Factoid(s) of the Day February 4, 2010 and some music

Before you read on... here are a few "work" songs: Working At The Car Wash Blues (Jim Croce), I've Been Working (Van Morrison), Get Back In Line (Kinks)

Now that you've been entertained, you can proceed to feel appalled (again).

When Ronald Reagan was president, unemployment was over 10% for a solid ten months and over 9% for another 9 months. Republicans canonized Reagan.

1982-09 10.10 10.1

1982-10 10.40 10.4

1982-11 10.80 10.8

1982-12 10.80 10.8

1983-01 10.40 10.4

1983-02 10.40 10.4

1983-03 10.30 10.3

1983-04 10.20 10.2

1983-05 10.10 10.1

1983-06 10.10 10.1

When Bill Clinton was president, unemployment at one juncture was under 5% from July of 1997 through the end of his term in January of 2001, occasionally dipping to 3.9 and 3.8%. The Republicans tried to impeach President Clinton.

Now that another Democrat is in the White House, we are going through the same drill with the extremist right wing Republican Party. They simply don't take ownership of their disastrous policies. Let's split 2009 in two, however, and give all responsibility for the first half to Bush and all responsibility for the second half to Obama. (After all, the current administration was not going to come in and flip a switch and make things better in the first six months - at least.)

In the previous 6 months while we struggled to get out from under Bush policies, unemployment was up 2.3%. Under Obama unemployment has ticked up 1.5%.

In fact, from a low of 4.4% in October of 2006, unemployment directly related to Bush policies caused it to rise to 9.5% in mid 2009, a difference of more than 5 full points.

And the radical Republican Party is calling for Obama's head?

Bring ME the head of George W. Bush and Jerry Garcia.