Adventures in Leftist Logic

[quiller]

Losing $10 billion was OK, really. You betcha.

You don't see any Donks begging for fiscal restraint --- ever. They are fully entitled to spend your money, and bravely undertake to do not just that but also spend your grandchildren's inheritances as well. Then they defend bad decisions, with hilarious arguments such as this one.

University of Detroit "journalism" professor Jack Lessenberry is a leftist staple at Michigan Public Radio, Metro Times Detroit, and frenzied attacks on Michigan Republicans as the alleged ombudsman for The (Toledo) Blade.

It's his aptly-titled "Politics and Prejudices" column at the reliably ultra-leftist Metro Times that tries to use George Bush as a springboard for excusing the $10 billion lost from Obama's auto bail-out....

The only force big enough five years ago to save General Motors and Chrysler was the U.S. government. And every good liberal needs to give full credit to the man who did it:

President George W. Bush. That's right. It was he, not Barack Obama, who put up the first $17.4 billion to save the automakers before he left office.

http://metrotimes.com/news/politics-and-prejudices/michigan-should-be-thankful-for-george-w-bush-1.1592022

Sounds almost (dare we say it?) fair. Don't bet your next breakfast on it. The part I quoted came well down in Lessenberry's screed, after he got done saying this....

Last week's annual University of Michigan economic forecast was optimistic that state unemployment would decline from 9.1 percent to 7.3 percent over the next two years. That's great news — if you aren't one of the unlucky ones.

There was one momentous announcement, however, that serves as a magnificent rebuttal to those who decry that government programs — especially government bailouts — never work.

The U.S. Treasury announced it is getting out of the car business, selling off its last remaining General Motors stock by the end of the year. Stock prices fluctuate, but the newspapers are saying that when all is said and done the taxpayers will have "lost" about a net $10 billion on the General Motors stock.

Few statements could be as misleading. True, the Treasury spent about $49.5 billion to keep GM going in 2008 and 2009. It looks now as if the taxpayers will get back only about $39 billion or so, give or take a few hundred million.

But to say we "lost" $10 billion on the bailout is exactly like saying you "lost" $30 bucks because you had an oil change, instead of waiting till your engine exploded.

I'll wait while you pop a couple of aspirins, trying to understand the logic of that final paragraph. (I'm also trying to figure out why "professor" Lessenberry buried his true lede, which I quoted. But I digress....)

Evidently, Comrade Jack thinks it's OK to waste $10 billion and say it's progress --- or gush tanker-ship-loads of lefty-love over some ivory-tower wet dream claiming this or that will happen (BUT HASN'T YET).

There is no shortage of doublespeak artists and delusionists. Some even teach newspaper reporters. Pray for our national media. Maybe they'll follow Jack's example and put "Prejudices" at the top of everything they pump out.

[kopema]

On Obama's tombstone will be carved three words:  "It's Bush's fault!"

[quiller]

On Obama's tombstone will be carved three words:  "It's Bush's fault!"

And on every GOPer's: "Blame us! We compromised with Obama!"

We don't need less obstructionism. We need an all-out freeze on these ruinous policies and idiotic alleged presidency. We need a GOP Senate and now that Donks have lowered the bar, use that 51-vote simple majority and pack the Supreme Court and federal judiciary...and then establish 60-vote majorities to undo it.