American Jobs Act: Why Obama is Right and Wicker Is Wrong

Make no mistake: The American Jobs Act introduced by President Obama last night in a fiery speech last night in Congress is one thing -- stimulus. It's exactly what we need and, finally, it's exactly what we're getting out of this president.

President Barack Obama's $447 billion job-creation plan would likely add 1.9 million payroll jobs and grow the U.S. economy 2 percent, a leading economist said.

The GOP's reaction? GOP Apparent Actual Majority Leader Eric Cantor didn't like the "tone" of the speech, but somebody's gotta tell these guys to get off their butts. Futzing with the debt ceiling all summer hasn't appeared to create any jobs.

Not only is it time to pivot from a ridiculous over-emphasis on austerity, but the American Jobs Act -- at least, to hear Obama say it -- puts stimulus in the hands of the people who can use it most: workers and small businesses.

"Should we keep tax loopholes for oil companies? Or should we use that money to give small business owners a tax credit when they hire new workers? Because we can't afford to do both. Should we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires? Or should we put teachers back to work so our kids can graduate ready for college and good jobs? Right now, we can't afford to do both. ... These are real choices that we've got to make. And I'm pretty sure I know what most Americans would choose. It's not even close."

It's a jobless recovery for at least one (over-simplified) reason: Big business isn't hiring, and GOP-driven austerity is causing a decrease in government jobs. That means net "zero" last month and a revised-downward job-creation number the month before.

Who creates jobs? Small businesses do. The American Jobs Act would put more money in the pockets of workers and more money in the coffers of small businesses, particularly those that hire. Tax cuts? Hiring incentives? Infrastructure bank? Count us in. Get it done. Sign up.

But then I see a snippet on WLBT last night where Roger Wicker, senator from the Great State of Mississippi, says that the program won't work. His website offers insight and pristine clarity this morning:

“The President’s proposals are not likely to make much difference in job creation,” Wicker said. “He has made matters worse with excessive spending, a massive regulatory burden on job creators, and an unwillingness to use our own natural resources such as oil, natural gas, and coal. We need fewer federal regulations and more American energy.”

1.) At this point, 1.9 million jobs would be nothing to sneeze at.

2.) Drill baby drill? That's Wicker's plan? Brilliant. Presumably we could get the whole thing figured out if we just get out of the way of ShellTexaMobBritishPetroleum and sit back to wait for our bright new future. (Am I the only one who remembers the Gulf Oil Spill? Or are we arguing that oil spills are stimulative because of the $20m grant Ole Miss got to study how bad the spill was?)

C'mon folks -- this is pretty simple. You've got a do-nothing Just-Say-No (thanks Nancy!) GOP that is getting in the way of us getting out of this Great Recession. We've been right here in this country before, when the government tried to reign in recovery programs too soon, to devastating effect. Now is the moment "go long" on a program that will rebuild infrastructure, put spendable dollars in people's pockets and -- most of all -- put the recovery in the hands of small businesses that create jobs in THIS country because that's where WE are.

It's time for phase two in the "War on the Great Recession," and the solution isn't drowning government in a bathtub, nor should we spend much more time claiming that up is down or that 2 + 2 = 5. What Obama said last night was stuff that everyone needs to hear and not everyone wants to *including* the idea of reforming entitlements and regulation -- things Dems don't love to talk about.

But part of the solution has to be retooling taxes on high earners and corporations, stimulating hiring by small businesses (or *American* businesses, whatever the size), and keeping enough cash in the pockets of American families and workers so that their heads stay above water while they re-tool, re-focus and everyone gets back in the game.

As the president of the United States said last night, "All of us will have to up our game."

That means you, too, Mr. Wicker. Get in the game.

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