The Jobs Bill

Since the address before the joint session of Congress I've been trying to decide what the President hoped to accomplish by the "jobs bill" he proposed. My initial reaction was that he couldn't possibly think it was going to pass so he must have had something else in mind. Ignoring the better angels of my nature I'm forced to concluded that it was pretty much a ploy to give him an issue for next year's campaign. Pres. Obama desperately doe not want to be blamed for the continued bad economic news but can't keep blaming GWB, although he will contiue to do so. This bill gives him the opportunity to blame the Republicans arguing that if they'd have passed his bill everything would be hunky and dorey. This may help with moderate and independent voters who just want things to get better. At the same time he can go to his base and argue that he wanted to tax the rich and give to the unions (let's face it, the money was going to the States to hire or retain public employees who also happen to be members of public employee unions) and thereby generate an us versus them mentatlity which may carry over to the election. Good plan but it probably won't work.