in order to maintain the tax break for corporations and the 1-percenters due to its passage under reconciliation, squealing will start. there is the small matter of the growing deficit spending the gov is incurring. The next pres will get the hand off from the Repubs of it the same as Obama did from Bush. Thiessen does not acknowledge the larger picture. The cheque is coming and we will be left with it.