FACT CHECK: Clinton claims of compromise a stretch - Business - Boston.com

The Chris Mathews like adoration for Bill Clinton is nice, but he did really did not make the case FOR Obama. The collective thrill up the leg of the left wing will probably not sway the critical center, who will decide this election. The center is seeing the state of our economy, and is bewildered about what the $5 Trillion in additional debt has paid for. NEW PARAGRAPH: Scot's understanding of tax and budget economics is seriously lacking. The most critical element in the rate of tax dollars collected is the rate of growth of the economy. The Romney-Ryan plan DOES raise new revenue, by broadening the tax base and growing the economy. It works by making it better for people to earn reportable income. Raising the rate of taxation has the opposite affect. The bottom line, is that rates affect behavior in ways which drive the economy. Tax revenue surged after the tax reform act of 1986, where the top rate was lowered from 50% to 28%. This was because it created MORE tax payers. NEW PARAGRAPH: Lastly, the "fact checkers" now have less credibility than the mainstream media when it comes to declaring what is true. Despite what they say, states now have the ability to undermine the formerly ironclad work requirement. The "fact checkers" usually have an agenda, and are not to be trusted.

I always find it intriguing that all the ideologues on either side can do is pretty much type up the talking points after any given

event.  It seems kind of sad as some of these folks seem fairly bright.  Bill Clinton gave a Bill Clinton speech, clear, concise and easy for the public to understand.  Whether one agrees with him or not the man made his position and that of the Democrats quite clear. It would be nice if political campaigns could be fought in the same clear eyed manner.  It really isn't necessary to take the phrase "you didn't build that" out of context in order for the Republicans to make a solid argument.  Nor is it necessary for the Dems. to take "I like to fire people" out of context.  Mr. Clinton in his speech merely stated the obvious and does what he does best make the complicated simple for America's low info voters.  Whether his speech sways the nation or not we won't know for a week or ten days.  It still amazes me that Mr. Romney or the Republicans refuse to say, refuse to admit what the reality of their budget proposals mean to the middle class.  The saddest part of Mr. Clinton's speech was that he had to make reference to the "hatered" expressed by some sectors of the Republican Party.  I was glad he mentioned it, but saddened at the truth of it.  In the long run however the debates will more than likely settle the issue and the public will have to decide whether it wants to place its hopes on the wealthy or place its hopes on the people.  It will be interesting.

Another "kick the cat - I had a bad day at the office" speech. It's all Mitch McConnell's fault. Those damnable Republican obstructionists. Now I've heard it all. The truth is that Mr. Obama has purged his party of all those "blue dog Democrats" who would have found common ground to pass laws instead of forcing votes on Obamacare, spending, climate change and killing the pipeline from Canada. There has been a real voter backlash that has the party running scared and seeking that old headliner, Clinton to save them. They had 21 Blue Dogs elected since 2006 and only five are still in office. Where is the next generation of Democrats coming from. Try looking at that voice vote in prime time restoring God to their platform. The anti-God Democrats and anti-Israel partisans were forced into submission by pure fear of voter retribution by their party bosses. If Obama loses this election, both houses of Congress will reflect the destruction Obama has brought on his party.

Democrats repeated and repeated and made abundantly clear that the Romney-Ryan budget plan is disastrous for most Americans.Thet pointed out that,despite Ryan's claim that people over 55 would be unaffected, they would bear signficantly higher costs. They pointed out the obvious problems with further massive tax cuts for the rich and further deregulation.They told the stories,in very heartfelt terms, of how these policies effect real Americans as well as the actual economy.They talked,repeatedly, of Repub obstructionism. They hammered out the threat to womens' choice and access to reproductive health care. One great speech after another pointed out the actual voting records,the lies,inconsistencies, etc of R and R. The Repub convention was a very depressing display of reactionary politics at its meanest. Clinton's speech pointed out all of this inparticularly vivid and compelling terms Yet,the media is running a horse race as if these concerns don't matter.The voters do have a clear choice but you would not know that with the coverage. The media have a mandate to be "civil" which means false equivalancies. I appreciate this article by Scott Lehigh but I'm concerned re the media acting as if we have not received compeling arguments.

This is all that matters:

U.S. employers added 96,000 jobs last month, a weak figure that could slow the momentum President Barack Obama hoped to gain from his speech Thursday night to the Democratic National Convention.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent in July. But that was only because more people gave up looking for work. People who are out of work are counted as unemployed only if they're looking for a job.

The government also said Friday that 41,000 fewer jobs were created in July and June than first estimated. The economy has added just 139,000 jobs a month since the start of the year, below 2011's average of 153,000.

