Maher: Corporations, GOP Congress keeping economy ‘sluggish’

[Ogopogo]

http://dailycaller.com/2012/05/12/maher ... reelected/

Maher: Corporations, GOP Congress keeping economy ‘sluggish’ so ‘blackie’ isn’t reelected
Published: 3:05 PM 05/12/2012
By Jeff Poor - The Daily Caller

On his Friday “Real Time” program during the online “Overtime” portion, Bill Maher offered a theory as to why the economy isn’t growing overall, even though certain metrics show improvement.

Maher cited data from the International Institute for Labour Studies, which reported last week that U.S. corporate profits have returned to pre-recession levels of about 15 percent of GDP, while wages and investment remain stagnant in comparison. According to Maher, these statistics reveal a deliberate effort by conservatives to pin a sluggish economy on President Barack Obama.

Maher’s guest, Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist, had blamed Obama’s policies, along with the 81-year-old Davis-Bacon Act — which sets prevailing wages for public works projects — for problems plaguing the economy.

“In the big picture, Grover — like, I just read this week that corporate profits are back to their pre-recession levels, 15 percent of GDP,” Maher said. “And, yet, they have given no money to raising wages, nothing to reinvesting. It looks like maybe they, along with the Republican Congress, want to keep a sluggish economy so that ‘blackie’ [doesn’t get reelected]. Isn’t that a bigger issue to you than Davis-Bacon? I am all over Davis-Bacon from now on.”

Norquist argued that the president’s policies had helped create an atmosphere toxic to economic growth.

“Free-market advocates pointed out that if you threaten the economy with taxes and regulation, as has been done, people will not invest in the economy,” Norquist said. “People are investing outside of the United States more. We ought to have a better atmosphere here for investment and job creation, and then both companies that have money here and foreigners should be investing in our country. You talk about immigrants that won’t come to this country. They’re not sending their money here, either.”

Follow Jeff on Twitter

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/05/12/maher ... z1umSWpWDB

[BlawBlaw]

Corporate profits might be back to 15% of GDP but GDP per capita is stagnant, perhaps even losing ground after inflation, and the government has expanded from about 30% of GDP to over 40% of GDP, and the total tax burden as a percentage of commercial profits has creeped up a point. Plus central government debt has gone from 55% of GDP to about 75% in 2010, to something close to 100% by the time the election rolls around. You can't blame the private sector for higher taxes and unsustainable spending.

[backhoe]

I can't decide if this bird is a hyperpartisan or merely a hyperidiot... so I'll continue to pay him no mind. Just like most of America does.

[fourhorses]

I can't decide if this bird is a hyperpartisan or merely a hyperidiot... so I'll continue to pay him no mind. Just like most of America does.

problem is, once someone's proven himself to be the biggest A-hole, what achievement targets remain?

[backhoe]

I can't decide if this bird is a hyperpartisan or merely a hyperidiot... so I'll continue to pay him no mind. Just like most of America does.

problem is, once someone's proven himself to be the biggest A-hole, what achievement targets remain?

True, he's the gold standard. I wouldn't trust my bird with him, let alone my dog.

[Faramir]

Maher had always tried to pretend his show was a comedy show that was to give equal treatment to both sides of the spectrum - when in reality his show was always a vehicle to slam conservatives.

If you want a show that gives equal treatment that would be South Park, not Maher's show.

[BlawBlaw]

The South Park guys are libertarians so they take a piss out of everyone.