Politico, mostly a Democratic Party organ:

THE BUZZ IN CHARLOTTE: Reporters think President Obama’s speech was lame – meandering, and sounding like a State of the Union address. People at the after-parties seemed baffled that he didn’t lift his game for the big moment. But mostly Republicans watched the Republican convention, and mostly Democrats watched the Democratic convention. So the acceptance speeches weren’t as big a moment for talking to swing voters as they were in the past.

You're right, Scott...Republicans who watched both conventions must be very nervous about their chances right now. But any Party that really thought the likes of Rick Perry, Herman Cain, Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum and their ilk could be considered to be genuine Presidential candidates deserves what happens to it. These are the same people, after all, that gave us 8 years of George W. Bush and thought Sarah Palin would make a good follow up to his rancid act.

Interesting scot mentions fact checking, cnn pretty much destroyed Obamas 4 trillion dollar budget cuts as being all smoke and mirrors with no real cuts.  He can rip the republicans for having the courage to say things need to change and what programs they are going after but its devious to give the dems a free ride when they offer no solutions of their own.  The entitlement society is killing this coutry on many levels, the republicans can fix that.   The wealthy should have taxes pushed back to prebush, thats fair.  But for the middle class its also fair that everyone pay including those who are now taking the most.

Dear BecknBuv, The next generation of both parties is in question. If Your observation that old, white males are the next generation of Republicans is true, heaven help us. However, new Democrats may be coming in large part from people who hate investors and rich people who seek profit in entrepreneurship. That evil word, profit, is what pays labor to work. Recently, an on the street interviewer asked young Democrats in Charlotte if they thought Congress should pass a law prohibiting Corporations from making profits. Their unequivocal answers were all, Yes! It appears to this old, white male that public employees, teachers, union members and the unemployed all are paid by profit makers who need labor to produce their products. If only Hollywood stars and tax supported employees are Democrats and they pass laws doing away with businesses, who will pay the salaries of the public sector. As Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden constantly refer to us "folks", only the old white males who are soon going to be gone will be left to pay the bills.

Of all people to be telling the truth... I agree though, it was a great speech and his points were well taken. Can't blame the Fact-Checkers; I've noticed the same errors in some Republican talking points, and don't use them myself. Thankful for the nuns' admonition: tell the truth and shame the devil. Always a mystery that candidates never learned that, to build the credibility they will need all through their careers. Now we look forward to the Fact-checking on last night's candidates including the President, and your column reflecting them.

somewhat off topic, but I thought it is a very thought provoking article.

"While the party's most vulnerable members aren't in outright mutiny against Mr. Obama, more than two dozen didn't risk attending the convention. In contrast to last week's GOP celebration of reformist GOP governors, the Charlotte podium was largely dominated by activists (Sandra Fluke, Lilly Ledbetter), the liberal congressional faithful (Mrs. Pelosi, Harry Reid), and urban mayors from failing states (Los Angeles's Antonio Villaraigosa, Chicago's Rahm Emanuel)."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443686004577635422609097482.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

The thing about Clinton, is that the younger voters do not remember him or remember him as having had an affair with an intern. Obama needs the youth vote. Unfortunately they are all young and naive and won't learn the error of their ways and vote Republican until thye get older :)  

Hi profox,

You wrote that young Democrats in Charlotte thought Congress should pass a law prohibiting Corporations from making profits.  Of course, these young people are reacting not to their sophisticated understanding of economics, but to their certainty that corporations have too much power.  In their chronologically  limited view, between Citizens United and the 2008 crash, who can blame them?

Most young people have no problem with gay marriage and enthusiastically support liberal interpretations of law regarding birth control and abortion.  They believe in the science of evolution and climate change.  They don't like to mix religion and politics.  They have college loans and lack health insurance at their jobs.  If the republicans want to have a next generation, they are going to have to change their views on the issues.  

I hate to spoil the party, but the Clinton speech while interesting won't decide the election.  The jobs numbers, interesting, but they won't decide anything either.  The polls go up and down simply because the low information voters go by the thing they've seen last.  So I expect a nice solid bounce for Obama, but that doesn't mean he wins.  Then we will have the debates and if nothing transpires in the world to change things, we'll see.  Right now I'd bet on Obama 300 electoral votes.  Of course I know practicality spoils it for all the ideologues out there who's lives rise and fall on victory or defeat, but at the same time you give me something to chuckle about when returning from the golf course.  Aftrer all the stock market is doing great.  I guess I have Obama to thank for that or perhaps they are reacting to Mitt's eminent victory.